The Future of Televised Hockey

[Guest The Czech Republic]

ABC/ESPN's deal with the NHL expires at the end of this season.

 

The ratings for the Stanley Cup playoffs, despite high-quality and exciting play across the board save for Jersey, are absymal. God-awful.

 

So where will the NHL go on television?

 

I'm thinking a possibility for the near future is possibly (gah) Spike TV. If they want to be a serious men's channel, they need to have a rough masculine sport like hockey. But this runs the risk of televised Predators games. They could go the full Viacom package and air on UPN/ParamountNet(if it ever gets that name) and CBS.

 

NBC seems to be done with sports.

 

FOX? I can live with this, provided they use that one cool "NHL on FOX" theme that's in NHL '96 for SNES, and NO I REPEAT NO FOX-TRAX!

 

I think they'll stay on ESPN, definitely, but ABC could very well dump the NHL. I'm sure the regional cable sports affiliates will carry local games as well, unless you're from Chicago like me. Good God.

[Guest MaxPower27]

Meh. ABC only broadcasts 1 game a week, so it'd be a bit of a loss, but it wouldn't be as bad as, say, losing ESPN.

 

I have FSN playing Panther games, and Sunshine playing Lightning, so I can still see hockey, just not the Colorado v. ______ that ABC plays every week.

 

I'm also saving to buy NHL: Open Ice on digital cable. 8 channels of hockey...

[Guest Karnage]

I think hockey television in the states should just be regional and on ESPN2.

And don't get started on the NHL on Fox...people don't want glowing pucks and red and blue streaks.

[Guest MaxPower27]

I wanted to hunt down whoever was in charge of that "glowing puck, LOL" nonsense and shoot a puck at his face. That was horrible, cartoon bullshit.

[Gert T 0]

I wanted to hunt down whoever was in charge of that "glowing puck, LOL" nonsense and shoot a puck at his face. That was horrible, cartoon bullshit.

Don't look for that person anywhere near a hockey arena as he/she obviously was not a fan.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

I liked the glowing puck.

 

However, I am, at most, a casual observer of hockey. It troubles me that it's doing so poorly as far as ratings and such. Its position as one of the big four sports is seriously in jeopardy, especially with NASCAR mania not appearing to be a trend that's going to go away. A similar situation as hockey is faced by the IRL and CART, who (besides, the suicidal split) both face serious financial straits. This weekend's Indianapolis 500, the motherfucking grandaddy of races, isn't even going to be a sellout (with tickets being only $5 in the non-filled areas) or get anything close to respectable ratings.

 

It troubles me (but makes sense on a certain level since they're both on the same channel) that the NBA Finals will be on national television but the Stanley Cup Finals are relegated to cable.

 

It is a sad state that both Indy racing and the NHL have fallen into, but the American public seems to have little taste for what are considered mostly foreign pursuits, with hockey being seen as a Canadian and European thing, and Indy racing transforming from an American pursuit to a mostly European one with the ascent of NASCAR.

 

We may soon see the fourth most popular sport in this nation represented by a piston instead of a puck.

[Guest EsotericMaster]

I hope someone carries hockey. I would hate being forced to buy a season pass or something in order to watch it.

[Guest nl5xsk1]

Just get the hockey package on broadband. It's only like $140.00 a season (and they break up the payments so it's not one lump some) and you get EVERY game.

 

As soon as the ABC/ESPN family picked up basketball I knew that hockey's coverage would plummet. ESPN barely played any games at all, and ABC only played like 4 games all year. Thanks for nothing. Their reasoning was that the TV numbers were down because there were too many broadcasts, but had no problems playing basketball like 4 nights a week. Even the few nights that they played a game I found myself watching a better, more interesting game on the package.

 

I won't miss ABC/ESPN coverage at all.

[Guest redbaron51]

you can always move to Canada...

 

but even then, you'll be stuck with Toronto which is even worse than no hockey

[Guest Karnage]

It kinda sucks how hockey gets beaten by Arena Football for ratings in the states. Maybe someone other than Gary Bettman could change things.

[Guest bob_barron]

The Stanley Cup Finals this year are not going to help ratings at all.

 

I live in Canada most of the season so this won't affect me too much but I really hope someone decides to pick up the NHL.

 

Oh and the glowing puck is evil

[Guest redbaron51]

first of all.

 

we need high scoring. those americans love their 42-30 or 101-93 games...

[Guest MaxPower27]

first of all.

 

we need high scoring. those americans love their 42-30 or 101-93 games...

Not all Americans...

[Guest Vern Gagne]

first of all.

 

we need high scoring. those americans love their 42-30 or 101-93 games...

Not all Americans...

But Max your a hockey fan no matter what... redbaron51 is right about the NHL needing more offense. The NHL will receive more casual viewers with 5-4 games, than 1-0 games.

[Guest bob_barron]

High scoring games is the way to go even though I hate them. I'd rather see a 1-0 game then a 5-4 game anyday.

