[Carlo Colaiacovo] I hope this is a wake up call for change in the NHL. Fans are losing interest. No rivalries; lacking storylines; more buzz around t

[Chips]

Most of those things are real, but most of them are not why viewership dropped from last year as they’re really old problems


More games head to head with football this year for example. Blackouts etc

 

[Number8]

Pitch and Puck at the All Star Game?

What???? They already doing that?

Damn, and here I thought I had a multi million $ winner there.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Most people under 30 will never pay to watch games on TV, or will ever have cable. Simply the truth. At some point serious measures will be taken to combat illegal streaming but until then the Internet provides everything for free.

 

[Menzinger]

Yet he's insanely entertaining to watch on ice. Not sure how him being fun in interviews would do much....was Gretzky super cool and fun off ice?

He definitely had more of a public presence - ie a high profile marriage, hosted SNL once ect

 

[BlackFrancis]

4 or 5 straight 1st overall picks go north of the border a decade ago.

The plague wreaks financial ruin to the point where the cap barely moves for years. Meanwhile, the players' salaries remain static, rendering at least half the league cap locked and half of the rest approaching financial ruin sans Seattle's entry fee and ESPN's idiot tax.

32 non-conference games over an 82 game schedule.

ESPN lost their fastball 10 years ago. That fastball hit whoever it is producing their NHL product these days square in the brain.

Fighting's basically gone.

One of their franchises plays in a YMCA.

W-wh-where'd everybody go?

 

[Kerberos]

It all went down hill when Don got fired!

People like him are what the NHL needs less of, not more.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Obviously not actually kill, but axe the Betman. f***in geriatric weasel lawyer running the league, no shit it’s gone downhill.

 

[Rude Dog]

why doesn't the NHL do an annual fan survey so we can tell them what we want, not what they want to give us. Every good business does this. Time for a fresh set of eyes.

 

[thethirdhockeyman91]

The NHL sucks beyond belief at marketing its players. In the 90's everyone knew who Wayne Gretzky was, even non sports fans. Nowadays nobody knows who Connor Mcdavid is. Like literally nobody, even sports fans.

 

[McRpro]

Obviously not actually kill, but axe the Betman. f***in geriatric weasel lawyer running the league, no shit it’s gone downhill.

Your comment is one of the reasons why the owners love Gary so much.

 

[Kevinsane]

I never understood the obsession with the O6 stuff. Like yay the 9th winter classic in a row that features Boston vs Chicago or someshit…big whoop.

I agree 100%. I was around for the Original 6, then the Original 12, and so on. They’ve been celebrated forever, and saturation is a thing.

 

[Tanknation]

He is not wrong. Lots of suck in the NHL. He did forget to mention the horrific reffing that people get tired of year after year. It takes its toll. However, big part of it is that most people do stream now. Who even has cable anymore?

 

[Mez]

I think they could expand the playoffs a bit. Maybe add 2 more teams per conference and use the old seeding. Currently 16 teams miss the playoffs each year.

 

[Sniper99]

Enough with the bullshit betting ads and in between periods betting odds. For those that gamble online can goto their gambling sites and check out that shit on the site. I couldnt give a f*** if team leading after 2 periods is a -300 favorite.

 

[Hunter368]

Why shouldn't I be transparent about it?

Aside from that, it will encourage player movement, and line the pockets of lesser markets.

You haven’t defined it yet. Any softening of the cap, gives original six teams a huge advantage which is dumb IMO. Equal cap, puts teams closer to equal which is what any league and fans should want IMO.

So explain what you mean, I can’t comment on something you haven’t defined.

 

[Cogburn]

In Canada, they picked the worst of the possible choices for the monopolized rights to broadcast games. I mean FFS Sportsnet didn't allow viewing of home game in B.C. last week as it was "out of market". This was the winning bid for broadcast rights, paid for with money the company clearly didn't have based on everything else that has come out in the last decade.

The "hockey people" they keep trying to give a career to are just awful as well. There is nothing that is "revealed" or even brought up that borders on a fresh take anymore, and before anyone says it, the internet and Twitter have been around for years at this point. I mean I find myself streaming just to get away from the between periods crap, which feeds directly into this trade hype talk of Colaiacovo brought up.

