Now, when NHL players are free to choose their future for a year, we can see who is a winner and who is a looser. The winners are almost all hockey players from Europe especially from Russia. 

Russian players are fine to return to KHL and most of them will be able to earn the same amount of money as they earn in NHL. The next winners are European hockey fans. They will see NHL stars this season. 

Losers? Most of US and Canadian players are going to lose money. They will have to play in much smaller leagues to earn at least something. What about us - hockey fans? We are losing the game. 

Who is in charge of this lockout? I think players are, especially European players. They know they can find the same offers in Russia and do not want to have this agreement. Canadian and US players are in charge as well. I think they don't understand what they have done.