Come back to Hockey

This comes from a Canadian resident who of course follows the NHL religiously (Canucks fan).</p>

For those of you in the States who used to follow Hockey, what is it that has made you turn away in recent seasons?</p>

The lack of TV coverage? The lack of a big star (e.g. no Gretzky) or the lack of success in your city (e.g. Boston, Chicago, LA all under performers in recent seasons). Other reasons?</p>

Lets hear it!</p>

 

I will be there opening night at the Prudential Center.

If Gary Bettman sets himself on fire at center ice I will buy the League Pass and watch every single game for the rest of my life.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti)</div><div class='quotemain'>I will be there opening night at the Prudential Center. If Gary Bettman sets himself on fire at center ice I will buy the League Pass and watch every single game for the rest of my life.</div>

I'd pay to watch that as well </p>

 

I am a huge hockey fan (Rangers) so I really can't understand why people aren't into hockey. Some of it is definetely bad marketing, but what i have noticed is people really don;t understaand how to WATCH hockey. The avid fan knows where puck should go while people who just tune in in, itr looks like one jumbled mess.

 

I love the NHL, I just never get to see the games....they should get back on ESPN anyway they can

 

Yeah, I think losing the ESPN deal was a huge blow for the NHL. Word is that it could be back on ESPN2 for 08/09.

 

see I personally dish out the $150 for the damn package because they block half of the games here, which sucks! I live 2 hours from NY, it is unrealistic to block out games that far away. Honestly, I think its a full ircle, give it 5 years and teh NHL will be back as a premier sport. Baseball went through the same thing in the mid 90's. Basketball did after Jordan left and that strike deal.....its just a matter of time.

 

The lack of ESPN games certainly hurts, but after the work stoppage, it would take a lot to get me back to watching games that don't involve the Penguins. As it is now, I can watch just about every Columbus game, but I just have no interest.</p>

</p>

I doubt that hockey will ever be able to become higher than third on my winter viewing list behind NBA and NCAA basketball and there are games on all the time. Perhaps if the playoffs went back to ESPN, I would start paying more attention to the league</p>

 

I know for me here in Toronto it's due to the lack of coverage. I mean, I demand at least seven pages of sports in the daily paper and not the paultry five or six it usuaully gets.</p>

I want 28 mintues of a half hour sports highlight show to be about hockey instead of the pathetic 25.</p>

I was cosistant quadruple headers instead on triple headers to be aired on Saturday nights.</p>

And I want Gary to set himself on fire.</p>

 

Would you also prefer 24 of the 25 minutes to be dedicated to Leafs news instead of the pathetic 23 minutes that is currently dedicated?

 

I will only watch if my friend makes it to the NHL. Otherwise I'll have no interest.</p>

Are the games even on tv any more? Also, hey won't have a Sammy Sosa to pull them out of their hole. </p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shookem)</div><div class='quotemain'>

I know for me here in Toronto it's due to the lack of coverage. I mean, I demand at least seven pages of sports in the daily paper and not the paultry five or six it usuaully gets.</p>

I want 28 mintues of a half hour sports highlight show to be about hockey instead of the pathetic 25.</p>

I was cosistant quadruple headers instead on triple headers to be aired on Saturday nights.</p>

And I want Gary to set himself on fire. </p>

</div></p>

</p>

AHAHAHAAH I watch as much hockey as I can when im not working or busy, the strike was unfortunate but I didnt really miss the game that much! I will keep watching till im an ol bag of bones, hopefully by then the Leafs will win a Cup </p>

</p>

 

I love hockey because I watched it when I was very, very young and it's just a natural thing for me.</p>

A (non-Canadian) kid today might never be able to find a game on TV, never mind understand it and grow up watching it regularly.</p>

If the NHL can't figure out how to get families to watch games and parents to pass their love of hockey to kids, the league will die.</p>

That starts with a national TV broadcast that doesn't look like it's produced in some guy's basement. </p>

</p>

 

The problem is that the NHL alienated the casual fan, and probably will never get them back. The die-hards will always watch hockey, but the casual fan who would tune in if he saw a game on ESPN or just channell surfing will never have that option again.

 

I can rebuild the fan base in a few short years with a 1 step plan:</p>

</p>

Step One....Establish NHLTV.com....which would be a website dedicated to showing every NHL game over the next 3 seasons via the web for FREE....you can already get this type of service from MLB for a price(its not that much), but give it away for a few years for nothing and let fans see as much hockey as they want in good quality broadcasts....if you need to make some cash on this, sell ad space on the broadcasts and all over the website....</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kid Chocolate)</div><div class='quotemain'>The problem is that the NHL alienated the casual fan, and probably will never get them back. The die-hards will always watch hockey, but the casual fan who would tune in if he saw a game on ESPN or just channell surfing will never have that option again.</div></p>

And that means the US is not making any new die-hard fans.</p>

Even worse, they keep pissing off the old fans by changing the game to cater to the casual fans that can't watch and don't care. </p>

</p>

 

I have to agree with Ghoti 1000% percent. I have a love for the game because as a young buck Me and teh family would sit down and watch the Rangers.