It’s always nice of the major sports networks in the United States to donate about 20-30 seconds of their show to sneak in a NHL highlight or two. Hockey fans around the country definitely appreciate it.
If you live in the United States and you are tired of watching 59 minutes of basketball and baseball highlights then listen up.
As we sit today the NHL Network is negotiating with U.S. cable and satellite distributors with hopes of launching the NHL network in the United States in time for the playoffs this spring.
The network is prepared to launch right now. A master control studio has already been built in the Washington D.C. area.
The NHL Network would be its very own channel similar to the successful NFL network. The network would carry NHL related programming 24 hours a day seven days a week.
When the original deal was agreed upon between the NHL and Comcast (on behalf on OLN now VS), Comcast guaranteed a launch of the network in the U.S. no later than 24 months from the time the original contract was signed.
That was back in late July of 2005 after the NHL lockout. In other words the network was to be launched in the U.S. by July of 2007 or Comcast would have to pay a significant penalty to the league if the network wasn’t launched within 24 months (believed to be $15 million).
Comcast is more than prepared to put the signal on a channel on its cable network. That is not the issue. The issue now is that the league and its partners as owners of the NHL network want cash per subscriber.
Trying to decide how much to charge a subscriber is certainly one thing, how much the NHL gets per subscriber is a whole separate issue. This apparently was not negotiated in the original contract.
The NFL network has been working through the same issues here in the States with certain Cable distributors such as Cablevision and Time Warner. They have agreed to carry it, but the league and partners want cash for each subscriber.
Currently the NHL network has a deal where they can televise 40 NHL regular season games a year. Scheduling those games in Canada can be tricky because the network is not allowed to broadcast any NHL games at the same time any one of the six Canadian teams are playing. The network usually carries games on Sunday’s. The Anaheim Ducks are often showcased because they schedule a lot of late Sunday night games.
This obviously would not be an issue in the U.S. About 90% of the American and Canadian programming would be exactly the same. The only difference is that the American feed would be able to show more games without the same Canadian restrictions.
The bottom line is, the NHL needs a change.
They have to be visible, they need an identity and having its very own network would certainly be a major step in the right direction.
VS has done a nice job, but take a step back and get serious for a minute. We all know VS is not a destination for sports fans. I understand they are trying but until they land MLB, NBA, or NFL broadcasting rights it will remain exactly what is, which is a new channel that sits on the opposite end of the dial (where available) without any mainstream professional sports contracts except for the NHL.
NHL athletes deserve better. They train hard, on a individual level they are some of the best people you will ever meet. Don’t treat them like they are minor league. I understand they get paid well, but the individual athletes have earned their money. They need support from the league to allow them to receive the same respect athletes from the other top four major sports are getting.
An official announcement regarding the launch of the NHL network in the United States is just around the corner!
Some of this is on the players also.
Memo to the players: Loosen up, get the stick out of your backside when you do interviews.
Have a personality; don’t be afraid to rock the boat every once in a while. I’m not suggesting NHL players go out and get arrested for selling drugs, or committing violent crimes, but c’mon enough with the clichés.
It is up to you as well to get your own name out there. You have microphones and cameras in front of your faces everyday.
Take advantage of it.
I’ve sat amongst NHL players in and outside of the dressing room. You hear some of the funniest stories ever. These guys are quick witted, hilarious, personalities.
A lot of them can work a room with their humor, but then they freeze up when the cameras turn on.
Don’t be afraid to say something off color and to be yourself. You can still maintain your class and dignity without always toeing the company line.
Fans hear the same interviews every time a player comes off the ice. It doesn’t matter who it is, they all seem to sound the same.
For example:
The Winning Interview:
“We got the start we wanted, jumped on them early, put pucks on net and our goalie gave us a chance. We competed and our shift to shift energy was better.
The losing interview:
“Well you know we came out really slow, we weren’t able to match their intensity and we have to be better than that”.
You get the point, every one of you know where I’m going with this.
All I’m saying is if you’re a character or personality then that should come through while being interviewed.
Don’t act, I’m not saying be Dennis Rodman or Terrell Owens, but Ownership should encourage entertaining personalities on their club to feel free to be a personality as long as it is done in relatively good taste.
Don’t be scared to stir it up a little, and create a little drama or controversy. Unfortunately that will get you and the sport on the front page of the sports section quicker than a nice save or behind the back pass.
I guess you could two hand your opponent over the head or try to kill your agent or bet on sports because these stories seem more interesting to the mainstream media.
It’s going to take more than a nice goal on the ice to promote the game. You can still be a good guy even if you show a little edge to your personality.
My final word is this, if the league is not going to go the extra mile to promote individuals in the NHL, then it may be up to the player to take it upon themselves to get the word out.
Blues Clues!
Congratulations to Head Coach Al Macinnis and the 1996 AAA amateur Blues hockey Club that won the North America Silver Sticks championship last weekend in Sarnia, Ontario. This is the first time since 1979 that a team outside of Canada or Detroit has won this at the Atom AAA age level. The Blues beat the Toronto Marlies in the championship game. The Marlies are ranked #1 in Canada. This is a big accomplishment for Al and his players!
We always heard Blues winger Dan Hinote was a good guy. Recently Hinote has been visiting sick children in various hospitals throughout the St. Louis area. He has been doing this for the last few months on his own without telling anybody.
The Blues are very upset about a recent article in The Sporting News that listed the Blues as one of the worst franchises in pro sports. When you consider not just the recent success the Blues have enjoyed but also the fact that the organization has missed the playoffs once in the past 25 years it is pretty easy to question the story. It is pretty clear the Blues are moving forward.
More to come,
Andy Strickland
[email protected] 
St Louis Blues Blogger •1380 ESPN • 
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