The Thursday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

A relatively big day business wise, lets kick it off:

-All national TV outlets (American and Canadian) experienced a rise in ratings this season, along with 12 franchises gaining on the tube as well (Sports Business Journal):

"The leaguewide increase at the gate carried over to television, where average ratings were up at each of the league’s national broadcast partners. In the U.S., average viewership on Versus increased 14 percent to 310,000 viewers and a 0.3 cable rating, and NBC’s ratings rose from a 1.0 to a 1.1 household rating through nine telecasts. In Canada, viewership was up on CBC by 5 percent to an average of 1 million viewers, TSN by 12 percent to an average of 451,000 viewers and RDS by 7 percent to an average of 650,000 viewers."

- The KHL is obviously in a financial mess, so with their recent re-draft, some salaries were cut up to 50% in light of the economy (From The Rink).

- The big news today of a "serious" group of investors that met with Bill Daly last week in downtown Toronto looking to put another NHL team in northern metro Toronto in approx. 3-5 years (Globe and Mail):

"The unidentified group met with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in downtown Toronto last week, according to sources. The group proposes to build an arena at the intersection of Highways 427 and 7 in Vaughan, Ont., on land north of Pearson International Airport that's owned by businessman Victor De Zen."

James Mirtle has his take, and a very wise one at that:

"I likely wouldn't have said this prior to moving to Toronto, but after having lived here for six or seven years, it's very clear that a second team in – or close to – the city would be a huge success...

For Canadian hockey fans, however, the new team would be a huge boon. There are a lot of transplants in Toronto, like myself, who are hockey fans but not Leafs fans, and I could see many taking up the new franchise as their own (especially if tickets are more widely available). For Leafs fans, it would mean another regional rival and some heated intercity competition; for fans in other NHL cities in this country, it'd be another Toronto team to cheer against."

He also mentions that it would obviously be a financially sound club, which is what I definitely would look forward to. I would say all systems go, but its still in a very primitive stage at the moment.

- Finally, I have a new gig to go with this one. I am now a co-writer at Blueshirt Banter; SB Nation's Ranger blog. I am excited to work there in a great (for now) time for the Rangers, so please stop on by.

The Wednesday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

Yes, I'm still around. School is winding down (one paper, two finals to go) so I will start thinking about my little corner of the Internet here instead of school so much (who needs it, right!?). Here's some headlines...

- The Columbus Blue Jackets have generated over $2 Billion of economic impact in Columbus since their conception in 2000 (Business First of Columbus):

"Among the study’s findings are:

• More than $850 million in spending in Central Ohio has been directly attributable to the Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena and Columbus Destroyers, the city’s You can watch up to ten companies at a time.

" width="13" height="13">Arena Football League franchise.

• An estimated $160 million in indirect spending at hotels and restaurants can be attributed to out-of-town visitors attending Blue Jackets games and other events at the arena.

• Approximately $4 million in local income tax revenue has been generated by the Jackets and Destroyers since fiscal year 2002.

And more..."

Can the Thrashers boast this? At least they have a "green" arena...

- What the Lighthouse on Long Island project and Kellogg's Nutra-Grain bars have in common (Let There Be Light (house)).

- Game 3 of Caps/Rangers was the highest New York area rated game in 12 years; watched by 2.72% of NY area homes (Puck The Media). God I feel bad for everyone that wasted their time, I wish I had my three hours back of that game.

- Finally, Versus has put out some sick ads this year for the playoffs:

Come on back tomorrow, should have more than just headlines.

The Monday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

- A summary of the Game 1 Local TV Ratings (Puck The Media). NYC ratings surprisingly low.

- The Blue Jackets are still operating at a loss (Business First of Columbus):

"Q: Will making the playoffs make the team profitable this season?

A: We’ll clearly operate at a loss. I’m not in a position to get into the details, but there are a number of factors that go into it. A franchise such as ours, we have to be above average in ticket sales and above average in our corporate support compared to larger markets because we don’t benefit from the media (revenue)."

- The NHL's credit is going up to just under $200 million in an effort to help the Coyotes (Globe and Mail). It is anticipated the club will lose around $35 million this season. The credit crisis is likely to get worse, and the league is taking more of it? Ugh...

