Brad Richards told the NY Post that he is on the side of the fans and understands their frustration and desire for the lockout to end so that hockey can return.

Richards said, “Whatever the fans feel, it’s 100-percent warranted. The fans are the reason the NHL is what it is, and they have every right to be frustrated.

He added that the players are upset as well and that he apologizes for the way the talks and lack of an agreement have gone, “We’re frustrated, big time. We want this over with so we can get back onto the ice and play. Definitely there are a lot of people being hurt here and we’re all sorry for that.”

Richards former teammate Dan Boyle told CSN Bay Area, “my biggest concern is the fans. I’m so grateful and thankful to be playing this game, but if there’s nobody in the stands to play in front of, that’s the worst part. And that’s my biggest concern, is we’re hurting the game.”

Michael Del Zotto told European corespondent Andrea Branca at He Shoots He Scores, that he asks the fans to bear with the players, “The only thing I ask them is to be patient. We want to go play in the NHL as much as fans would like, try every day to reach an agreement, but unfortunately it takes a lot of patience. “