Crosby and Ovechkin: The Future of the NHL

When the lockout ended back in 2005, there was little hope for the revival of the NHL. But there were rumors that there would be a player that could live up to the legacy and reputation of the Great One, Wayne Gretzky. They called him the Next One, and he has lived up to his reputation so far in his NHL career. This kid, as every hockey fan knows is Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although he is only twenty years old, he has done so much for the sport of hockey. The PIttsburgh Penguins attendance has risen every year since his arrival and many go to Penguins away games just to catch a glimpse of this young hockey protege. Although Crosby has gotten most of the attention by the media, their was another player that entered the NHL at the same time crosby did. HIs name was Alexander Ovechkin, who is now 22 years old. Both of these players have totally changed the sport for the better and attendance to games as well as viewer increasement because of these to players. This year's playoffs are completely unique this year, because it marks the first time that both Crosby and Ovechkin are in the playoffs. Crosby was in last year, but this year is Ovechkin's first time past 82 games. In their rookie years, both did an excellent job, but suprisingly, especially to the media, Ovechkin came away with rookie of the year honors. That year was a good one because of all of the debate between which  young gun was the better player. Crosby won MVP honors last year and it looks like Ovechkin will win it this year. At the end of this season, both will have playoff experience, MVP trophies and one might even walk away with their first cup. Either way, the entire league benfits because of it.

The NHL Playoffs

The playoffs in any sport is a big deal and no ther playoffs are like the NHL playoffs. The Quest for the Cup, as some call it, has had a huge fan support every year and this year is no different. The only difference this year is that games are now on more than ever. Between Versus and NBC, the NHL's two TV partners, have made NHL history with their introduction of their playoff schedule. Between the two networks, there will be at least one game on at least one of the stations every day until the champion is crowned. For me, this is really, really nice of the networks to give all this airtime to the NHL so die hard fans like myself can get their hockey fix every single day. Playoff hockey is something different. The intensity, the atmosphere, the beards. It's all just beautiful. If you get the chance to go to a playoff hockey game, the experience is one unlike any other. If you think that there are lots of people watching it at home, you should see the arenas. Playoff tickets in the NHL are very hard to get and you always get a packed house, usually draped in the home team's colors. Versus has the most coverage right now, but once the playoffs reach the conference finals, expect more games to be seen nationally on NBC. You know that the Finals will be on NBC, which has done a good job the pat three years with the finals. One week of the playoffs has past so far, but i can guarantee that there will be a lot more games in the next month. Here's to the playoffs!

The Tale of the Tape

Hockey is a great sport, but it would be nowhere without all of the fights that are in the game. I know that the game is all about finnesse, agility, and speed, but many people just go to hockey games in hopes that they will see a fight. Yes, fights can be entertaining, especially at the professional level. You can pretty much guarantee that you will see a fight at least once every two games. It's always interesting to see who is willing to drop the gloves and it's always fun to watch it when it actually happens. Fights have been a big part of the game and it's the only thing that seperates the sport from others. You can see fights at the professional level on a regular basis, but nowadays you can find it ging on in junior and youth hockey. This isn't necessarily a good thing. When developing young players, the focus should be on strength and speed, not sizing up who you are going to fight next period. It's a sad day when you see 10 year olds going at it on the ice. Fighting should only be allowed in the pros and college and should never be encouraged before then. I have even seen coaches teach their kids how to fight in a game. I believe that's stupid. Yes, fighting is important to the sport, but it should only happen with old guys. Fighting has gotten big in the NHL as well. Some TV stations even place a graphic on screen that shows the "tale of the tape" of the two fighters during the game. Personally, that's pretty cool. Everybody loves fights and without the fights, hockey just isn't hockey anymore.