- The Subway Ad's on the Madison Square Garden glass will be back for Game 3 and 4 starting tonight (Sports Business Journal). They may be back for all of next season too.

Some Ranger fans are really upset about this. I can deal with it, because I watch for the hockey. But many make a good point that it might be a slippery slope to over-advertisement.

- Finally, an amazing Versus NHL Playoff promo:



A little NYR inspiration. Also, that is a hook Scotty.

The Friday Memo (TV Ratings Galore)

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

- Wednesday Nights TV Ratings for all the games (Puck The Media). Let's just say, we're off to a good start.

- Last night was nearly as good with Boston pulling a 9.4 rating on NESN (Puck The Media).

- Versus is also experiencing a playoff jump as well (Sports Media Watch).

- Finally, some interesting information coming out about the Sabres (Buffalo Business First):

"DiPofi said the Sabres sold 765,229 tickets this season.

Based on media information distributed by the team, however, it appears the ticket count was 741,547. The Sabres had 15 games at HSBC Arena that did not sell out, including two that drew fewer than 18,000 people to the 18,690-seat venue. In 2007-08, the Sabres said they sold out 38 of 41 home dates."

I've got the Sabres at 26 sellouts, which means the 15 non sellouts is the accurate number. I also have that the total number of fans at all regular season home games for the Sabres comes in at 759,787 spectators. This is below what the Sabres are saying they are sold, but above the articles statement. I'll keep tabs on this and I am beginning to work on a paid attendance tracking chart.

Enjoy the games tonight and I should be back Saturday or Sunday or whenever I recover from the Rangers Saturday game.

The Monday Memo (2 PM Update)

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

- The Carolina Hurricanes clinched a playoff spot Saturday night, which means playoff tickets will go on sale Tuesday at noon to the public (Bizjournals).

- The Blue Jackets neared there all-time TV Ratings record last Tuesday, drawing a 3.9 with their win over the Predators on FS Ohio (Sports Media Watch). The Blackhawks ratings are surging as well, reaching a high of 2.1 on CSN Chicago with their win on Friday, March 27th against the Devils.

- It seems like a slow day business-wise, but two teams have finished their home-game schedules, which means fresh attendance statistics are in. For now, until the off season, I'm going to keep it simple with this table (click to enlarge):



As you can see, Dallas and Washington are the two teams that have no more home games for the remaining week of the regular season. If I had to describe Dallas' season this year in one word, it would be disappointment. They dropped almost 2% from their average attendance last year, which had risen every season since the lockout. If Dallas had played to their potential this season, they could have neared pre-lockout highs of an average of 18,532.

Washington, on the other hand, might have made the biggest improvement in the league. Up nearly 15% from last season and over 23% from two years ago, the Capitals are the face of the "New NHL" and Ted Leonsis has to be smiling ear to ear. Next season the Caps will have people on a waiting list for season tickets for the first time, so I expect this trend to continue, but just not at such a huge rate like 15% (the Verizon Center capacity is 18,277).

EDIT: All figures that do not have the differences next to them like Washington and Dallas are figures as of today. Those teams all have home games left, which is why I have not calculated the differences yet.

- Finally, don't mess with Eric Lindros' lucky jersey:



That is all for now, more later.

- Update, 2:00 PM EST:

- More TV Ratings news, as NBC's Game of the Week between the Wild and the Red Wings drew a 0.9/2 overnight (Puck The Media). The Blackhawks/Red Wings game from the same weekend drew a 0.6, so the 0.9 is actually an improvement.

- Are the Dallas Stars in serious financial trouble? (Globe and Mail):

"Even though Stars owner Tom Hicks went into default on $525-million (all currency U.S.) in loans, the NHL claims it is not worried about the future of the team. Hicks said there is no chance his sports teams — the Stars and baseball's Texas Rangers — will be taken over by creditors."

The Thursday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

- The NBC Stanley Cup Finals broadcast schedule, and the problems with it (Puck The Media).

- Jack Carnefix, the senior vice pres. of communications/new media for the ECHL, clarified to Mirtle yesterday about the reason as to why ECHL teams are dropping fast (From The Rink):

"Travel costs are not really an issue as teams from the East and West are not required to play each other during the regular season," Carnefix said. "Even for teams in the West who fly more frequently, travel costs are approximately 8.5 per cent of their budget.

