Do you like the NHL being 4th in the 'Big 4' or do you wish it was more popular?

OG6ix

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I've been following social media of ESPN and Turner (bleacher report) there are a ton of sports fans seeing hockey coverage that they never seen being on NBC for two decades. When they started tweeting it was definitely alien to the sports fans that follow but I think it's gaining traction now that they are getting used to it. Of course there are always going to be trolls on twitter but like the other day ESPN posted Brad Marchand taking the fans cell phone and it got a ton of likes. They are showing personality in the game on their massive platform. I know that OLN/Versus paid the NHL after coming out of the lockout while NBC had revenue sharing and ESPN probably would have taken the league back for a fraction of what they were paying before the lockout but I think long term the NHL would have been better off having some presence on ESPN. People actually know there is a hockey season happening right now as apposed to product being out of sight out of mind. Now ESPN can't and won't be the only ones to grow the game - they have a hand in it but it's still up to the league but the league sucks at marketing and when you are on an obscure sports Network it isn't going to help.
 

HeavyHammer

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Feb 26, 2012
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Doesn't matter to me as long as the league stays profitable enough to continue operating and employ elite level athletes.

The downside to being 4th is it can be harder to randomly run into other sports fans who are interested in talking hockey. The upside though is that when you do run into that rare hockey fan they tend to be way more into hockey than the average fan of the other big 3 are into their favorite sport. (not that casual fans are bad or anything, I am a casual fan of the other major NA pro sports)
 

OG6ix

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I hate to say it, but the reason people don't watch the NHL is simply because it's very boring.

There is nothing wrong with the game of hockey itself, however there is no question that the NHL is run by people who can't match the product that the NBA, NFL and MLB create. The reason why marketing of NHL and it's "star" players won't work is simple.

Outside of the ice they are very bland and boring people. Pretty much all of them come from upperclass neighborhoods, the worst tragedy that has happened to them is when their supreme backpack got stolen in school. Generation Z cares more about the players and their stories than the actual teams. Guys like Mcdavid and Matthews have zero charisma about them it's literally impossible for the NHL to market them.

You lost me at MLB. They are far worse than the NHL in this generation. They are holding on to old crowd.
 
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CupsOverCash

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I dont mind it not being mainstream like other big ones are. Not always a good thing when it's like that as we've seen recently.
 

OneSniffTwoSniff

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Then why is soccer one of the sports that's more popular? That is even more of a team sport and it is thriving.

E:
I think the problem is more about the NHL wanting to glorify the violence & physicality of the sport, while shunning the creativity & skill...especially come playoff time...and that is not just a turn off for many fans, it's less interesting for many fans who aren't immediately pushed away by the bloodsport-element to the game.

You can't really compare Football to any other sport due to its humongous popularity, it's literally played in every single country on the planet.

This is very true, it's a shame that the avarage person who doesn't watch hockey thinks that the game is all about fighting and hitting other people.
 

OneSniffTwoSniff

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You lost me at MLB. They are far worse than the NHL in this generation. They are holding on to old crowd.

True but then again they are really popular in southern america and Japan.

Also I'm sure that the avarage person recognizes Mike Trout before any NHL player.
 

Confucius

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It's number 1 where I live and that's all that matters to me. LOL! Hockey coverage 24/7 350 days of the year. Although missing it the other 15 sort of ticks me off.
 

BertCorbeau

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OG6ix

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True but then again they are really popular in southern america and Japan.

Also I'm sure that the avarage person recognizes Mike Trout before any NHL player.

Hockey is bigger than baseball some very wealthy European countries. They trump most south American countries and Japan. MLB players are as unrecognizable as hockey players are. I bet people would be able to recognize someone like Alex ovechkin as much as they can trout.
 
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OG6ix

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I haven't noticed that baseball is a dying sport, but even if that's true, its still exponentially more popular than hockey in the U.S., overall. Especially in the south. It's the national pastime.

Is it always going to be that way? There are a few markets where hockey Trump's baseball - even in Florida for example where the lightning do well while the rays can't even sell out world series games. Also if you look at the numbers MLB has the oldest sports fan I believe it's average age is 50! Hockey in comparison is a fast sport that lends itself well to the ADHD generation.
 

cgf

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You can't really compare Football to any other sport due to its humongous popularity, it's literally played in every single country on the planet.

