If you were voted for NHL Commissioner for a day, how do you market the NHL?

[Sniper99]

Olympics = your superbowl

Bride FIFA so its USA v Canada in the gold medal finals

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Players need to be interacting w fans; more free fan fests ..

Thought about this the other day, back in the early 90's Oilers did a "Carnival of Champions" with the ESKIMOS yes I said it. Was just thinking about this too the other day. Cant imagine how long the lineup would be for McDavid now. Miles long all the way outside RC and for block and blocks.

 

[sr edler]

Lower ticket prices. Fewer teams. Let the players play in the Olympics. No betting ads. No shootouts (especially not the slow-ass zig-zag version). No Tik Toks.

 

[Moose Head]

I have noticed several threads about the failure of the NHL to market itself.

If you were voted NHL commissioner for a day, what kind of ideas you have to better market the NHL?

Can’t I just yell at a cloud in peace? You had to give me homework? Sheesh!

 

[DaveG]

A few things:
Streaming - more of that please. Get all the games on one of the major services, no blackouts. Prime, Netflix, effing Twitch, doesn't matter.

Marketing - market the hell out of the guys you do have that have actual personalities rather than the same bland players from the same teams every time. Guys like Marchand and Jarvis are funny as hell, use it to your advantage, it doesn't even have to be a full podcast like Joe Rogan try to get them on Hot Ones or something.

Growing the game - we all know the sport is frigin expensive, so do more to promote and support dek hockey leagues around the US/Canada. Have at least one intermission in-arena ad be for promoting these leagues. Work with whichever streaming partner to get a moderately high level off-season tournament for dek hockey going similar to TBT/TST.

Best on Best tourneys - The Olympics is a must, as is doing a World Cup every 4 years (but NOT in-season) as at minimum an 8 team tournament.

Standings - if we're stuck with the shootout (first thing I would try to get rid of) then regulation wins are worth 3 points.

Really depends on the level (when I play A and B, it's fine; when I play lower levels, hoo boy...) but beer league games have always been chippier than the NHL.

Especially in non-checking leagues, because (some) players take every bit of contact as a personal affront.

Shout out to the Sport Stable in Superior, Colorado and to the Promenade in Westminster! Y'all keep it real.

Dirtiest plays I've ever been on the receiving end of were in C and D level "non-checking" leagues.

 

[Chainshot]

Return to having a single streaming outlet. Sure, let TNT, ESPN, TSN, and whoever else have games but if you pay for the NHL streaming package from the NHL, you GET ALL THE GAMES. No more regional blackouts, no delivery channel blackouts - you bought it, you get the games.

 

[wmupreds]

Lower ticket prices. Fewer teams. Let the players play in the Olympics. No betting ads. No shootouts (especially not the slow-ass zig-zag version). No Tik Toks.

I'm not sure we need more teams (although it's most likely coming) but I don't think fewer is going to help market the league. Teams spanning the countr(ies) has objectively created more fans and even more talent.

 

[Kegs]

All it would take is commercials that are violent hits and really dope goals. Instead we get videos of the younger generation of players exercising.

 

[JohanFranzenstein]

As a fan of MMA myself, I'm marketing toward MMA fans immediately.

 

[crowi]

Easier to watch. Simpler plans. Using more streaming services over the caveman cable shit.

Then as European, more weekend games during (NA) daytime (=my evening).

 

[Midnight Judges]

In what other sport do you get this:

MMA - except the fights are far superior.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I’d buy an ad during the Super Bowl showing an NFL fan depressed that football season is over. They begrudgingly try watching an NBA game. After the 15th timeout in two minutes they’re even more depressed.

Until they discover the speed, skill and physicality of the NHL.

That is intriguing but something tells me the billionaire NHL ownership class isn't going to want to trash the product of the billionaire NBA ownership class - especially when you consider these are some of the same billionaires.

 

[gritdash60]

MMA - except the fights are far superior.

Yeah i love the skinny dudes with the joke of a gloves, if boxing heavyweights did the fights with those there would be a burial after every bout.

 

[coolboarder]

Eliminate the instigator fighting minor and go with new instigator rule: making the instigator fighting a major penalty goes along with game misconduct. The person that defend the fighting will not be given game misconduct and will not be given a penalty for defending himself with one catch, the hit has to be extremely clean. If it is clean but you fought, you are ejected from the game to the player that started the fighting. The player that made a clean hit will not be ejected.

This will reduce senseless fighting after a clean hit and any dirty hits will be now allowed for fighting and not being given a game misconduct upon a review. If the hit is clean upon the review and someone fighting him, will be given a major penalty via the instigator fighting. Any dirty hit is now reviewable after the fact with the risk if the review showed a clean hit will not be given a major to the person who started the fighting after the fact. No more 3 minute major PP when someone instigate the fighting even if he deserved it. It will remain a 5 minute major even after the fighting one way or other. You want to encourage a huge hit for as long as it's clean without dragging down and resort the fighting. Even if the ref missed it, any fighting is an automatic review if anything happened behind the play that the ref missed and the coach or the captain has to point it out that they saw that the ref missed for the fighting to be justified. Ref now no longer be blind to any missed call and force their hand to the ref with the review.

No more mutual fighting and any mutual fighting will deserve a game misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension for both combatant.

The ref will have to ask, is there any reason for fighting, and if one of them said no, it is for show, still get an automatic game misconduct and a game suspension. If one of them said, it came from the last game that someone did happened will still get game misconduct and a game suspension. If someone said, he crossed checked and got hurt is the main reason then the ref will review it and determine that if it is justified fighting, and if not, he get a major instigator penalty and a game misconduct and the other combatant will not get any penalty and stay on the bench. If the fighting is justified, the person who cross-checked will get a penalty and the person who fought will not get a penalty. That is how you police the game forcing the ref to review. The only exemption is tripping, hooking, or even holding is not the reason to fight.

When you instigate the fighting that will not result in any fighting major that is justified, it has to be one of those penalty: boarding, cross-checking, high-sticking on purpose, spearing, charging, elbowing, kneeing, slew-footing, and goaltender interference, or even any kind of interference that resulted in any injury major type of penalty where instigator fighting will not be applied to any player that defend themselves.

That is what I would do if I were a commissioner for a day, you are sending a message that any type of dirty antics will not be tolerated that interrupt the game and it is okay for you to police the game if you felt that ref missed the call but do it so with a risk, if it is clean, you risk getting kicked out of the game for nothing.

 

[Crosby2010]

Promote rivalries amongst teams, amongst players. Take the shackles off of the players and let them be individuals. Create animosity, or rather don't censor it. Promote physicality, stop promoting this sissy-style of play. In all honesty, maybe it was because the internet and social media has turned our society into drooling vegetables with little attention span, but I think in the 1990s the way they promoted the game with commercials was exciting.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

I’d give former players healthcare, that’s for f***in sure.

And id hire Ryan Reynolds or some other liked Hollywood dude to just explain it to people- “it’s got its own surface, own equipment, and the skill these guys have- have you seen a puck at 100 mph.. get stopped? *montage, yada yada dramatic talk* nfl plays 17 games, these guys go 82 yada yada and playoffs?”

—some crappy adcopy, but in my head it’s a heck of an ad.

 

[Grub]

For a day? Give a bonus to myself and enjoy my retirement.