"The overall reasons for most minor league teams ceasing and suspending operations are financial, however, it has more to do with attendance than travel costs. It is a very tough time for minor-league sports."

- St. Louis Blues President John Davidson will join Commissioner Gary Bettman on his weekly show, 'NHL Hour' (NHL.com). The show should be available for podcast on Friday. From my experience watching Ranger games, Davidson is a class-guy who has definitely revived the Blues and their fans the past couple of seasons, and I would not be surprised to find the show littered with business talk.

- The International Olympic Committee has approved Hockey Canada's new logo (CTV). It has not been revealed yet, but the new brand look will most certainly sell well in 2010.

- Finally, play some office hockey today:



This will be my only post today, unless there are updates floating around to be added. I will not be around until Sunday, as a minor road trip is planned for Friday night. The joys of college.

The Wednesday Memo - 2:45 PM Update (Lighthouse and Winter Classic)

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

- According to Stephen Brunt, Canada stands to benefit if the economy really "slams" the NHL going into next season (Globe and Mail). I can't say I disagree with him much.

- Within days, the Washington Capitals look to sell-out their season tickets for next season (Washington Post):

"Within days, the Capitals expect to be sold out of the nearly 12,000 tickets they've allocated for full-season plans for next season. When that happens, the sales staff will be forced to do something perhaps only majority owner Ted Leonsis envisioned when he purchased the team 10 years ago: put names on a waiting list."

- Monday nights Flames-Sharks game gave Comcast SportsNet Bay Area the highest San Jose Sharks telecast ever, with an average of 2.17 and a peak of 2.79; which equates to over 52,000 viewers (Sharks.com).

- Finally, Crosby does a Gatorade commercial:



More later.

Update: 2:45 PM EST

- The Lighthouse Project on Long Island, which is centered around the Nassau Coliseum renovations to keep the Islanders at home, received a political "No" yesterday (NYI Point Blank). All is not dead though, its just more of the Town of Hempstead (where the Coliseum is located) saying "It wont work the way its planned now."

- Flyers-Pens at Penn State seems to be in the talk of things for next seasons Winter Classic (Freep.com).

The Monday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

- Coming up this week: Check back later today for an opinion piece on Celebrity NHL fans ... Wednesday begins a new month, which means fresh monthly attendance reports either then or Thursday ... Finally, the week will wrap up/start with the usual bi-weekly Second Half Attendance Boost update. And on another note, I'm getting into crunch time here at school, so please excuse my absenteeism at some points until May 1st. After then, its all playoff hockey, summer jobs, and this site. Thanks for reading as always.

- The Dallas Stars are on the block for minority ownership (Dallas News):

"Hicks (Tom) also owns the Dallas Stars. He said he owns 95 percent of both teams (Texas Rangers) and is willing to let up to 49 percent of each club be owned by limited partners, allowing him to keep majority ownership. He anticipates owning 51 to 60 percent when the process ends."

- There has been many rumors of the AHL establishing a Western Conference due to the number of West-coast NHL teams that affliate with East-coast teams, but AHL President Dave Andrews pours some cold water on that (Masslive.com):

"Not so, says league president Dave Andrews.

"We are not pushing, nor can we," he said. "Only Edmonton can make the decision regarding when or if they want to activate the franchise. If they do make that decision, it would be up to our Board of Governors to act on it. The Oilers would need league approval regarding where they might want to place the franchise."

- NHL TV Ratings are consistent, but tiny (Sports Media Watch):

"Of the fifteen non-Winter Classic regular season telecasts on NBC in the past two seasons, only one has drawn a 1.0 rating. The majority of games have drawn a 0.8 rating, with two games this season drawing a 0.9."

- Last week was the public information session meeting for the Lighthouse Project on Long Island, and Nick says the project is now at a crossroads, in a good way (Let There Be Light(house)):

"Over 1,000 people jammed the Marriott ballroom last night to attend the Lighthouse Development Group's 180th community outreach meeting. It was billed as a public information session, and those who may not have been as informed on the project could have come away learning quite a bit. For me, it was bits of information surrounded by....a pep rally."