The Winter Classic

Hockey is a beautiful sport, and nothing warms a hockey fan's heart more than an outdoor hockey game. The NHL has experimented with outdoor games with the Heritage Classic a couple of years ago, where even officials were forced to wear hats and gloves because it was freezing. A lot of people enjoyed that game, and demanded to see more games like this. Then confirmed during this year, the NHL set another outdoor game to be played on New Year's Day, 2008 at Ralph WIlson Stadium, home of the NFL team, the Buffalo Bills. The game was between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, and had to compete with several College Football bowl games for TV ratings. The game aired on NBC during the Capital One Bowl between Michigan and Florida, which was on ABC at the time. Even though the college football game had a higher rating, but this NHL game was the highest rated NHL game since 1996. To be perfectly honest, this game was like a fairy tale to me. To see over 70,000 people watch an outdoor game, with snow lightly falling throughout the game, and have the NHL brightest star, Sidney Crosby, win the game in a shootout, was like a dream come true. The NHL plans to do more games like this and i am all for it. These games bring the NHL back to its roots, which began with pond hockey. I can only hope that the NHL will continue to do these games, not for the benefit of the league, but for the benefit of the sport.

NBC's Big Mistake

During last year's playoffs, NBC and Versus were doing an extremely good job of broadcasting at least one Stanley Cup playoff game every day. For hockey fans, this was our March Madness. As teams were eliminated, the anxiety increased, until the Conference Finals came around. During the Eastern Conference Finals between the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres, the intensity was high and by the time we got to game 5, everyone was on the edge of their seats to see who would win this series. With a double overtime game already in the series, Ottawa came into game five with a 3-1 series lead over the Sabres. As any hockey fan would know, the game was expected to be a good one. And a good one, it was. As the game neared it close, the score was tied at 2-2 and the game headed for overtime. Many fans, including myself, were looking forward to watching a great game end in overtime, the best part of playoff hockey, especially on national television. Unfortunately, fans were shafted when they were told the game would not be on and the three hour pre-race show leading up to the Preakness Stakes horse race would be telecasted. As you would expect, i was really pissed off. How can you cut off a great hockey game for three hours of how pretty horses are! I mean, come on! Of course, the rest of the game was on Versus and Ottawa ended up winning the game and series in overtime., but that is besides the point. In hockey purists eyes, this was a tremendous slap in the face to the sport. Many thought that NBC did not care about the NHL and i heard that even some people began boycotting watching NBC because of it. Turns out that NBC had a contract with the Preakness, and were forced to air all that it did on that day. This was a very sad day in the sport of hockey and hope that it will never happen again.

The Greatest TV Station in the World

Alright, i cannot get enough of the NHL's newest creation here in the United States, the NHL Network. Created at the end of last season the NHL Network is hockey 24/7/365, which is truly a godsend. The NHL is the third of the major sports leagues to get their own network (NFL and NBA have one too) and i believe that it is the best of the three (sorry, a little bias there). The NHL Network not only talks about the sport but shows live games on a regular basis. My favorite part of the network is their program On the Fly: Final. This has got to be the coolest sports show on the planet (next to SportsCenter, of course) thanks to the way it presents its highlights. On a regular highlight show, there would be a broadcaster that gives the rundown of what happened in that game. Unlike other shows, the NHL network shows full highlights of goals and fights without commentary, just actual in-game audio. This is so cool because not only do you get to hear all the sounds of the game, but it makes you feel like you are watching a hockey game, summarized in two minutes. I love this station so much, however i do not get the station in my dorm. I was fortunate to come across it while staying at a friend's house and watched it non-stop. You can only get the network if you have DirecTV or Dish Network, so i recommend everyone to get satellite TV and watch the NHL Network every day.

Verizon Wireless

With the tremendous rise of cell phones in the past decade, many have or have started to ditch their home phones and go completely wireless with their phone service. Now with everyone in the planet now owning a cell phone, one needs a little entertainment and a way to get information and news on the go. Luckily, cell phone carriers such as Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T have given its customers access to information and other entertaining things. But which carrier is best? If you ask me, Verizon is the way to go. Why you ask? Why, for the NHL info, duh! A couple of years ago, Verizon became the official phone company of the NHL and gave its customers the ability to get phone alerts about NHL teams and games as well as receive video highlights if your phone allowed it. Because of this new partnership, Verizon has been able to get more air time on NBC and Versus. In fact, Versus' Intermission reports are sponsored by Verizon Wireless. This is another thing that is shaping the sport of hockey and generating more fan support. Now, hockey fans can get information on their favorite teams whenever they want, wherever they want. I have Verizon Wireless and i must say, they do a good job of representing the NHL. I would recommend to any hockey fan to switch to Verizon and get ready for hockey bliss, for a small fee. Plus, their commercials are pretty catchy, too. Can you hear me now?

