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NHL 2007 season - Page 2

post #31 of 49
6/7/07 at 11:22am

Re: NHL 2007 season

Three years in a row of a Canadian team making it to the final...and losing. At least Calgary and Edmonton played neck and neck with their opponents right down to the end (and were underdogs to begin with). Ottawa, on the other hand, just got spanked and totally outplayed.

Unless it can rally the city's future support of the team, it's sad to see teams win in cities that don't know anything about hockey, yet cities that are absolutely crazy about hockey not get that chance. Let's get more teams in places where people are crazy about hockey (i.e. Hamilton, Winnipeg), and stop putting in franchises in cities where people know nothing about hockey and could care less about it. Those ratings for NBC were terrible.

Any idea what is needed to boost viewer numbers in the US?
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post #32 of 49
6/7/07 at 12:25pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

If you stop putting franchises in cities that know nothing about hockey, you won't have many franchises. There aren't enough "hockey towns" in North America to support the NHL.

I just don't buy the "not a hockey town" argument. What is a hockey town? How is one created? Can one even be created?

Chris Kontos scored 4 goals in the very first game the Lightning ever played in 1992. You better believe there were hats on the ice after his third goal. And the people don't know anything about hockey. Uh huh.

If you look at the TV ratings, then I guess you could come to the conclusion that there are no "hockey towns" in the U.S. I guess the NHL should just fold all the U.S. teams.
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post #33 of 49
6/7/07 at 12:33pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Any idea what is needed to boost viewer numbers in the US?

That's a difficult question to answer. The NHL has struggled with attracting a national TV audience in the US as far back as the early 1970's, so this has been going on for over 35 years. The sport has never really taken off in US markets except in some northern states. Joe's attendance figures for Tampa are more the exception than the rule, and may be due to a lot of northern transplants living in the area (I'm guessing, of course). I'd be curious to know the playoff TV ratings for this year in Tampa compared to the more traditional northern "hockey" cities.

Bettman was interviewed locally near the end of the regular season, and from that interview I really believe he has no clue regarding the realities of hockey in the U.S. He cannot understand why Detroit fans hate being in the Western Conference, thinks markets like Atlanta, Raleigh, Nashville, Miami, etc. are solid, and wants to legislate all the physical play out of the game. He also thinks the Versus television deal is good for the league, even though something very similar was tried and failed with SportsChannel several years ago, and is failing again.

It's time for the NHL to find a commissioner who understands hockey. The sport will never be as popular as the NFL, NBA or MLB in the States. The NHL needs to recognize that, market the league in those areas that will support the sport, and forget about trying to be the next NBA at a national level.
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post #34 of 49
6/7/07 at 1:34pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ennsio
Any idea what is needed to boost viewer numbers in the US?

Bettman should stop worrying about boosting viewers and start worrying about not losing the fans the game has now. I used to go to 5-10 games a year, expensive seats, and I got the playoff tickets package (every game played at home) the last 3 times the B's were in the playoffs. Didn't go to one game last year and I probably won't go again if Bettman (and the Bruin's coach) keeps demanding they skate like a bunch of nancy-boys. I'm a hardcore hockey fan. But I'm an NHL hockey fan. Not college hockey, european hockey, purse swinging hockey, etc., but real North American, self-policing, vent your frustrations, live by the code, NHL hockey. I've not seen it (except in a few flashes) in a long time.
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post #35 of 49
6/7/07 at 2:51pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Gatie
Bettman should stop worrying about boosting viewers and start worrying about not losing the fans the game has now. I used to go to 5-10 games a year, expensive seats, and I got the playoff tickets package (every game played at home) the last 3 times the B's were in the playoffs. Didn't go to one game last year and I probably won't go again if Bettman (and the Bruin's coach) keeps demanding they skate like a bunch of nancy-boys. I'm a hardcore hockey fan. But I'm an NHL hockey fan. Not college hockey, european hockey, purse swinging hockey, etc., but real North American, self-policing, vent your frustrations, live by the code, NHL hockey. I've not seen it (except in a few flashes) in a long time.

I may be misunderstanding your thoughts, but I like the direction hockey is heading as far as the game play. It is still quite physical. Anaheim just won the cup playing physical (some would even say, dirty) hockey. And I too think being physical is part of the game, but I do wish they would open it up more for the "skill" players. There is no practical way to change this, but the NHL rink is to small for the size and speed of the players. So they have been forced to look at other ways to open up the game and I think that they need to continue.
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post #36 of 49
6/7/07 at 3:06pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidJ
I may be misunderstanding your thoughts, but I like the direction hockey is heading as far as the game play. It is still quite physical. Anaheim just won the cup playing physical (some would even say, dirty) hockey. And I too think being physical is part of the game, but I do wish they would open it up more for the "skill" players. There is no practical way to change this, but the NHL rink is to small for the size and speed of the players. So they have been forced to look at other ways to open up the game and I think that they need to continue.

