NHL's Time to Shine

Many die hard Hockey fans often ask the question, "Why is Hockey not more popular in the US?" My answer to this question was always something along the lines of, people lead busy lives, after Football, Baseball and Basketball, there just isn't enough time to get in to more sports. This in my opinion also explains why Soccer and NASCAR haven't taken off in the US. Easier access to these sports via the internet or increased cable access has raised their popularity, but are still dwarfed by the "Big 3" (NFL, MLB and NBA). The NHL has the most potential for expanding significantly, the best Hockey players in the World play nightly in various arenas around the US and Canada.

Just some of the Superstars in the NHL

The NHL has been offered a golden opportunity with the NFL currently locked out, and the NBA destined for a lock out which is meant to be as bad if not worse than the current NFL lock out. Baseball season would be all but over when the Hockey season comes around again too. So this may be the most important Summer for Hockey in recent years. Hockey must be extremely pro-active in establishing itself for the new season. Promotion of the biggest stars (Ovechkin, Crosby, etc etc), put on a bunch of events where fans can meet the players, get the games on primetime and putting in a huge effort to promote Fantasy Hockey worldwide. A huge contingent of the players are European, the NHL should look in to having some games played across various locations in Europe, where Hockey is extremely popular.


Hockey is best experienced live, the main goal of the NHL should be to get new people to come to games, by doing this you can convert many people to Hockey fans. I myself never cared much for Hockey until I went to see the Boston Bruins take on the Ottawa Senators in downtown Boston at the Garden, in the Spring of '09. Being at an actual game was one of the greatest sporting experiences of my life. The crowd especially in Boston go crazy for their teams, the atmosphere was infectious, and I couldn't help but get off my seat and shout at every crushing hit, jump up in excitement when Boston scored and shout and root along with everyone else there. The experience was just awesome. The next best Hockey experience was watching the Finals of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. USA vs Canada Final, USA scored with less than a minute left to tie it up and take it to overtime, where Canada eventually scored for the win. That may have been one of the most action packed finishes to a game that I have seen in years.

Ryan Kessler's goal in the final minute on Canadian Roberto Luongo was one of the best sports experiences I have seen

What are the most exciting 5 minutes in Sports? For me, it's in Hockey, the final 5 minutes in a tie game, where the action is so back and forth, fast and furious, that you almost can't contain your excitement. Then comes that slapshot, the puck moving so fast you can't see it, until it hits off the back of the net and you hear the horn. Everyone screams in happiness and the players throw off their gloves and you watch the replay over and over in amazement. Don't get me wrong, I love the 9th inning in Baseball, I love the 2 minute drives in football and I love the the anxious final minutes in Basketball, but there is just something about the ending to a Hockey game which is unmatched. The only problem? People don't know about it.

Hockey must do a better job of making the people in the cities with a Hockey team care about that team. For example, the San Jose Sharks, sure they have a strong following in San Jose, but there is such huge potential for the entire Bay Area. If Hockey can get the Bay Area hooked? They have immediately got the Sharks fanbase and made it 10 times bigger. Hockey must also improve promoting the history of the game. Younger generation doesn't know about Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux, or even the miracle on ice where during the Cold War, USA defeated the heavily favored USSR in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

  The 'Miracle on Ice' is considered one of the most patriotic moments in US sports

I won't pretend to have all the answers, and I certainly wouldn't make any guarantee's that everyone will feel the same way about Hockey as I do, but I do expect the NHL to make a HUGE effort in the coming months. If not? Hockey will destine to be forever the back burner to the other major sports. And all I could say if that happens, is "I told you so".