When a player holds out, it hurts everyone. The team loses, because whoever is holding out is obviously a great player, which is why he's holding out for more money.

	Iginla

For example, there's Jarome Iginla in Calgary; if he holds out, the Flames will be hurting. Iginla is by far their best player, and they need to get off to a strong start. Calgary cannot afford to lose its first 10 games and expect to make the playoffs. Realistically, if Calgary misses the playoffs again this year, it could kill the franchise. That's how precarious this situation is. As the leading scorer and franchise player, Iginla is a key reason fans go out to games, so his absence would harm Calgary in so many ways. And it would be a shame.

Whoever holds out hurts his team significantly. It's not as if a holdout isn't under contract -- it's just that he wants a raise or extension. So it's something you can't plan for.

When a player holds out, the coach's job remains the same; his focus is on winning with whoever is on the roster. The coach is not involved in negotiations. That's between the team and the player, so the coach's hands are tied. If a coach is friends with a player or cares about him, he may call him, but the coach can't tell the player or the general manager what to do.

As a coach, you just focus on winning. The way to handle it is to act as if the holdout won't be there at all. You can't wait until he comes back to play hockey. You have to pretend he's not coming back and prepare your team accordingly. The coach can't talk about him or worry about his return -- he must forget he's on the team until he's traded or comes back.

Teammates understand that when a player holds out, it's about business. But that concept is more difficult for fans to accept.

Like the coach, teammates understand that when a player holds out, it's about business. But that concept is more difficult for fans to accept, and there may be some lingering animosity. But if the player is a good guy, he's accepted by his teammates when he comes back. Unless he was a jerk in in the first place ... then, he'll just be disliked more. In Iginla's case, he would be welcomed back with open arms.

I've never seen a player come back from a holdout and play well right away. Last season, it took Jason Allison nearly six weeks to regain his form after being traded to L.A. No player can come back from a holdout and not miss a beat. And depending on the length of his absence, it could hurt him all season long.

If a player holds out until December, by the time he comes back, everyone else is in great shape and the hockey is fast and furious. A holdout might have been skating, but it's not the same. You're a step behind and you're not as strong mentally or physically. It takes a long time to recover, both mentally and physically. Then fans get on you and start booing you because you just got a big raise and you're not performing.

I've never seen a player benefit from holding out, other than financially. He may get more money, but holdouts never recover quickly on the ice.

Barry Melrose, a former NHL defenseman and coach, is a hockey analyst for ESPN.