 

The NHL has no marketable players it seems. They need to market players like Iginla all they can

[Guest MaxPower27]

They have plenty of marketable players, they just choose to market the wrong ones.

 

They market the Red Wings, Avalanche, Blues and Stars. Four of the oldest teams in the NHL. Somehow, these 4 teams being on ESPN ad nauseum is supposed to draw interest.

 

They have young players in great hockey markets like Minnesota, Calgary, Montreal, and Edmonton. Yet, these teams receive few, if any games on ESPN.

 

I think that if they started running, say, Dallas at Minnesota or Colorado at Montreal at the beginning of the year, and by the end weened off a bit from the Colorado's and Dallas' of the NHL, that they would have created a few younger fans.

 

Just my opinion though. I'm just tired of having a Detroit/Colorado season pass when I don't want one.

[Bored 0]

In the mid to late 90s I followed hockey pretty well. I definently wasn't a diehard fan but I knew most of the players names and watched fairly frequently but for whatever reason I've lost interest in the last couple of years and have hardly watched any hockey at all this past season. My opinion probably won't amount for much then but IMO the NHL will not and almost can not be taken seriously if their champion is the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. A team named after a shitty Disney movie franchise just has minor league written all over it.

[Guest MaxPower27]

It'd be one thing if it was a fluke. But it's not. They are a good team, they just came out of nowhere because ESPN/ABC has always marketed them as a joke.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

They market the Red Wings, Avalanche, Blues and Stars. Four of the oldest teams in the NHL.

If you're talking about the organizations themsleves, you're off by a lot. Though it says a lot about the rapid expansion when one can consider teams that started up in '67 as the old guard.

 

Age-wise, yes, they're quite up there, especially the Red Wings and Rangers. Many of this year's Devils have overstayed their welcome too, but it's not hard to get sick of Scott Stevens.

[Guest fairtoflair7]

I think the trap is a major problem leading to the big downfall in ratings. The casual hockey fan wants to see end to end games with exciting scoring chances and spectacular saves. The trap screws that all up. A prime example of this is the Devils. They are horrible to watch. Why do you think they never sell out thier bulding especially in playoff games??? The defensive style puts many to sleep and turns away the new viewer.

 

I think something has to be done to get rid of the trap and I think thier will be increase in ratings fromt this.

[Guest MaxPower27]

They market the Red Wings, Avalanche, Blues and Stars. Four of the oldest teams in the NHL.

If you're talking about the organizations themsleves, you're off by a lot. Though it says a lot about the rapid expansion when one can consider teams that started up in '67 as the old guard.

 

Age-wise, yes, they're quite up there, especially the Red Wings and Rangers. Many of this year's Devils have overstayed their welcome too, but it's not hard to get sick of Scott Stevens.

I meant the actual players.

 

With younger players comes more speed, more skill, and more excitement.

[Guest CanadianChris]

I'd rather see a 1-0 game then a 5-4 game anyday.

UGH. Watch some old games on ESPN Classic Canada from the Oilers era, and you'll see how exciting hockey can be. Unless it's the playoffs (and even then a lot of the time), soccer-style games are deadly dull.

[Guest MaxPower27]

Yeah, usually the playoffs result in great 1-0 games. Look no further than Ducks v. Wild game 1. 1-0 in 2OT, but had numerous scoring chances.

[Guest MrRant]

That is all fans ask for. Excitement. I follow hockey here and there and I have a hard time watching 2 periods of 0-0 action so I usually will check in in the 3rd period.

Edited May 24, 2003 by MrRant

[Guest MaxPower27]

I that is all fans ask for. Excitement. I follow hockey here and there and I have a hard time watching 2 periods of 0-0 action so I usually will check in in the 3rd period.

Sometimes there's nothing that can be done about those games though.

[Gert T 0]

I that is all fans ask for.  Excitement.  I follow hockey here and there and I have a hard time watching 2 periods of 0-0 action so I usually will check in in the 3rd period.

Sometimes there's nothing that can be done about those games though.

Exactly if the goalie's have 25-30 saves each by then, its not like there hasn't been some excitement.

[Guest CanadianChris]

True, but they should be the exception rather than the norm.

 

There was an interview with Jean Beliveau during the first period of tonight's Memorial Cup semifinal (junior A hockey), and he reiterated that the way to fix the game was to get rid of all the stickwork, and go back to the old days when you impeded someone with your body, not your stick.

 

There may not be a way to get rid of the trap, but there needs to be something done about the prevailing notion that using your stick for more than just handling the puck is part of the game. It ISN'T part of the game, and something needs to be done about it.

[Guest MaxPower27]

Have the obstruction calls gone down at all this year? I didn't really notice a difference, but I wasn't looking very hard.

[Guest CanadianChris]

They were down a bit, but then the playoffs rolled around and they didn't call anything.

 

Here's a thought...hire some competent referees.

[Guest MaxPower27]

Or get rid of that fuck Kerry Fraser.