- Finally, Molson Canadian Beer thinks players should have more curve on their sticks:



More later.

- Update, 2:30 PM:

Scott Burnside at ESPN reports that the Coyotes are on pace to lose up to 40% of their revenue-sharing allotment this season because of failed goals for ticket sales. Along with this, the NHL supposedly condemned the club for going out of the box with its recent ticket promotion involving Smirnoff liquor. Finally, sources think there will be changes in ownership, "sometime between the start and finish of the playoffs (between mid-April and the beginning of June)"

- Note: The editorial on Celebrities in the NHL will come tomorrow, around noon. So please do come back.

The Wednesday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

- Smirnoff Vodka drinkers can catch the Coyotes host the Blues on April 7th due to the latest Coyotes ticket promotion. (Coyotes.com)

- Wayne Gretzky admits the Coyotes financial troubles did creep into the locker room this season (Versus.com):

“We tried to keep it out of our locker room as much as we could,” he told Versus.com. “Going into the All-Star break, it was pretty exciting and there was a real strong buzz. Not to make any excuse, but it sort of seeped into the locker room. Some of the guys we traded, players looked at it, like, ‘What’s going to happen here? Are we going to be here?’ It creeps into the locker room.

- A review of the environmental issues facing the Lighthouse Project on Long Island (Let There Be Light(house)).

- The Detroit Red Wings have a big decision this off-season; to stay in Joe Louis Arena or to build a new one? (Freep.com)

- James Mirtle does what I should have done and creates a nice chart to keep tabs on Ticket Prices (From The Rink). I will be doing this over the off-season as well probably.

- Finally, Dan Cloutier makes his best glove save ever in this old Nike Commercial:



More later.

Update, 2:30 PM EST:

- If the playoffs started today, TV/Media Edition (Puck The Media)

The Monday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

- Philly @ Pitt draws a 1.0/2 for NBC's Game of the Week yesterday (Puck The Media).

- Are the Montreal Canadiens and the Bell Centre up for sale? (CBC)

- If the Lighthouse Project for the Islanders does not go though, Queens is opening its arms to the club (NY Daily News).

- Finally, an old Panthers commercial (head shot, Colin Campbell?):



More later.

Update, 6:30 PM EST:

- On TV, the Canucks play to an audience over over 300,000 a game. (Sportsnet.ca)

The Monday Memo (3:15 PM Update)

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

- Is Steve Avery the new NHL Golden Boy? (Puck The Media) - I like to think so.

- The University of Wisconsin is going ahead with plans to build a new arena for the Badger's Men's and Woman's Division I hockey teams (BizJournals). This one is a bit different though, as the arena is going to be privately funded, which is unusual for a University (especially one the size of Wisconsin).

- From Friday, the NHL Awards Show will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada this season (Yahoo).

- The NHL and Madison Square Garden have reportedly settled over their media-rights battle with the Rangers website among other things (Sports Business Journal):

"Terms of the settlement aren’t disclosed in the letter, but it does say that the settlement is expected to be completed by the end of March, at which time documentation of it will be submitted to the court and the lawsuit will be dismissed.

Sources familiar with the pending settlement say that it will see MSG cover all of the league’s legal fees, which are more than $15 million. Additionally, MSG will receive a seat on the NHL’s digital committee, NHL governors will be given the right to motion for anonymous votes on issues put before the board, and ownership groups will be able to propose a 30-day waiting period before the board votes on an issue brought forward by the NHL."

- The New Hartford Spartans win the Division II New York State High School Hockey State Championship (Utica OD).

- NHL.com has a sidebar ad for something called "The Portal" - I think from watching the video it has something to do with playoffs, as The Portal "opens" on April 13.

- Finally, an old OLN (Versus) NHL promo:



More later.

- Update, 3:15 PM EST:

- An overview behind the logic of freezing ticket prices in the NHL and NBA in such an economic climate (Dave Milz; Bleacher Report)

- Flyers at Rangers on NBC Sunday draws a 1.1/3 overnight (Puck The Media).

The Tuesday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

- NBC goes with the Flyers visiting the Penguins for the Sunday, March 22nd Game of the Week (Puck The Media). Many are thinking "ughh, Penguins and Flyers again!?" but the game will be just as good as the other probably option (NJ @ BOS) and will most likely mean more as the Penguins fight for a playoff spot and the Flyers hold onto 4th place by only 3 points.