This is very true, it's a shame that the avarage person who doesn't watch hockey thinks that the game is all about fighting and hitting other people.

True, but it hasn't been that big in America traditionally and americans don't tend to put all that much stock in what is popular with the rest of the world. So I do think its growth in the US does serve as a counterpoint to the 'hockey is too much of a team sport' argument. As it does show that americans can get into a team sport that there isn't a tradition of following; as long as it's one that highlights skill & creativity.
 

Confucius

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Hockey is bigger than baseball some very wealthy European countries. They trump most south American countries and Japan. MLB players are as unrecognizable as hockey players are. I bet people would be able to recognize someone like Alex ovechkin as much as they can trout.
True, not a word of a lie I couldn't identify one baseball player playing today. I haven't watched a game for 5 years, maybe more.
 

invalidbrotherfrank

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Jan 18, 2022
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other than NFL/College football, its the only sport i genuinely care about and follow. It would be better for the league and would be fun during times of your team being successful, but i'm kinda okay w/ being able to avoid the usual espn/fox sports hot take artists opining on it (tho my canadian friends don't get that luxury).
 

Michael HOMERUNing

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Feb 24, 2019
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You lost me at MLB. They are far worse than the NHL in this generation. They are holding on to old crowd.
Wrong. Ohtani and Tatis are about 10x more popular among the under 20 sports crowd in the US than any hockey player. And they aren’t even American
 

Dread Clawz

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Is it always going to be that way? There are a few markets where hockey Trump's baseball - even in Florida for example where the lightning do well while the rays can't even sell out world series games. Also if you look at the numbers MLB has the oldest sports fan I believe it's average age is 50! Hockey in comparison is a fast sport that lends itself well to the ADHD generation.

Idk if it's always gonna be that way, but just anecdotally, I've lived in and traveled to several different states, and in the south and midwest baseball is king(along with football). Of course in certain parts of the midwest hockey is very popular too. But hockey has a long way to catch up to baseball. Baseball has been part of the American fabric for 150 years. Every American kid plays little league baseball, I don't care if you're fat, nerdy, shy, or creepy. Every parent enrolls their sons in little league baseball. Now in certain parts of the country hockey is more popular than baseball, but overall, baseball is way more overpowering. Baseball fans also may be aging on average, but what I see with my own eyes is still little kids everywhere in the spring and summer throwing a ball around. Hockey has made great strides in many parts of the country no doubt, but it's still very much in niche sport status.
 

OG6ix

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Wrong. Ohtani and Tatis are about 10x more popular among the under 20 sports crowd in the US than any hockey player. And they aren’t even American

Sure the same ohtani that people are saying if he was American would be better for the league? Tatis? I bet you anything more people know ovechkin then him. This is coming from a hardcore baseball fan - it's a sport with a massive issue going forward with pace of game and the biggest strength of the game is pitching.
 
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Michael HOMERUNing

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Feb 24, 2019
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Sure the same ohtani that people are saying if he was American would be better for the league? Tatis? I bet you anything more people know ovechkin then him. This is coming from a hardcore baseball fan - it's a sport with a massive issue going forward with pace of game and the biggest strength of the game is pitching.
I agree with your overall point. Baseball is eventually going to die out because kids nowadays have the attention span of a fruit fly. But as of right now it is still way ahead of hockey
 

SegaChanneller

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Jan 22, 2022
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I'd love to see it more popular. The Winter Classic in 2020, the success of Vegas....they should build on this. Problem is, the NHL brass tend to be pretty old fashioned, perhaps too much so. And then there's the issue of affordability for families who'd like to get their kids into it, but just can't scrounge together enough money. Another problem too is how territorial a lot of fans, especially in Canada and the northern US, seem to be.

The league tries to grow the game, and they condemn it. The league doesn't, and they still come out to critique. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. The Winter Classic in 2020 literally set some pretty impressive records, but yet they'll gloss over it with a "yeah, but Arizona though!" or whatever. They seem hostile to the very notion that anyone outside their little bubble would dare have an interest in the sport. Reminds me of the Europeans who don't like Americans/Canadians getting into soccer, blaming foreign fans for "diluting" the game. It's all just glorified kids' games, folks. No need to get into purity spirals.
 
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