NHL

Finding a way to expand the NHL’s marketing

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Allow me, for a moment to jump on the bandwagon. I never want to come across as someone who jumps on the coattails of a national story for easy content. Truthfully, it isn’t fair to the person who originally covered the topic. However, Puck Daddy questioned why ratings are down for this year’s Cup finals despite the inclusion of Los Angeles and the New York/New Jersey markets.

Greg Wyshynski cited columns by Adrian Dater and Steve Lepore which each make their own argument for why the NHL’s TV ratings seem to linger in the neighborhood of average reality shows. Lepore’s column is in response to Dater’s. While Lepore doesn’t find much to agree with Dater on, I feel like they’re both on the right track.

Whether you think Dater’s player-driven or Lepore’s league-driven marketing is the right course of action, the answer at the end of the day is that the NHL needs to find a way to bring more spotlight to those playing in each game.

Dater’s argument is basically that the players in the NHL aren’t outlandish enough to draw consistent attention to themselves. According to Dater, operating on the team-first attitude has eliminated the potential for explosive personalities. Dater also points to the general lack of star power in this series as a major reason for lack of interest.

As a counterpoint, Lepore argues that the onus is on the league to promote their players over the game itself. More specifically, the NHL should promote their players without the need of marketing polarizing personalities. I have to say I completely agree. Continue reading →

Pominville and Adam end All-Star weekend with strong showings

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Luke Adam and Jason Pominville are vanilla. They’re good shooters and play a strong game, but neither aren’t the type of game breaker that you typically see in an NHL All-Star game.

Not awkward. Nope.

However, both had pretty good showings at what turned out to be another great weekend for the NHL. Pominville had a goal and an assist to accompany his runner-up finish in the elimination breakaway challenge. Luke Adam hit 98 MPH in the hardest shot contest, beating Justin Faulk and likely earning the “shoot more” label from many a Sabres fan.

As I wrote previously, All-Star weekend comes with its ups and downs. From what I gather, the ancillary events throughout the host city are can’t miss entertainment just like the main attractions. The game remains a mere garnish on a weekend that has grown into a truly awesome party atmosphere.

The Fantasy Draft is a terrific way to kick off the weekend and create addition interest in a game that has typically been over looked. I have little doubt the fantasy draft/captains format will linger for years to come. After all, it trumps any conference or international format that had been used in the past.

The Skills Competition remains the marquee event for the weekend. The addition of a slam dunk contest wrinkle for breakaways is one of the NHL’s best ideas yet. Pat Kane took the cake with some additional pageantry, but Corey Perry and John Tavares each had an impressive repertoire of moves themselves. What shouldn’t be ignored is that Steven Stamkos’ three moves in the elimination shootout would have earned him high marks in the event won by Kane. It just goes to show the insane talent these players put on display, despite what Aaron Williams may think.

Personally, I could have watched the players stickhandle through those orange pucks for hours – so long as there was something more to the station than just stick handling. That alone was a terrific showcase of the skills on display this weekend. Continue reading →

Entertainment value varies throughout All-Star weekend

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By the end of tomorrow night, all of the interesting All-Star events will be over.  Between the Fantasy Draft and Skills Competition, the NHL All-Star weekend is more front-loaded than Christian Ehrhoff’s contract.

Last night’s fantasy draft was equally entertaining as last year’s. Having the players mic’d up is a stroke of brilliance and gave just as many gems as 2011. It would be hard to argue that Pat Kane’s comment on the blond jersey presenter could be topped. Nor could you argue that the comment was to be expected from a guy like Kane.

Logan Couture joined Phil Kessel as the last pick in the draft. The NHL made a wise change this season, rather than letting Couture stew by himself in his seat, they brought up him and Jamie Benn to the stage. Thus eliminating the ultra-awkward photo-op for the final pick. Couture is now the proud new owner of Honda’s ugliest production vehicle.

Some Sabres fans seemed to care deeply about where Jason Pominville was to be selected. Couture – who is a Bills fan – saved him from the humility and fans from worrying. Considering the stage in which this took place, would it really have been that big of a deal? Sure, it would have sucked for the representative from this underachieving team to go last in the draft. But he is still one of the best players in the league, there is a reason he was selected to the original pool of players. Not to mention, the players don’t seem to place too much stock in the All-Star game, so I’m sure they could care less about where they’re taken in the draft. Trust me, these guys could care less where they’re picked. Continue reading →

Time to re-evaluate the All-Star Game

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Last season the NHL took a brilliant step forward regarding the All Star game. They eliminated the East vs. West format and instituted a “fantasy draft”.

While the All Star game is pretty much a waste of time (aside from the skills competition), the draft has brought some relevance to an otherwise boring display.

The draft is the best thing to happen to the All Star Game since ever. Letting the league’s best players basically just pull sticks to determine teams was a fantastic addition to last year’s game and shouldn’t be changed. Ever.

With the All Star rosters being announced today there was the expected uproar from fans clamoring for their team’s snubs and the inclusion of those who they deem unworthy of selection. For example, there is little reason for Thomas Vanek to have been left off this roster. Perhaps there was a wink-wink nudge-nudge agreement to leave him out in order to rest, but he has been one of the NHL’s best forwards this season. There is little reason to leave him out of this game.

