Every league · story
Belts that lived through a lockout
Every work stoppage in the pro belts' history: who was holding the belt, how long it sat idle, and whether they kept it when play resumed. The holder kept it 4 times out of 10.
A lockout or a strike freezes the belt with whoever has it: no games, no title defenses, and the days keep counting toward the reign. Here is every work stoppage in the pro belts' records, who was holding the belt when the games stopped, how long the belt sat idle, and what happened in the first game back. The holder kept it in 4 of 10.
| Stoppage | Holder going in | Idle days | First game back |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHL the 2004–05 NHL lockout (the whole season) | Columbus Blue Jacketssince Apr 3, 2004 | 384 | Lost it in the first game back to Washington Capitals, 3–2 |
| NHL the 2012–13 NHL lockout | Calgary Flamessince Apr 5, 2012 | 125 | Kept it: the first game back was a defense |
| NHL the 1994–95 NHL lockout | New York Rangerssince Jun 14, 1994 | 111 | Lost it in the first game back to Buffalo Sabres, 2–1 |
| NBA the 2011 NBA lockout | Dallas Maverickssince Jun 7, 2011 | 177 | Lost it in the first game back to Miami Heat, 105–94 |
| NBA the 1998–99 NBA lockout | Chicago Bullssince Jun 14, 1998 | 219 | Lost it in the first game back to Utah Jazz, 104–96 |
| MLB the 1994–95 baseball strike (no World Series) | Minnesota Twinssince Aug 6, 1994 | 256 | Kept it: the first game back was a defense |
| MLB the 2022 MLB lockout | Atlanta Bravessince Nov 2, 2021 | 126 | Lost it in the first game back to Cincinnati Reds, 6–3 |
| NFL the 1987 NFL strike | Chicago Bearssince Sep 14, 1987 | 32 | Lost it in the first game back to New Orleans Saints, 19–17 |
| NFL the 1982 NFL strike | Los Angeles Raiderssince Sep 12, 1982 | 61 | Kept it: the first game back was a defense |
| WNBA the 2020 WNBA bubble season start | Washington Mysticssince Oct 10, 2019 | 71 | Kept it: the first game back was a defense |
Idle days run from the first missed day to the first day with a game. The 2004–05 NHL season was cancelled outright, so that belt sat for more than a year.