- News from the GM's Meetings: Paul Kelley isn't happy with TV Coverage for the NHL in the states (Puck The Media). I think the best sites to be following for all the news would be here at mlive.com and the NHL.com blog.

- The Acadie-Bathurst Titan are staying put in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (NHL.com). Although this is somewhat insignificant, its good to hear about a club not moving in these times.

- Remember the "Most Successful" sports teams of 2008 according to BizJournals? Later I'll post each teams rank from the NHL and give an explanation at how they ranked every team in the Major Four Sports Leagues here in the U.S.

- Finally, Part 2 of Molson's lockout advertisements, this being the post-lockout ad:

The Monday Memo (2:00 PM Update)

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

Couple of things on deck for today.

- The NHL GM Meetings began today in Naples, FL. Scott Burnside of ESPN has the full rundown of all the events, meanwhile Paul Kukla posted a small but more business oriented post just a few minutes ago at KuklasKorner:

"NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke to Scott Laughlin on Hockey This Morning from the GM Meetings in Florida and talked about the agenda for the week. Bill also talked about the Lighthouse project on Long Island, new ownership possibilities in Phoenix, and the trade deadline deals"

Paul also provided this link where you can listen to the above interview between NHL Deputy Commish Bill Daly and Scott Laughlin of Hockey This Morning.

- Speaking of the Lighthouse Project, Newsday attempted to "shine a light" on the project on Saturday by blowing some of the problems out of proportion. From the article in Newsday:

"Fewer cars, more walking. That's the idea.

The reality: The developers will have to overcome a host of challenges before building the complex that would also bring a five-star hotel, restaurants and stores to the Uniondale site."

- In reaction to this, Nick at Let There Be Light(house) once again showed how the project is actually very well planned and will keep the Islanders on Long Island:

"In addition, the SEQR process, which is New York State law, requires that you address what would happen if nothing is done. In this case, no renovated Coliseum = no Islanders in Nassau Coliseum."

The renovation of Nassau Coliseum would be the first major task completed in the project and it would obviously allow the Islanders as a franchise to avoid any sort of movement or (yikes) contraction.

- Any publicity is good publicity, right? Well when Team Canada players from the World Baseball Classic (which started this weekend; USA and Canada both played at the nearby Rogers Centre) asked the Leafs if they could get tickets to Saturday's game, they were told it would be $12,000 for a Luxury Box (Toronto Sun).

"When they said the price was too high, the MLSEL people dropped the number to $7,000. And when the players indicated they would need to purchase an additional 10 tickets for their group, the price leapt to over $10,000, prompting the Team Canada players to say thanks, but no thanks.

"Do you think the Yankees would give us a box if we asked for one?" Burke said. "I don't think so. So why should we?

And if they wanted the tickets, couldn't one of the millionaires have paid for them."

- Finally, a Molson Canadian gem from the lockout season:



Part 2 of the commercial series will come tomorrow. More later.

Update; 2:00 PM EST

- Yesterday's NBC Game of the Week featured the Rangers hosting the Bruins in a 4-3 New York Win. The game reportedly drew a 1.0/3 rating (Puck The Media).

- Last week the NHL Network provided a free preview for certain cable providers across the U.S. I was not able to experience the Network unfortunately, but Puck The Media gives you 8 reasons as to why they are purchasing the Network after the free preview.

More later.

The Thursday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

Couple of things thus far this morning.

- The San Jose Sharks Tuesday night tilt against the Dallas Stars enjoyed the best TV Ratings in the history of Comcast SportsNet's coverage of the Sharks. The game drew a 2.1, beating their previous record of 2.0 (Jan. 29, 2009) (Sharks).

- Although NHL.com is a great site for the league and the to-go place to confirm news, lets just say they triple-check their sources before letting rip. (Puck The Media).

- In College Hockey News, Michigan will host Michigan State in an effort to break the record for hockey attendance by playing an outdoor game at Michigan Stadium on December 11, 2010 (Western College Hockey). By 2010, Michigan Stadium is set to have renovations completed to up the capacity to 108,000 plus.