The 2-5-10-Game for the instigator rule has to go. Fighting is part of the game, period.
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post #37 of 49
6/8/07 at 12:18pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by nolesrule
If you stop putting franchises in cities that know nothing about hockey, you won't have many franchises. There aren't enough "hockey towns" in North America to support the NHL.

I just don't buy the "not a hockey town" argument. What is a hockey town? How is one created? Can one even be created?

Chris Kontos scored 4 goals in the very first game the Lightning ever played in 1992. You better believe there were hats on the ice after his third goal. And the people don't know anything about hockey. Uh huh.

If you look at the TV ratings, then I guess you could come to the conclusion that there are no "hockey towns" in the U.S. I guess the NHL should just fold all the U.S. teams.

I'm referring to the cities that frequently get around 8000 people for their games. I think Nashville and Phoenix hit that mark several times this year. I see from this site http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/attendance?year=2007
that Tampa now has one of the top attendance rates in the league, so if that means that hockey has really been embraced there, then that is great. My gripe is with Bettman and the league pulling teams from hockey-crazy cities like Winnipeg and moving them to places like Phoenix, where there is very little existing knowledge of hockey among the locals and so it becomes an experiment to see if it will take off. I realize that Winnipeg does not have a strong enough economy to be able to support an NHL franchise, but until just recently, the fates of the Flames and the Oilers were very tenuous as well because of difficulty competing with the big American cities that could afford to have a team but did not have nearly as much public interest in the NHL as these two cities. Thankfully, I think the salary caps have made it easier for these smaller market teams to compete (appearances in the cup final haven't hurt), but before then it seemed like Bettman and the league were not doing enough to protect the teams in the cities that live and breathe hockey while trying to introduce hockey into brand new markets.
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post #38 of 49
6/8/07 at 12:21pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Merryfield

It's time for the NHL to find a commissioner who understands hockey. The sport will never be as popular as the NFL, NBA or MLB in the States. The NHL needs to recognize that, market the league in those areas that will support the sport, and forget about trying to be the next NBA at a national level.

I also think that Bettman is a huge part of the problem. Can we as fans stage a coup and oust him? That would be a wonderful thing to see. He just does not get hockey, which is very ironic for his current position.
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post #39 of 49
6/8/07 at 4:06pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ennsio
I also think that Bettman is a huge part of the problem. Can we as fans stage a coup and oust him? That would be a wonderful thing to see. He just does not get hockey, which is very ironic for his current position.

Bettman came from the NBA, so it's really not surprising that he doesn't fully understand hockey. It also explains why he keeps trying to turn the NHL into the next NBA. Here's a news flash, Gary... the NHL will never be like the NBA in the U.S.
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post #40 of 49
6/11/07 at 5:57am

Re: NHL 2007 season

Scott,

Just wondering why Red Wing fans hate being in the West? I'm guessing it's because too many of their road games start late?
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post #41 of 49
6/11/07 at 7:10am

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by Walter C
Scott,

Just wondering why Red Wing fans hate being in the West? I'm guessing it's because too many of their road games start late?

The reasons, in no particular order, are (1) the late starts for the road games, (2) they are stuck in a division with crappy teams that they play too many times due to the unbalanced schedule, and (3) Wings fans really miss playing the Original Six teams. The only one that comes to town regularly is Chicago, and the Blackhawks have never been much of a franchise (they're sort of the Detroit Lions of the NHL). Montreal, for example, played at Joe Louis Arena this season for the first time in five years! I was at the game -- I'm a huge Habs fan -- and there were numerous signs around the arena asking for more Original Six games.

Most Wings fans would prefer more games against Toronto, Montreal, Boston, etc. than seeing Nashville and Columbus all the time. Toronto, especially, used to be a huge rivalry, with lots of Leafs fans living right across the Detroit River in Windsor. Now Toronto only comes to town every 2-3 years.
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post #42 of 49
6/11/07 at 8:19am

Re: NHL 2007 season

In the past, I wouldn't have mind seeing more of the Red Wings, although not so much in the post-Yzerman days.

I hate the current schedule, and wish they would really go back to schedule before all that expansion (I think that was when everybody would face everybody at least 3 times).
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post #43 of 49
6/11/07 at 9:34am

Re: NHL 2007 season

At the very least, each team should play every other team at least twice per season -- once home and once away.

