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?