- Part III to the Second Half Attendance boost series will be coming on Sunday, but yesterday I took a capacity look at the same issue. Take a look (click to enlarge):



The two charts are essentially the same, but this one offers a different view because teams that have significantly smaller capacities are at a disadvantage in the average attendance area, but here that does not exist. For example, Nashville's Sommet Center tops out at 17,113; so although they have had a boost it is nowhere near as big as others in terms of average attendance. But, as shown, Nashville's capacity percentage is up just over 4%, which is great for that market. When I update the average attendance chart Sunday, this will go along with it, so check it out.

- Finally, take a look at this USA Hockey Commercial. I have heard of the OneGoal program, but I have never seen this commercial here in New York. Maybe they are reaching out to the grassroots areas:



Check back in a bit as more is to come.

- Update, 3:45 PM EST:

Michael Grange of the Globe and Mail takes a look at how Canadian Trade Deadline shows fared with such little action for the long time periods of broadcast. (Globe and Mail)

Monday Afternoon News and Notes

- Philadelphia Flyers ticket prices will not be raised next season (Philadelphia Business Journal). I think this applies for all prices after reading the article, but if not the season ticket prices will definitely not rise.

- Yesterday's Pens @ Caps NBC Game of the Week draws a 1.1/3 overnight (Puck The Media).

- Finally, some on-ice news for any fellow Blueshirt fans who follow me here, Tom Renney has indeed been fired (Rangers website). Sather deserves the axe more than him, but this might be a shake-up the team desperately needs. Please lets find someone that can bring in a system where offense is key.

Hopefully more later, but I'm not sure as the family dog was put down today, so I'm not feeling to hot. If I do not return, Playing Below Capacity with the Florida Panthers will be back tomorrow.

- Update: 6 PM:

The Anaheim Ducks jump in the ticket pricing fun, freezing all Season Ticket Plans (include partial ones), concession stand prices, and parking as well.

Thursday News & Notes

- Rangers/Flyers from last Sunday draws a 0.9 rating. Still up 13% from last seasons matchup of Stars/Red Wings at 0.8 (Puck The Media).

- Let's start the Coyotes fun! After Dredger's original TSN report, Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes did confirm that they have received interest from investors. Yes, there is an s on the end of investors (azcentral.com).

- In response to this news, David Shoalts writes an article which, oh how do you say, doubts the situation? (Globe and Mail).

"Who would make an offer on that team?" one source said, referring to the total losses of the Coyotes, said to be as much as $250-million since Moyes took control of them in 2001.

- In response to Shoalts, Odin Mercer writes on how he thinks Shoalts wove his article just to bring out more negativity around the Coyotes. I'm still laughing at the picture at this top of this article. (Five for Howling)

- Rangers @ Bruins is on tap for NBC's Game of the Week next Sunday, March 8th (Puck The Media). This Sunday it is Pittsburgh @ Washington (Capitals.com). I am so far two for two with my Game of the Week predictions.

- Update: 1:35 PM EST

Gary Bettman will host his show NHL Hour today from Nashville.

Members of the Nashville Predators organization scheduled to guest on today's show include Chairman David Freeman, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager David Poile and Head Coach Barry Trotz.

Click here if you want to listen to it at 4 PM EST. Once the NHL Network Online window loads, click on the "NHL Radio" tab and click the first "NHL Hour" tab on the right at the top of the list, and it should load.

I already sent in a question regarding some financial issues, so lets hope we hear some good stuff.

- Seeing that Alex Ovechkin might have had the goal of the year last night, I will leave you with one of his first commercials stateside from back in (I think, not 100% sure) 2007:

Monday Afternoon Roundup

Here are the top stories this afternoon around the Business World of Hockey:

- Wings @ Pens drew a 1.1 on NBC yesterday afternoon (Puck The Media)

- Speaking of marketing partnerships, MLB TV and NHL GameCenter team up to offer you a great online viewing deal (NHL.com)

- CBC posts Gary Bettman's uncut interview on CBC's "The Hour" last Thursday. (Slap Shot - New York Times) Highlights? Right off the bat the relocation/expansion talk starts, and then around the 10 minute mark some more Phoenix discussion comes up. Its a long one, but Bettman does reveal some interesting views on how he deals with certain situations and basically what makes him tick.

