The NHL lockout continues with little signs of progress and the first two weeks of the season already canceled.  But fear not hockey fans, there is a better option to get your hockey fix (and no I’m not talking about ESPN broadcasting KHL games.)

Last Thursday I was able to go and watch the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League and was very impressed with what the night had to offer.  Not only was the stadium very nice, but the game was entertaining and more importantly, it was affordable.

When it came to tickets the price per seat was $21.  Now lets imagine what that will get you at Joe Louis Arena.  Parked!  Instead we got this view for our money

What $20 gets you in an OHL stadium

As for the talent on the ice, I can honestly say it was one of the more entertaining sporting events I have been to in a while.  Windsor just drafted one of the better prospects in all of the OHL in Josh Ho-Sang, who is being compared to another former Spitfire in Taylor Hall.

Even without Ho-Sang and Hall, the Spitfires have a rich history including back-to-back Memorial Cups in 2010-11 and many NHLers have played for the Spitfires:

• Ed Jovanovski
• Joel Quenneville
• Matt Cooke
• Steve Ott
• Cam Fowler
• Tim Gleason
• Adam Graves
• Claude Juilien
• Adam Henrique
• Jason Spezzia
• Michael Neuvirth

The list of players who have played in the OHL and continue on in their professional careers is way too long for me to list, luckily someone else did it already.  Some impressive names include Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux among many, many others.

As for the NHL it is the most talented league in the world, but more and more of today’s stars are coming from leagues like the OHL and should be viewed by all hockey fans.  Plus, without the games being on television there are no T.V. timeouts and the games are much faster and exciting for even the most basic fans of hockey.

So what do you think fans, is the NHL the only place to get hockey or should more people be branching to other leagues like the OHL?  Let us know at @DSBloggers on Twitter or on Facebook or in the comments below to tell us what you, the fans, think.