And this is Reality...
Phantom Lord in his suite at Game 7...
Also, the RBC Center (home of The Hurricanes) is the loudest arena in the NHL and in fact holds the record for the loudest crowd noise in US sports history. 134 db!!!
Posted on 12/06/2007 10:30:47 AM PST by WOBBLY BOB
If Detroit isn't Hockeytown anymore, then what is? First off, let's make this perfectly clear: We're talking south of the Canadian border. The six most passionate NHL hockey markets include – in no particular order – Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Hockey is a religion and then some in the Great White North, and there's nothing wrong with that in our book. We just wish there were more NHL outposts in Canada. If you've never taken in a game there, put it on your to-do list. All six markets are different, and a trip to any of them is worth every cent.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
They TRIED having more NHL franchises in Canada. The Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets come to mind. The NHL is amazingly stupid in marketing and strategic planning.
The mere fact that they put the Stanley Cup on the “Outdoor Life” network instead of ESPN2 over $$$ shows that they have no clue about building and sustaining a fan base.
Hockey’s a great sport, but a watered-down league with so much talent coming from overseas makes it hard to connect with the players.
Yeah, go Carolina Hurricanes, rah. (that was sarcasm)
Ah, Hockey. The game that BC and BU play in February on a rink that has a black and gold B on it for some reason.
Flyers fans consider Philly to be “hockeytown”, but most of us know better....Flyers fans are NOT hockey fans. Once the team does it’s annual April swoon, attention turns to the Phillies, or more likely, Eagles training camp.
I used to love the NHL, but it’s definitely over-expanded (and Bettman wants to add 2 more teams!!!), less exciting, and the shootout is a ridiculous gimmick. If they allow that intot he playoffs I’m gone forever.
My former boss was part-owner of the Hartford Whalers. Talk about a franchise that should have never existed.
Those franchises moved at a time when the NHL was making "a lot" more money than they are now. The US dollar was strong against the Canadian dollar and the league thought it had a chance to grow in the southern US. By comparison the smaller Canadian markets couldn't compete with the US cities for dollars. Those moves never would have happened today.
The mere fact that they put the Stanley Cup on the “Outdoor Life” network instead of ESPN2
That did that because ESPN didn't want them any more. Their financial offer was so far undercut and the league had such bloated salaries and expenses that it needed more money if it was to survive. Granted, it was their fault that they didn't realize the golden goose was dead.
I agree with you that the marketing and strategic planning of the NHL is horrible and always has been.
As a WILD fan, I believe the author is correct.
Bettman is a putz and wholly ignorant regarding the psychology of hockey fans. He thinks that if he makes it more like the squeak-squeak game (a bunch of genetic anomalies bouncing an inflated pig’s bladder and tossing it into a peach basket. IOW, the most violent “non-contact” “sport” ever created) more folks might watch it. There are rumors about that Bettman is/was trying to alter the basic structure of the game and convert it to 4 X 15 minutes periods so more advertising could be sold.
By eliminating the 2-line pass rule, he’s turning the game into some bastardized version of soccer on skates, and the shootout is an abomination imported from Europe. I’d also like to know why the LOSING team in a shootout gets a point? Whose bright idea was that? There should be NO points for the loser, and a tie means that BOTH teams lost.
Buffalo. Back from a corrupt owner, bankruptcy, the team in shambles. They have turned around a franchise into one of the best run and most marketable teams in all of sports - in 5 years. During the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, they regularly had 7,000 - 10,000 fans outside the arena watching the big screen.
Man, you ain't kidding. I am glad they ran away to Carolina.
But, then again...Ct never really supports pro teams for very long. New Haven Nighthawks not withstanding.
And this is Reality...
Phantom Lord in his suite at Game 7...
Also, the RBC Center (home of The Hurricanes) is the loudest arena in the NHL and in fact holds the record for the loudest crowd noise in US sports history. 134 db!!!
Because, as we know, the people in Philly need to continually look forward to the next failure.
Other sports would be better if they were more like hockey. Especially basketball. What is this touch a guy on the arm and its a foul and he gets two shots nonsense.
Infact, get rid of free throws. Make them play man down for 1 minute.
Absolutely. We mainstream failure here. If one of our teams accidentally won something I think we’d collectively explode.
I have family in Wake Forest, I took them to a Canes game a few years back. Nice arena.
Ever been to Buffalo?
Their other option was watch it at a bar.
There is nothing else in Buffalo.
Pittsburgh! With Crosby and crew, the Mellon Arena is sold out every night, and so are away games, thanks to “Sid the Kid”!
If you watch a Pens game, you’ll see a young, energetic crowd, which is what hockey needs in order to grow and thrive.
Definitely PITTSBURGH!!
Is that the same Pittsburgh that was about to lose the Penguins over the arena flap within the past few months?
Well, there probably shouldn't be so many teams in cities which have never seen snow. ;)
That said, if an NHL franchise ends up in Las Vegas, I'll become a fan.
It is really Buffalo.
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