- In light of the Wild freezing season ticket prices, other teams are starting to announce their plans as well. The Oilers and Bruins will both be slightly increasing their tickets for next season.

I'm going to revive a little tradition which I loved that Sean Leahy used to do weekly over at Going Five Hole to keep our touch with the game fresh. Here was this past Saturday's Coach's Corner with Ron MacLean and Don Cherry:



Hopefully more later...

NHL on NBC Schedule

Doing some light reading, I ran into the NHL on NBC spotlight for this Sunday on NHL.com, which begged the question of which rivalry is the best in hockey?

Their top three came out to be Leafs-Canadiens, Bruins-Canadiens, and Flyers-Rangers (You think the NBC would miss such an easy opportunity to promote next weeks game?). But this is not why I am typing this up.

On the sidebar came this chart which showed the possibilities for the game of the week through the end of the season (click to enlarge):


I figured I would go through and attempt to predict which games NBC will pick along with some commentary.

- 2/22/09: Pittsburgh @ Washington.

With the only other possibility being the Avs/Canes, this is really a no-brainer.

- 3/8/09: Boston @ New York Rangers.

Although I'm sure NBC wouldn't mind more Crosby-loving, I don't think they'll go with the exact same game two weeks in a row. I think a close second could be Colorado @ Chicago, because in all honesty that might be a better game.

- 3/15/09: Detroit @ Columbus.

I'm going out on a limb here. NBC won't go with Philly @ NY again, I think. The Wings are arguably the most popular team in the league nation-wide, and Columbus is fighting hard for a playoff spot. The other option is Boston @ Pittsburgh, which I wouldn't be surprised if NBC went with, but I'm sticking with my original guess. They can go with Columbus because the time difference isn't that huge in terms of an east-coast broadcast.

- 3/22/09: New Jersey @ Boston (I guess...)

This pick will easily be the hardest for NBC. If they go with Philly @ Pitt, NBC stays in the same mold as always. The next option is New Jersey @ Boston; a little different matchup but this pick won't happen if on the previous Sunday NBC goes with Boston @ Pitt. And like I said previously, I don't think they will go with Pittsburgh two weeks in a row, so that axes this matchup.

This leaves Chicago @ L.A., a very interesting possibility. NBC is shying away from west-coasters because of the time difference, but in all honest if I had to pick a game from the three to watch, it would be this one.

- 4/5/09: Minnesota @ Detroit

Easily the most competitive option. The Wild will be fighting for a playoff spot, and Detoit will be in cruise mode. Other options are Pitt in Florida; which could be possible if the Panthers are on the brink of the playoffs, but this will also depend on which dates Pittsburgh is picked for previously. The final option is Atlanta @ Washington, which I don't think will happen.

- 4/12/09: New York Rangers @ Philadelphia

Another tough choice. The close second is Detroit in Chicago; which if NBC went with I wouldn't be shocked. They could play off the Winter Classic again but in all honesty both teams will be in cruise mode at this point before the playoffs. Meanwhile, my Rangers could be fighting for a playoff spot by now, and a game in Philly is always great because of the packed Wachovia Center. Sorry Boston @ NYI and St. Louis @ Colorado, but you won't cut it.

Conclusion: NBC will have some tough decisions.

This stretch will be tough on NBC. They have to decide if they want to broaden their horizons west, and if they do, they will have some good choices to choose from. They already backed out of a possible great game with Boston in San Jose, going with the currently playing Detroit in Pittsburgh.

But with so many good choices, even if NBC decides to keep staying east, they will still have some long nights trying to decide as so many matchups depend on previous matchups.

Hope your enjoying your Sunday.

Playoff Teams With Opposite Attendance

After a loss in intramural volleyball last night, I was checking out the standings going into the second half, and one thing caught me.

In the East, four teams will be fighting for the bottom two spots. The Sabres, Hurricanes, Panthers, and Penguins. In terms of attendance, the Sabres and Penguins do just fine. However, the Hurricanes and Panthers have not played in front of playoff like crowds much yet this year.