As a Montreal fan, I enjoy seeing them play rivals Toronto and Boston 8 times each season. However, decreasing that to 6 times wouldn't be a big deal, and would allow every team to play in each arena at least once.

Now, imagine Detroit fans being subjected to 8 games each versus Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis and Chicago. That's 40% of their games against unattractive opponents. Heck, if I was a Wings season ticket holder, that would be enough to make me give up my seats.
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post #44 of 49
6/11/07 at 1:32pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

I guess I should consider myself fortunate, with the Atlantic division pretty much with the former Patrick Division intact (minus the Captials). Although I never really saw the Islanders as an attractive opponent.

I used to be a Habs fan myself, until they traded away all of their great players in the mid-90's. I think trading away Roy was the final straw for me (even though I know that he wanted out). They were my second team when the Flyers missed the playoffs for 6 straight seasons.
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post #45 of 49
6/11/07 at 3:10pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by Walter C
I guess I should consider myself fortunate, with the Atlantic division pretty much with the former Patrick Division intact (minus the Captials). Although I never really saw the Islanders as an attractive opponent.

I used to be a Habs fan myself, until they traded away all of their great players in the mid-90's. I think trading away Roy was the final straw for me (even though I know that he wanted out). They were my second team when the Flyers missed the playoffs for 6 straight seasons.

As a Habs fan, I also do not mind the current division setup that much, either, since their two biggest rivals -- Toronto and Boston -- are in the same division. However, I do understand Wings fans' frustration over their division placement. If Montreal was stuck with those types of opponents, I wouldn't be happy.

As for Montreal's fire sale in the '90's, that was very tough to watch. They pretty much gave away Chelios, Schneider, Roy, LeClair, Recchi, and numerous other very talented players. The team went from a perennial contender (three Cup Finals and two titles in seven years) to an also-ran due to economics.

At least with the late '70's dynasty, the dismantling was more due to an aging team than a reluctance to pay the players.
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post #46 of 49
1/21/08 at 9:50am

Re: NHL 2007 season

I don't know if anyone is still following the NHL this season, but it was fun watching the Flyers game on Saturday, as they beat the Islanders on the road. Their power play is clicking.

While I'm glad to see the NHL getting rid of the unbalanced schedule, it's still not good enough.
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post #47 of 49
1/21/08 at 4:40pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

I still follow the league, but it's tough to see my favorite team (Montreal) here in Detroit. They are rarely on Versus, and the local CBC affiliate usually televises the Maple Leafs instead. The past couple of weeks have been the exception -- two HD games on Versus, and last Saturday night against the Penguins on CBC. Unfortunately, I only caught the final few minutes of the CBC game -- we were attending an Ontario Hockey League game featuring our local team, the defending champion Plymouth Whalers.

Actually, we attend the Whalers games quite regularly. It's close to home, the prices are very reasonable, and the hockey is very entertaining. You get to see some future NHL stars, and every seat is close to the ice. We probably attended 18-20 games last season, and have been to 7-8 so far this season.

Meanwhile, I do not plan on going to any NHL games this season -- although I went to three Wings games last season (one vs. my Habs, who were in town for the first time in five years).
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post #48 of 49
1/22/08 at 12:17pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Merryfield
(one vs. my Habs, who were in town for the first time in five years).

And the Wings will be visiting Toronto for the first time in 5 years as well. How messed up is that? No Original Six team should go that long without playing in each other's building. Instead, fans will have to be subjected to the likes of teams from places where no one gives a rat's ass about hockey.

I'll be seeing those Habs when they come to Philly in February. It should be a good game, with the Canadiens being a great road team, and somehow having the Flyers' number.
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post #49 of 49
1/22/08 at 1:22pm

Re: NHL 2007 season

Quote:
Originally Posted by Walter C
And the Wings will be visiting Toronto for the first time in 5 years as well. How messed up is that? No Original Six team should go that long without playing in each other's building. Instead, fans will have to be subjected to the likes of teams from places where no one gives a rat's ass about hockey.

When I was at the Wings - Canadiens game last season, there were many fans with signs that said "We want more Original Six". This is a major complaint of Red Wing fans. Toronto and Montreal used to be major rivals of the Wings, and it's years between visits now. There are a lot of Leafs fans just across the river in Windsor, too. It sounds like this should improve a little next season, but it still will not be like before when each team came to town multiple times a season.

This is just another product of over expansion. Gary Bettman was being interviewed locally last year and was told about Wings fans complaint of playing in the Western Conference. The moron couldn't understand why Detroit fans were upset. I guess he thought all those great matchups against Columbus and Nashville were better than playing traditional rivals.
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