NHL Center Ice

Okay, satellite television has become more and more popular over the past couple of years, and no satellite company is more popular now than DirecTV. Now DirecTV and Dish Network carry several out-of-market sports packages that feature games from the NBA, NFL, MLB, and the NHL. The NHL's out-of-market package is called NHL Center Ice, which gives viewers up to 40 games a week for a small fee (it actually is a pretty big fee). Now beginning this season, many of the games of NHL Center Ice are featured in HD, which is a big thing for hockey. The package was introduced a couple of years ago and has grown in numbers ever since its introduction. There are only a couple things that are wrong with the package however. The major problem that most viewers face is that you cannot watch games that are in your local area. For example, if you live in LA, you can't watch Ducks or KIngs games on Center Ice. This is a major flaw and needs to be changed in order to increase subscribers including myself. In my perspective, if you want to watch every single NHL game in the season, order the sports channel package from a satellite provider. You still get all the NHL games thanks to all the local FSN channels, and you get a lot more sporting events. Now what's wrong with that?

Hockey Night in Canada

Hockey Night in Canada has got to be by far the most popular hockey show in the world, or at least in Canada. The show began as a segment in between periods of the game of the week that was broadcasted on the radio in the 1930's. After a couple of years, this segment became a full program, by airing NHL games on the radio until it went to television in 1952. Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) has been tremendously popular in Canada, not just for the hockey games, but for the Coaches' Corner, the program's intermission show. This segment, hosted by Ron MacLean and the ever famous in the hockey world, Don Cherry, the show has drawn hockey purists to its breakdown of games all over the world. It's no surprise that the show has done so well in country up north. With all of the crazy outfits worn by Don Cherry, which have been auctioned off for thousands of dollars, and his crazy remarks, it's hard not to enjoy this program. Unfortunately, i have not been able to watch the program on a daily basis, but from the clips that i have seen over the internet i have found myself laughing hysterically thanks to all of Cherry's remarks and comments. I encourage everyone to go and look at some of the installments not just to watch Don Cherry (although that what many watch it for), but to get a new understanding for the game of hockey.

NHL and the Radio

Radio has been a part of the NHL since the 1920's and continues its tradition today. Back in the 1920's, hockey on the radio was only in Canada and stayed that way until the 1950's when Canada's radio programs made the jump to TV. Although the NHL on the radio went away for a couple of decades, hockey has still been strong with the help of local affiliates and amateur pro hockey games. The radio made a comeback in the NHL after the lockout however, with the introduction of satellite radio. Between 2005 and 2007, both of the major satellite radio networks, Sirius and XM, shared broadcasting rights of NHL games. As of July 1st of 2007, XM has become the major broadcaster of the NHL on the radio. When XM first took over, the radio company only aired some of the NHL season. But as of last year, XM now broadcasts all NHL games during the regular season and playoffs. Although hockey can be hard to understand over the radio, it still helps the general public with its connection to the NHL. From my perspective, radio has kept the world informed with what's happening with the NHL and other hockey leagues across the country. With XM's ability to air every single game on various channels, it gives fans an easy way to keep track of their favorite teams. If only they could to that on television...

NBC and Versus: A Perfect Combination

When the lockout ended in 2005, the NHL was in a free-fall and was losing fan support very quickly. When the lockout was over ESPN gave up its contract and a new station took over. The Outdoor Life Network (OLN) signed a new contract in 2005 and has been the primary network of the NHL since. OLN, which is now called Versus, has done a very good job since they began, and has started the rebirth of the NHL in United States. About halfway into the 2005-06 season, NBC joined Versus in airing NHL games, regaining its power as the top NHL broadcaster. In their deal, Versus would air select games during the week and NBC would air games on the weekends. When the playoffs came around, Versus would give full coverage until the Stanley Cup Finals, which would be aired by NBC. These two networks have done a superb job with the NHL, and the sport is growing because of it. Because Versus was not a common station when it first appeared, it is now part of basic cable options because of the demand for the channel. With the way they display the game and new technologies that they use for the broadcasts, these two networks have had a huge impact with NHL and how it is seen today. One of these new technologies has to be the new camera angles that NBC has used during their playoff coverage. This new camera, which would be placed on top of the glass dividers, would go back and forth with the play and give viewers an ice level view of the game. Personally, i think that this new camera is perfect for the game. It gives fans a new way of seeing the game, and therefore increasing its fan support. NBC and Versus have been inspirations for the future of the NHL and hope that the sport will continue to increase because of these two stations.

