[Dr. Sivana]

I may be wrong about this, but I seem to remember reading somewhere in the last few years that the Stanley Cup playoffs can generate larger TV audiences than the NBA playoffs when you include both Canada and the U.S. in the comparison.

Well, of course most of Canada tunes in, especially in those years when Edmonton, Calgary or Montreal is a real contender. There were a number of seasons when the NHL STUPIDLY sold the U.S. national cable rights to the Home and Garden Outdoor network or some such, because it outbid ESPN2 in dollars. Way to grow that base and keep your fans tuned in!

When the Bruins, Blackhawks, Rangers or Islanders are in the mix, then you can throw in healthy viewing from a major U.S. market.

Many of the best basketball playoff games are played VERY late (Lakers home games) and that has to affect viewership.

[Alberta's Child]

Having lived in both Canada and the U.S., I've made this observation about the NHL and its business prospects:

One problem they face is that there are really only nine NHL teams with solid fan support ... these include the Original Six, plus Philadelphia, Buffalo and Edmonton. When I say "solid fan support," what I mean is that any of these teams could get 17,000+ fans into an arena to watch a home game late in the season even if the team is out of a playoff spot.

It's kind of startling, really ... especially when you consider how many Canadian teams aren't included (Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary). These are among the vast majority of NHL teams who rely heavily on casual fan support that tends to diminish substantially if the team isn't successful on the ice.

This makes it incredibly difficult for the NHL to build a national fan base. So much of the game's appeal is regionally based and tied to long-standing rivalries that date back many decades (Toronto-Montreal, Detroit-Chicago, Montreal-Boston, etc.).