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

[Lempo]

I don't wish for anything in life, I just put my head down and work

In hockey we keep our head up, boy.

 

[Archijerej]

I don't care. Hockey is demanding for a new viewer, it's just the nature of the sport. Any changes to make it more "attractive" can potentially cause more harm than good.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

It'll never gain on the other sports because it's not an attainable sport for an overwhelming majority of families in the US. Far fewer rinks, most expensive youth sport, higher entry costs, etc.

 

[ItWasJustified]

It sucks because we miss out on the best talent to far less superior sports. Guys like Allen Iverson would have been so fast and creative with the puck, Randy Moss would be fast explosive and strong while being 6'4. Then picture a athletic 6'9 Kevin Durant being one of the best offensive players in the game.

The players would enjoy hockey a lot more too.

There is literally no proof any of these people would be good hockey players.

 

[Hattrickkane88]

There is literally no proof any of these people would be good hockey players.

no proof they wouldn't be either.

 

[Pookie]

It sucks because we miss out on the best talent to far less superior sports. Guys like Allen Iverson would have been so fast and creative with the puck, Randy Moss would be fast explosive and strong while being 6'4. Then picture a athletic 6'9 Kevin Durant being one of the best offensive players in the game.

The players would enjoy hockey a lot more too.

Perhaps but you are totally overlooking the cost to play the game.

It is an extremely expensive sport and economics will always be a bigger barrier than any popularity contest with other leagues.

A person could be a great athlete but without the means, they will play other sports.

 

[ProspectsSTC]

It starts with the NHL's absolute incompetence in marketing. I'm a diehard fan and yet I didn't even know about the global series until yesterday.

I wish they'd make hockey more accessible somehow, but not sure how you can do that. That being said, it's infinitely better than the glorified soap opera with baskets the NBA has become. I'm more entertained watching golf.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

If hockey was more popular and beholden to share holders demands like the NFL and NBA than there would be more pressure to market stars and make the game more exciting offensively. You would get an NBA effect with star players getting favorable calls to make more room for them to score. Sounds good to me. Nobody goes to an NBA game to see a block they come to see Giannis and Lebron dunk the ball.

 

[Statto]

The socioeconomic demographics are holding hockey back and are perhaps it’s biggest handicap. If the NHL wants to broaden its appeal trying to promote the game internationally in countries like Italy & Spain would be a good start as there is a small foot print there to work with. Even in the UK the NHL could do more. It’s a very long time since the Kings and the Ducks played in London. The game has slipped backwards in the UK over the last 10-15 years and the NHL could help bring about a revival.

By raising the games global profile, that in turn will help the NHL grow domestically as the internet shrinks the world. Revenue will go up and so on. That’s why the NFL puts so much effort into the European market.

Cost to play is a huge issue, moreso in places like Europe. My folks could only afford to kit out me Or my brother so he got to play as my skating absolutely sucked. We often got our teams Canadian players to bring skates over for us at the start of each season, the cost difference was so significant. I’m sure equipment manufacturers could do more.

It won’t be long before the game falls behind Soccer in NA.

 

[ItWasJustified]

no proof they wouldn't be either.

No, but how many great dynamic hockey players have been 6'9"?

 

[valet]

In hockey we keep our head up, boy.

Dang, you're right

 

[JianYang]

It used to bug me growing up, but not anymore.

The NHL has firmly entrenched itself in an attractive niche marketplace that allows it to pay its players millions of dollars, and the talent level is generally strong. There's millions of fans to banter with.

The concern going forward is the cost barrier to participate, and brain trauma. Basically, anything that may cause talented players to not take up the game.... But it's fine right now.

 

[JJ68]

The NHL in no way deserves to be considered a top sports league, the product just isn't that good.

but it's better than anything else so yea it does. How people can enjoy watcing a ball player scratch his nuts before every long wait before pitches is beyond me..the only exciting moments are when the ball goes over the wall. Wow.

In football, you get more truck commercials than you get action. Another wow.

 

[JJ68]

It's hard for me to understand what it's like, except when I'm visiting the States.

On our Sportscentre, they showed the highlights of every single Canadian hockey match-up before showing the World Series.

I can only imagine what an American tourist would think.