The likely explanation for Vanek being snubbed can likely be found in fan voting. Because the fans are allowed to determine the six starters for the game, there is the usual run of home players who are sometimes undeserving of the selection. So, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, Erik Karlsson, Dion Phaneuf and Tim Thomas were voted to participate. That doesn’t necessarily mean they would have been selected. Of course, Michalek, Thomas and Karlsson are worthy additions. The other three could probably have been left off for other players. Here lies the problem. Continue reading →

New conference alignment a radical change for NHL

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It was expected that this week’s board of governors meetings would spawn the new conference alignment for the NHL. It happened a whole lot sooner than expected. It was announced tonight that the NHL will move to a four-division (or mega-conference) format beginning next season.

The divisions will look like so (names via @RooseBill):

Pacific: Anaheim, Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver.

Central: Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis,Winnipeg.

Northeast: Boston, Buffalo, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto. 

Atlantic: Carolina, New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington.

There is a lot of good and a lot of bad in this version. Unfortunately the bad just might outweigh the good. Continue reading →

New news on NHL realignment stirs the pot

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The tangled web of NHL realignment has more solutions than an algebra test. Considering the whole topic is so complicated there is little use of trying to make heads or tails of a potential end to it all.

However, this tweet from Adam Proteau was brought up Tuesday afternoon on TSN 1050 and it really got the wheels turning in my head (ok there is just one wheel).

Any previous permutation of the potential alignment for the 2012-13 season was tackled by Bob McKenzie. I’m personally a fan of his final scenario (Plan F), in which Winnipeg would start a counter-clockwise rotation of teams in each division. While it involves moving the most teams, it also creates the best regional and time zone matchups.

Let’s put Winnipeg in the Northwest Division, but keep Minnesota, Colorado,
Calgary and Edmonton there, and move Vancouver to the Pacific Division.
Vancouver in the Pacific makes a lot of sense because, well, every team in the
Pacific would actually be on Pacific time. That would allow Dallas to move from
the Pacific to the Central.

Continue reading →

Five things not to like about the 2011-12 Sabres

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The first half of this post focused on the five things you have to be confident about as the Sabres season begins. This portion will focus on the things that will have fans worried for the entire season, or until the issue is resolved.

Is the team’s depth going to be an issue? Will Ville Leino excel as a center? Will Ryan Miller return to Vezina form? There are flaws to every team, but in a championship-starved town the slightest slip up could flip the turnip truck. Continue reading →

Five things to like about the 2011-12 Sabres

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Most prognosticators have decided that the Sabres will either finish second in the Eastern Conference or out of the playoff race. While I don’t share that level of division, there are certainly a lot of questions surrounding the Sabres as they prepare to drop the puck on a new season.

Will the new additions on defense improve life for Ryan Miller? Will Jhonas Enroth provide to be an effective backup? Will Ville Leino be able to effectively play center? All of these questions lay at the forefront of the massive expectations that the fans and media have for this team. Of course, there are plenty of things to like about this team. Continue reading →

Jason Pominville named Sabres captain

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The Buffalo Sabres announced via Twitter that Jason Pominville will be the full-time captain for the 2011-12 season. The assistants will be Paul Gaustad, Derek Roy, Drew Stafford and Thomas Vanek.

This is neither an exciting or boring choice. Many fans thought Vanek or Tyler Myers were the front runners to get the ‘C’ this season. Pominville has worn an ‘A’ for some time, it was a natural progression for him.

Pominville has certainly seen quite a bit during his time in Buffalo and has developed into a leader in many ways. Being drafted and developed by the organization was surely another advantage for the winger.

There is no reason to think Pominville is the wrong choice, the evidence that he is a capbable leader has been there for some time. Perhaps it is the fact that he isn’t as exciting of a choice as Vanek or Myers that is slightly off putting.  The one thing you get with Pominville is steadiness. He is a consistent point producer and plays in every situation. He is also always speaking to the media after wins or losses. Pominvile definitely has some of the qualities that Chris Drury and Danny Briere brought to the captaincy. The hope will be that he elevates his game due to the letter.

Of course, he isn’t a gritty in-your-face guy either. That is what worries me. He doesn’t exude any attitude that would make you think he would run you through a wall. Say what you will about Craig Rivet, he had that quality. If there is any drawback to naming Pominville as captain, it is because he is what some may describe as soft.

Most of the assistants make sense. Roy and Gaustad are incumbents and Vanek was a better player when wearing an ‘A’ last year. Stafford is an interesting choice, I think Ruff is hoping to have the same effect with Stafford as the ‘A’ had on Vanek.

I am perplexed that Tyler Myers has been left off this list. He is going to be a leader for this team for a long time, there is no reason not to start him on that path now. I have little doubt he would have represented himself well with a letter. Perhaps if Gaustad is not re-signed next year Myers will inherit his letter.

I can’t say I’m happy with the selection of Pominville, but j can’t say I’m upset either. I trust he will be an effective captain, hopefully the new role kicks him into the 30-goal club.

2ITB NHL preview: The West

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Since it is a yearly occurrence for the West to have 13 teams in the playoff race and two team at least 20 points out of eighth, I struggled to find a good balance of picks this season. I made a bold choice with the Kings last year. While I don’t have them coming out of the West, I have made a similarly bold statement

Continue reading →