Video Games and Hockey

Surprisingly, hockey has done pretty well for itself in the realm of video games ever since the first hockey game came out in the early 1990's. There have been several companies that have produced hockey video games over the past decade, but none of them have done as well as EA and its NHL series. The overwhelming success that EA has gotten has led to them being the best selling hockey game over the past couple of years. They made an excellent game with their atmosphere and gameplay, especially with the new controls that were installed when the Xbox 360 was released. This new control system helped the game in a huge way and brought more people to the video game and the sport as well. I can make an assumption that all people who play or have played hockey have owned a copy of EA's NHL game at one point. As for me, I have bought their games since around 1999, and have enjoyed it a whole lot. As how it is connected to the sport, most of the products advertised in the video games are actual products in the NHL. And with the past two seasons of video games, even products such as skates, sticks, and helmets were promoted in these video games. Video games and the NHL have been great partners together and hope that they will continue their greatness. 

Sex Wax: A Common Misconception

If you haven't heard of the product Sex Wax, then you have not been around the states in a while. Sex Wax is not what you, and the overwhelming public, might think it really is. From the creators of this product, its primary use is to put it on surfboards in order to create traction between the board and the surfer. Since its creation, there have been other uses for this controversial product, including the use of it to help puck handling on a hockey stick. Many people are offended by the name of the product, and therefore have it banned in certain places such as schools and amusement parks. For me, its the best product in the world, and the the most popular stick wax in the world. All hockey rinks that i have gone to have sold Sex Wax and many people buy it on a regular basis. Despite all the negative comments about it, Sex Wax has got to be one of the best products ever sold in the sport of hockey. Just like the company says on their website, "there are those who read the label and smile with the knowledge that the world needs all the humor it can get". I believe that this statement is the best i have heard in a while.

ABC: The Sibling of the Greatest?

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) began its NHL career during the 1992 season and continued through the 2004 season. It never showed any marquis games until the 2000 season, when the network started to air the All Star Game as well as the Stanley Cup Finals. As many should know, ABC is the sibling of ESPN, which was also owned by Disney. With these two networks airing NHL games, it wasn't hard to figure out that they did a really good job of doing their job. ESPN was the leader of NHL broadcasts during the 1990's, but what of its sibling counterpart? As one would guess, ABC's broadcasts were very similar to ESPN's, except that these games were provided on national television. Because ESPN was so successful with their broadcasts, ABC picked up right where ESPN left off. In my perspective, ABC was a great choice to air NHL games on a national stage. The games were easily accessible and gave a lot of people a chance to get into the game of hockey. If it wasn't for the network's connection to ESPN, i believe that ABC would not be as great of an achievement in hockey than it has been claimed to have. ABC did a fantastic job and should be ranked as one of the top NHL broadcasts networks of all time.

The NHL on FOX: Complete Disaster or Innovation Master?

FOX joined the cast of networks that aired NHL games around 1994 and lasted until 1999, when its contract expired, losing its rights to ABC. The era of NHL games on FOX included regular season games, several playoff games, and continuous coverage of the All Star Game and Stanley Cup Finals. To many hockey purists, the NHL on FOX was a complete disaster and turned fans away from the game with its new ways of representing the game. For me, i saw the network as an innovator for the game. With all the new technology that FOX used in its broadcasts, it opened up new doors to the way the sport was aired. The greatest achievement that FOX did in this department has to be its biggest flaw as well, the FoxTrax. This new invention placed a glowing ring around the puck in order for viewers to easily see where the puck goes. Many newcomers, including myself, enjoyed this and made it easier to get into the game. The FoxTrax was first used during the 1996 All Star Game and was last used in 1998 during the Stanley Cup Finals. This new innovation brought many fans to the sport of hockey, although it was only around for 4 years. Even though the NHL on FOX is gone, there are still remains of its telecasts, with all of the Fox Sports Networks (FSN) stations showing regional games today. Although it is not like the NHL on FOX entirely, it still shares part of its history today.

