Alex “Calihockey”
GongShowHockey.com Contributing Writer

The NHL over the last couple of years, has been in a downward spiral in the United States. Hockey has always flourished in Canada. But this year, the NHL ratings on ESPN2 in the States are down 23% from last year for the first 25 games of the playoffs. Why have the rating gone down so drastically in a year? Is it because there aren't enough goals or spectacular plays?  Hockey, the greatest team sport in the world has not caught on in a country that embraces team sports.

There are many reasons why hockey is failing in most American markets.  Some believe that the NHL has expanded too much in the last few years; too many teams, too soon. The other reasons include soaring ticket prices, sub-par TV coverage and the feeling that with so many teams, the NHL is “watered-down” talent-wise.  The NHL has not marketed the game the way it should. All of us hockey lovers love this game and its players. We understand what it takes. We love The Great One and his accomplishments are enough to make anyone pick up a stick, but he is retired. Let the public know about the next superstar players like Iginla, St. Louis, Naslund, Modano, Roenick etcetera.  These are the players that the league needs to market.  The history of the game has its place, but the focus should be on the present, especially in a time of financial strife for most clubs.  Recently, hockey has been compared to the National Hot Dog eating contest in popularity as far as the USA goes. Americans are not brought up eating, sleeping and breathing hockey. Very few, if any public schools have rinks. There are few public rinks as compared to the thousands in the great white North.  Youth hockey has to fight for ice time. It is not a game promoted at the grassroots level, which is where fans are truly won over. If you ask most Americans about hockey, if they follow it, you will hear "It looks like a fun sport to watch, but I can't understand it." If the NHL wants to bring in more people to its games and make the TV ratings better, first and foremost they need to lower ticket prices. Then they must help average people understand the game. They need to educate. Educate at youth level. Educate in the schools. Do more for youth hockey and help make it affordable for kids who can't afford it. Look at roller hockey and its popularity. Its popularity in the US continues to grow because of its affordability, and there isn’t much to understand so it’s quite user friendly to watch. There needs to be more education on television. Not just during games, but vignettes about the game, its history, and it's stars like on a lot of Canadian television. The NHL needs to do more in between periods of games and do more explanation of what is happening on the ice. Everyone will begin to understand this great game of hockey.  If the States had the love for hockey that Canada does, can you imagine the money that would pump through its almighty veins?  Unfortunately hockey is a mere bleep on the radar of the mega market that is the United States.  Take the NHL back 10 of 15 years expansion-wise and you’ve got yourself a great league. Will the NHL make a push for ratings in the States?It seems that American fans have to be hand-fed the whole experience, so hey, maybe the new WHA will do it right.
-Alex “Calihockey”