Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Moving to Prime Time

Today the NHL announced that it would be holding the first round of this year's Entry Draft on a Friday Night showing on Versus in the U.S. and on TSN and RDS in Canada.

I like the idea of a prime time draft. The other major sports leagues have turned their drafts into major events, so why shouldn't the NHL. Most fans won't care much about the picks after the first round, so the prime time event gives them an opporutnity to focus on the draft and be done with it. Those rabid fans can follow it the next day. With the technology these days fans have become much more familiar with the prospects history and statistics. As long as there is some buildup for the draft, the fans can get excited about who their teams will select in the first round. Nothing builds more excitement than speculation. Not much goes on during Friday nights in June, so the NHL will be able to have the full attention of everyone.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

In the U.S. though it'll still be on Versus and that's a problem. You need a Mel Kiper equivalent getting people juiced about some young guys on SportsCenter or sometihng.

February 7, 2007 at 4:33 PM
Barry Getman said...

a guy like Don Cherry?

February 14, 2007 at 1:48 PM

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As a self-deprecating Ranger fan of twenty years, the team I've loved for so long is not making any progress quickly. Stuck with a lost coach, an MIA GM, and an egomaniac owner who knows less about hockey than Gary Bettman, it appears as though it will be another 41 years until we win another Stanley Cup. So, what are the short term options? To save the the Penguins and move them to the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn! The Penguins are poised to be the next dynasty in sports yet are potentially doomed to be moved to a hillbilly market that will further destroy the image and decrease the popularity of the already floundering NHL. What better for a league in thick turmoil than to move its marquee franchise to the #1 sports market in North America. Think about the profits that could be reaped with Sidney Crosby playing in the #1 media market? With all of Mario Lemieux's concerns in buidling a new arena, he should turn to Brooklyn-the new Nets arena, the Frank Gehry designed Barclays Center will be ready for business in three seasons when the Penguins biggest starts will only be still in their early 20s!Imagine the country's most promising franchise and one of hockey's most exciting teams ever playing in New York City in the most state of the art building in the country. The possibilities are endless.