My Take on the Media (Part 5)

Alright, it's time for me to wrap up this minseries in my blog by focusing from the end of the NHL lockout to what the sport is today. When the lockout ended after the 2004-05 season, ESPN gave up their rights with the NHL and were picked up by OLN (now Versus), which is a cable network. As one would believe, ratings were very low and have risen over the years, but are not where they were before the lockout. Now that Versus is included in most basic cable packages, there are more viewers watching regularly. With Versus covering many regular season games, NBC decided to step in and helped with broadcasting the NHL, especially the Stanley Cup Finals. Now, Versus and NBC share the broadcasting rights with a lot of small networks all around the country. With all of these stations covering hockey and with satellite radio making a huge help, the NHL and hockey overall is growing, and continues to increase its fan base every year. Personally, i enjoy watching the games now, especially on NBC. They do a great job with their commentary and the way they represent the sport when they air it. Although i am not happy with the time NBC airs its games (Sundays at like 10:30am, i'm still asleep), i believe they do a reat job with the NHL and i hope it continues. After the lockout, many thought the NHL would fold all together. But with the expansion of audiences, the NHL is as strong as ever.

My Take on the Media (Part 4)

Up until the 2004-2005 season, hockey was consistently on the air by ESPN, and the sport of hockey was in my mind growing rapidly. Fan bases remained constant for about ten years and things were looking good. I was a frequent watcher of the NHL and it grew on me to the point that i started to play hockey. But when that 2004-2005 season came along, that's when the NHL took a HUGE downward spiral and began to fade away, especially here in the states. That's when the NHL's lockout took place, banning the sport for on whole year. I have to tell you, that was probbly the worst year of my life. Due to the lokout, ESPN's contract with the NHL expired and ESPN decided not pick it up again. The network thought the sport was dying and it was not in their best interest to continue airing the sport. After ESPN parted ways with the NHL, many fans were lost, as there were no games on national television, only on cable and satellite. OLN, now known as Versus, took over the job for ESPN after the lockout and that's when the new era of the NHL and the media took place.

My Take on the Media (Part 3)

When i first started watching hockey, ESPN was the only network that carried games on a regular basis. But around 1994, FOX got into the business and started to air games almost as frequent as ESPN did. Now here's the interesting thing about FOX's coverage of hockey. In my mind, i believed that FOX tried to make the sport of hockey appeal to those who enjoyed speciall effects and other popular thing you would see in other sports broadcasts. I thought that this idea went away from the sport and in my mind made the sport less popular. Sure, the new effects added such as the FoxTrax, which put an icon on the puck as it went along in order for fans to be able to find the puck easily, made the game look more futuristic, but i think for those who were loyal to the game made it less appealing. FOX did a good job with the NHL and it was unfortunate that they lost their rights to ABC. But from there, i thought the game got  whole lot better.

My Take on the Media (Part 2)

Okay, i got all the hatred of hockey being a mediocre sport in America, and am ready to move on. When hockey was first aired in North America, it was only on radio. Now there is even a channel on satellite that is dedicated specifically to hockey and the NHL(which i believe is a godsend, but I'll get into that later). With all the new technology that is around today, hockey is an ever-changing sport. But what about when hte NHL was first on the air. The farthest back i can remember watching hockey was when it was all over ESPN as well as ABC. That was around the mid 1990's. But after doing some research, i saw that NBC aired hockey games before i was even born. And apparently, that's when the sport was somewhat popular in the states, especially in the New York area. Going back to when i first watched hockey, i was intrigued by how they broadcasted the games. There were few commercials, the commentary was solid, and the overall experience was great. Personally, I thought that ESPN did the best job with broadcasting hockey games, and i am sad that they no longer do it (that may change, though). Back then, hockey was a popular thing to watch, and it was on television a lot. It was then that i first really got into the game thanks to all coverage that was on TV.