That's the way it should be. The world series is a joke. I'd place it around where the CFL would be;

 

[holy]

I wish it were less popular tbh. I’d like to be the only fan in existence and have Gary Bettman begging me to pay attention.

 

[Butch 19]

but it's better than anything else so yea it does. How people can enjoy watcing a ball player scratch his nuts before every long wait before pitches is beyond me..the only exciting moments are when the ball goes over the wall. Wow.

In football, you get more truck commercials than you get action. Another wow.

You obviously don't understand baseball and football - but that's okay...

 

[JJ68]

Yeah, the Raptors winning a chip less than a quarter-century into their existence, while Canadian teams repeatedly fall short time and again is just gonna make this all the worse.

The only people that truly cared about the raps are in Toronto. They won and a bunch of bandwagoners jumped on breifly from elsewhere. Once they suck or go back to being average, those "fans" will fall off. And the Raptors will go abck to being what they always were before.

 

[JianYang]

It starts with the NHL's absolute incompetence in marketing. I'm a diehard fan and yet I didn't even know about the global series until yesterday.

I wish they'd make hockey more accessible somehow, but not sure how you can do that. That being said, it's infinitely better than the glorified soap opera with baskets the NBA has become. I'm more entertained watching golf.

You're talking about the nhl incompetence in marketing, but then you hate what the NBA has become.

I think it's a combination of the league and its players, but the NBA is doing something right marketing wise. They generate buzz on the street, and online, and I live in a Canadian market with no nba team.

 

[JJ68]

You obviously don't understand baseball and football - but that's okay...

That's what they are. The right fielder can pick grass for 4 innings without seeing any action come his way. Thrilling stuff. You cannot defend that fat, slow,, tobacco chewing "sport"

 

[perronist]

There is literally no proof any of these people would be good hockey players.

You don't think a bigger pool of players and attention would lead to more talented players and innovative tactics emerging?

 

[JJ68]

As for the super bowl, it's telling when people, mostly non-fans, tune in to catch the commercials...which is all the NFL is about....and the lame halftime show...

 

[Chris18820]

no proof they wouldn't be either.

Silly argument your making. There is no guarantee any of those guys would be stars in the NHL. It is likely freak athletes like Lebron or Randy Moss would but I wouldnt even consider Iverson or Kevin Durant lol. Your giving KD way more credit for his athletic ability than what you should be.
There is more proof that Sidney Crosby could have been a baseball player than any of those guys being in the NHL

 

[Chris18820]

As for the super bowl, it's telling when people, mostly non-fans, tune in to catch the commercials...which is all the NFL is about....and the lame halftime show...

Betting and commercials

 

[txpd]

I think its all relative. By all appearances the Capitals Cup clinching home watch party was massively more attended than the Nationals. The Caps parade was bigger than the Nationals. That's NHL v MLB. They are just a year and a half removed from each other and a pretty good measuring stick. I love both teams and have no bias on this account.

What I do think is that the NHL is more than holding its own in an environment where entertainment audience is harder and harder to keep much less grow. The NBA ratings are down hard. "Through Thursday, 16 of 19 NBA playoff games have declined from last year, with all-but-one down double-digits to a multi-year low.'
NBA Playoff Ratings Slide Continues

NFL ratings down. After increase in overnights, CBS doubleheader finishes with decline

MLB ratings not growing. Despite the ratings spike for games six and seven, the 2019 World Series is the least watched in five years. The series averaged 13.91 million viewers on Fox, on par with the the 13.93 million for the 2014 World Series, which also stretched to seven games. Wednesday's audience of 23.01 million is also the smallest game seven of this decade, a little behind the 23.5 million for the 2014 clincher.

NHL ratings are up. NHL Stanley Cup playoff ratings are the most-watched on record through two rounds

NASCAR ratings are troubling. NASCAR Cup Series: 2019 Daytona 500 TV ratings the lowest on record

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

As long as it is not in any danger of going out of business, which it is not, I honestly could not care any less.

All of my team's games are on TV locally, and I have NHL Network. The NHL not being on PTI or Sports Center doesn't affect me in the slightest. The fact that McDavid makes as much as the 8th man on the Timberwolves does not affect me in the slightest.