Watching hockey’s not so bad when you put it in a playoff format or an Olympic format. Even the casual sports fan will turn on the tube to watch USA versus Canada for the gold medal. As a matter a fact, more than just a few of you watched the game this past Sunday. As predicted, I said it would be the most watched hockey game in the history of televised hockey. Okay, I barely missed out on the record losing by a smidge in ratings to some game played back in 1980 at Lake Placid. However, I was still, “right there” were you?

Let’s make sure you understand one thing, I’m not a hockey hater. Actually, I enjoy the sport very much. However, I only enjoy it at specific times of the year. Like playoff time and even better, the Winter Olympics. Every once in awhile during the regular season there might be a great match up or rivalry game that’s worthy of attending or tuning into. For the most part, I believe most sports fans are like me. I’ll watch some playoff hockey but I’ll definitely watch the Winter Olympics for sure.

Check out all the bantering, articles and blogs flying around now about how hockey should take advantage of the momentum it gained from Sunday’s USA/Canada gold medal ratings bonanza and try to lure the fans back to watching hockey. How can Gary Bettman capitalize of this fresh popularity of his sport to help it grow and have more people talk about it, write about it and watch it on television?

It’s going to be tough for the NHL to ever grab what they never had. People’s money, time and attention. Oh, they might still have plenty of $$ from those that love the sport and have season tickets. They might have plenty of $$ from the most important customer of all, big corporate accounts. Those guys are critical to the NHL. They buy the luxury suites and boxes. Big money and dollars that NHL teams count on and have to have to stay afloat. It’s not happening like it used to and quite honestly, all sports are having that problem.

Money always has and always will be an issue for the NHL. Salaries in their sport have gone through the roof just like the NFL, MLB, and NBA. Difference is those sports have networks fighting and bidding over who can televise what every year. We are talking huge dollars for each sport.  The National Hockey League? Who cares? Seriously, who cares?

The worst thing in the world that happened to the NHL happened just over a few years ago. What helped get the NHL back on the map and helped bring the popularity of the sport to the forefront was gaining a national television deal with powerhouse ESPN. When ESPN televised the NHL a few games a week, it was huge for them. It gave the NHL a face to the new young audience and something to build on. Unfortunately, what buried the NHL is when a few years after the deal ESPN realized one thing, the NHL on TV doesn’t work. No ratings, no $$$, no more deal.

You talk about a shot in the head for the NHL and their fans. Wow! If ESPN is telling the NHL to take a hike, no thanks, don’t want you, don’t need you, you have major problems! If ESPN would rather televise poker, rodeos, and fishing shows ahead of the NHL, that’s a message sent.

How do you fix it? I’m not quite sure you can right now. Maybe too many teams are in the league. The superstars are not well known enough for fans to attach themselves to. Maybe have the Olympics every six months. Maybe shorten the season. You have an idea how to make the NHL better, more popular and get it back on a TV channel that most can and will watch, let me know because I’m real curious myself.

I hope you enjoyed the hockey game this past Sunday between the young upstart United States and Canada. As expected, it was tremendous hockey, drama, action, and excitement. It was watched by more people than you and I can even imagine. So let’s skip the rest of the season and get to the playoffs or just have the Winter Olympic format more often. Like every six months. I know I’ll watch and according to the Nielsen rankings, so will everyone else.