VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Tonight should be the first night of Hockey Night in Canada, but NHL rinks across the country are dark thanks to the ongoing labour dispute.

It’s not just sports bars and ticket outlets that are being hit by the lack of hockey, but local retail businesses as well.

John Czvelka with Van City Sports says he’s seeing a huge drop in jersey sales.

“Sixty per cent of my total sales are related to hockey. We’re talking [losses] anywhere from $800,000 to $900,000 if this keeps up for the whole year,” he believes.

And of the customers that he does see, Czvelka says there’s a distinct difference in tone from 2004.

“Last lockout that they had, 90 per cent of my customers were on the players side. This time they don’t agree with either one and are just disappointed there is no hockey.”

The Vancouver Canucks were supposed to open their season on October 11th against the Calgary Flames.

The NHL has officially cancelled the first two weeks of the season.

‘Hockey Not in Canada’ rally set for Toronto

Meanwhile, out east in Toronto, hockey fans are fighting back against the lockout as a group of people are organizing what they call a ‘Hockey Not in Canada’ rally outside the Air Canada Centre.

The rally is meant to call attention to the suffering that the hockey lockout is causing.

The group has created a YouTube video, appealing to all fans and requesting everyone brings picket signs and wears their Toronto Maple Leaf blue-and-white.