I think you're missing one important thing about the NHL and Pro sports in general, it's never been about the game. It's entertainment to make money, that's all it's ever been. There is no "purity" or "for the love of the gave" just business.
People will go. I went to "The Queen's Ball" thing in NYC and it was kinda fun. My wife is a fan of the show so I took her, it's mostly like a photo op with a bit of a live show and merch. It'll be a mini theme park for for people that like show xyz from Netflix.
Can you expand on why society would collapse? Like what are the specific problems that would lead to collapse?