My Take on the Media (Part 1)

Alright, it is time to give my take on the media and how it broadcast the sport of hockey all across the country as well as the world. I remember back when i was in elementary school and hockey was a big thing. I could turn on the local channels and be able to see a live hockey game. There were movies such as Slapshot and The Mighty Ducks and everyone was a fan of hockey. But then something happened as i grwe up. Many went away from the sport and turned to other professional sports such as the NFL and NBA (which is a stupid league and should not be as popular as it is today), thus making hockey a dying sport here in America. I think that this sucks. Hockey has been my life for about the past ten years and i wouldn't trade it for the world. Hockey is the greatest and coolest (literally) sport in the world and demands the respect that i give it.

The Origins of Broadcasting Hockey

Since the main reason i am doing this blog is for my communication class, i thought it would be a grand idea to explain the origins of hockey in the media. Hockey over the air can be traced back to even the 1920's, with the first radio broadcasts of live NHL hockey games. With the introduction of hockey games on the radio came the most popular hockey show of all time, Hockey Night in Canada. The show aired on the radio in 1931 and later moved to television in 1952. It currently is one of the most popular shows in Canada. As for the United States, many did not recieve hockey games until the 1970's, when NBC and CBS picked up only a few games and no one had exclusive rights to NHL games. Although there were not many games aired, that changed in 1981 when USA network aired a full schedule of games in the US. Hockey has never done well with ratings compared to other pro sports such as the NFL and NBA. But in the late 1980's to today, hockey broadcasting took a big turn in the amount of exposure of the NHL, epecially in the US.

Is the NHL safe anymore?

Two weeks ago the hockey world witnessed something that hasn't been seen since Clint Malarchuck's horrifying accident back in the late eighties. Not only did it happen once, but others were hit with similar tragedies during the same week as well. It all began on February 10, when Richard Zednik took a skate to his corrotid artery during the third period of the Sabres-Panthers game. After the incident, Zednik was rushed to a local Buffalo hospital and had lifesaving surgery. He is okay now and should be good in a couple of weeks. On the previous day, official Pat dePuzzo took a skate to the nose when avoiding a check during the Rangers-Flyers game on February 9th. He had  to get a considerate amount of stitches and is cooperating very well. After this incident, Edmonton Oiler Ethan Moreau received a skate right above his right eye. All of these incidents were due to low checks and the ability to not stay away from these hits.

With all of these incidents happening in the same week, many (including myself) are questioning the NHL's safety policy when it comes to protective equipment. As of right now, the NHL does not require visors or neck guards, but that could change in the coming weeks. From my standpoint as both a hockey player and official, I wouldn't be surprised if there are new standards in protective equipment for all hockey divisions. Even my former officiating association in Boise has deemed that all officials should wear visors after what happened to dePuzzo last week. After I heard what happened to Zednik, I even wore a neck guard to my college hockey practice. Can't be too careful, ya know. 

My standpoint on the issue is let the players decide on what they want to wear on the ice. As long as they know the risks that come with playing the sport, I have no objections with what players do. As for youth leagues, I believe that neck guards should be mandatory as they are supposed to be. Hockey can be a dangerous sport and those who play the game as well as those who officiate the game should always be aware of the risks that come with stepping out onto the ice. Only then can we be somewhat safer.

Welcome

My name is Matt and i live in Salt Lake City, UT. I am a student at the University of Utah and am an avid hockey fan. I play college hockey here at the U and also officiate hockey games here in Salt Lake. I am one of the few fans of the NHL left here in the States and wish to share my knowledge of the sport with the rest of the country as well as the world. Hockey is a declining sport and that needs to change now. There's just so much to love about the sport. The goals, the fights, the rivalries; it's just so beautiful! The NHL is in its most exciting stage of the season and other leagues are starting to get interesting as well. Now's the time to get into the sport and i'm here to help with the transition.

Here's to the coolest sport in the world (literally)