Carolina is 23rd in attendance ranked by average, averaging 15,357 a night, which is about 82% capacity at the RBC Center. They only have two sellouts this season, the first two games of the year. The attendance then plunged, going over 15,000 only twice in a span of 13 games. That dip ended with the 17th home game of the season, two days after Christmas when the Bruins visited Raleigh. Including the Bruins game, the attendance has only dipped below 16,000 twice; and the Canes even broke 18,000 for the first time since their second home game when the Leafs visited right before the All-Star Break.

So will the Canes attendance keep climbing as the team fights for their playoff spot since their Cup run in 05-06? I think so. There is a little tradition in Raleigh already with the Cup run, so the "Redneck Hockey" fans might come out of the woodwork again. Only time will tell and I will be watching.

Meanwhile, in sunny Florida, the BankAtlantic Center could definitely use some Panthers Playoff Fever. The Panthers haven't made the playoffs since 1999-2000 and have been, as usual, struggling at the gate. They are 25th in attendance ranked by average, with just under 15,000 a night (remember, its called "paid" attendance). This puts them with the next-to-last capacity rating of 77.8%. Yikes. They have only "sold out" one game this season, when the Canadiens visited at the end of December.

So will the Panthers attendance see a rise due to some playoff fever? Maybe, but I doubt it. The team has too many fair-weather fans. If they make it into playoffs, it wouldn't shock me to see some sellouts, but even that might be a stretch. We will see though.

Onto the West, where it will be a complete crap shoot; something that will be really fun to watch as the season dwindles. Virtually everyone is still in it, as the last place Blues (42 points) trail the 5th place Coyotes by only 11 points, and the 8th place Ducks by 9 points. Although the Blues would have to play very well, it is definitely not impossible. But, to be realistic, I think the Kings, Preds, and Blues may be out of it with the strength of the West. So I think the Coyotes and Blue Jackets can really benefit from a little playoff fever.

Without going crazy on the Coyotes (take a look at my Playing Below Capacity series, Phoenix edition, for more info), they are obviously in a mess off the ice. Everyone loves a winner though, and I really think they could benefit from the hockey fans in the desert getting a taste of the playoffs.

I think the same goes for Columbus, as they have had a solid year on the TV front, as Puck The Media showed. They have not had such as luck at the gate, but have slowly been rising in the past games of the first half. They have only sold out one game, a 3-0 win two days after Christmas (a Saturday) when a solid Flyers club rolled into town. With a hot rookie goalie and with the team only two points out of a playoff spot, the Blue Jackets could be the newest and hottest mid-market team. I think a playoff run, their first of the Jackets existence, would create some die-hard fans and would help the bottom line immensely in Columbus.

Moving on...

Sports Media Watch had a cool post last night, comparing the TV Ratings of NBA and NHL teams in the same markets. Not surprisingly, most of the NBA teams are out-drawing the NHL on the tube, but some are close than you would think. Its worth a quick look.

That's all for now.

Morning Roundup

I managed to find the Versus ratings for the All-Star game this morning...

USA Today reports the overnight coming in at 0.8 (616,000 households), a 12% increase from last season. Nothing to brag about, as the X-Games outdrew the game by .2, but it still hung around with a regular-season match.

moving on...

Ken Campbell of The Hockey News says that the "free lunch is over" for NBC in regards to the NHL TV rights deal.

I'm late on this, but Campbell says FOX is apparently interested in bringing back the NHL. (Insert goofy fighting robot joke here). Campbell explains how I feel about a new TV-rights deal well here in this paragraph:

A new deal likely wouldn’t be a financial bonanza for the league, but it would provide some revenues and, more importantly, place some tangible value on the television product. Even though all facets of the business are bound to be hurt by the economic downturn, the NHL sees its television presence as an area of potential growth, particularly with the upcoming 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

This was a setup that lead to more interesting news, though:

Speaking of outdoor games, look for next year’s to be played between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins at the 69,000-seat Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The league has come to the conclusion that the outdoor games work much better in a football stadium than a baseball venue and a Montreal-Boston game would be great for ratings on both sides of the border.

I completely agree. There was nothing wrong at Wrigley, but to me playing in a football stadium year in and year out is just a no-brainer. More fans for a bigger gate receipt and the venue is already basically setup.

Check back later.