Ted shields his eyes — as he should — while walking past the Stanley Cup. (Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla)

When the NHL lockout ended in the early morning hours of January 6, some wondered if the fans would come back. Having endured their third work stoppage since 1994, a fair number of hockey fans insisted they wouldn’t. But, in the end, fans showed up at the rink.

Despite its delayed start, this was a successful year for the NHL and the Players Association. Despite shooting themselves in the foot, the bleeding appears to have been minimal. Wednesday’s game between the Bruins and Hawks became the most watched game one of the Stanley Cup Final since 1997.

With the CBA sorted out for the next ten years and the sport doing well, the owners and the players are starting to reconcile.

On Thursday, Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis — who supposedly pushed a hard bargain on behalf of owners (which he later denied) — followed the NHLPA on Twitter. The NHLPA responded with a little passive-aggression.

@TedLeonsis thanks for the follow. What a difference a year makes. pic.twitter.com/r9dhVJiC82

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) June 13, 2013

So, when do the cute DMs start?