Marketing is crap, but yes the on ice officiating and absolute whoring of the game (faulty digital ads, the non-stop gambling ads and updates, the fact that there seems to be a pool of like 5 other commercials that get played during breaks) really break any interest I have in staying up to watch a game any more. Refs missing a blatantly obvious call has always had the power to sway a game, but now it seems to be the rule, not the exception. I remember feeling ire when a goon took a cheap shot on a rookie or star player in the past getting no call or discipline, now I honestly just shrug.

I dunno, if the viewership is actually down 22%, I don't mind seeing the bubble pop. I hate Bettman, I hate the ownership of my team, I hope it hurts them to the point we see a better product league-wide.

 

[mjhfb]

Marchand is one of the best things to happen to the sport in a long time. He knows to play the heel, and loves to stir shit on social media. Those are the two things the NHL lacks the most.

A while back Marchand was in the box at visitor rink and some fan was all over him while sitting there. Marchand calmly looked over, smiled and said "How much did you pay to watch me play tonight?". Gold Jerry, Gold.

 

[Billdo]

Blackouts are a problem. NJ for example. If your cable provider is Xfinity, you haven't been able to legally watch the Devils, Rangers, or Islanders for two years now because MSG (the cable channel that carries those teams) and Xfinity couldn't agree to a new deal. So the thought is, go to ESPN+ right? Well no, because they are blacked out because MSG is still available on Fios, DirecTV, and Optimum. Now you can't just switch to Optimum or Fios if they're not available in your area (Fios) or they're not the provider in the area (Optimum). That leaves you with having to get DirectTV which is a hard sell to completely change everything and add a satellite dish to your house for one channel, right? So what are you to do? Find illegal streams, run a VPN, or jump through other hoops to watch a f***ing hockey game. The league mismanaged the ESPN deal from the jump. Bad commentators, too few on ESPN games, and having to use the app to watch leads to less viewership.

 

[Negan4Coach]

Meanwhile, in Raleigh, NC, the arena is packed to the rafters night in and night out. Put that in your pipe and smoke it

 

[frankiess]

It seems like almost every league is losing viewers. Or is it just me? You brought up baseball, MLB has a lot of problems that they are in the process of fixing. A lot of fans were losing interest there too. But to me, it seems like interest in spectator sports is dwindling as a whole.

They're pushing their social narrative on people that want to watch hockey. Ads on the boards, ads on the uniforms, Man U next, bet bet bet, ecetera.

 

[Melrose Munch]

All the people who claim the cap is the greatest thing ever can't tell you why a Canadian team hasn't won in 30 years. If it was working, one should have one by now

It's been 20 years, get rid of the cap. If the owners want cost certainty, get a better TV deal like the NBA, Premier League and MLB did.

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

1-32 playoff format.

Adds an additional playoff round.
Gives all teams a shot at the 'Cup.
Gives the best teams the weakest opponents.
Provides much more revenue into the League.

 

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaa]

1-32 playoff format.

Adds an additional playoff round.
Gives all teams a shot at the 'Cup.
Gives the best teams the weakest opponents.
Provides much more revenue into the League.

One season takes three years.

 

[Lolonegoal]

Pft, the only reason I even watch hockey is for the math equations.

 

[frankiess]

This week there was a pivotal missed call on LeBron in the Lakers/Celtics game. It made headline news and the head of the NBA’s referee association issued a public apology. Imagine the NHL ever having that kind of accountability.

In the NHL, the refs go out of their way to ignore obvious calls because they are trying to influence the result of the game. If a star player is being grabbed, hooked or tripped the league doesn’t care. Their team had the last power play so it’s fair game. No one is tuning in to watch the stars, right? The viewing experience is in a terrible place and I think if many of us weren’t diehards we wouldn’t still be tuning in. I totally understand why the casual fan doesn’t care anymore.

''and I think if many of us weren’t diehards we wouldn’t still be tuning in.''
Well said.