The NHL is on strike again!
Just kidding.
But it begs the question: Would anyone have cared? Would anyone even have noticed?
Despite record attendance numbers last season and higher TV ratings than expected, the NHL still suffers from the same ailment that plagues Major League Soccer and Major League Lacrosse: marketability.
The TV bidding war last year over hockey seemed to be a good omen, as theoretically networks would not bicker over a broadcast that had no commercial viability. Apparently this was wrong. Comcast outbid Disney and stuck the NHL on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), the equivalent of ESPN 8, the "Ocho". They proceeded to sideline hockey broadcasts for reruns of last year's bull riding championships and low budget white-tailed deer hunting programs, showing hockey games only twice a week.
However, there's some good news in the hockey corner this year. OLN changed its name to Versus, more applicable to the competitive sport of hockey, which is not an integral part of outdoor life. Additionally, the channel is making an effort to air more games and not make the NHL second-string to other sports' reruns.
More importantly, hockey is quickly becoming the most competitive league in the sports world. There are close matches and dramatic finishes. It makes for an exciting show, thus boosting the NHL's viewership. Case in point: the NFL is the most popular American sport at the moment because on any given Sunday, the Tennessee Titans can come within a single point of beating the Indianapolis Colts. Plain and simple-close call games make good television.
This year's NHL is a veritable crapshoot and will likely remain so for many years to come. This is the logic behind a low salary cap-no one team dominates, and competition reigns supreme. In this environment, playoff predictions are notoriously difficult to make.
The bandwagon favorites last year were the Ottawa Senators and the Detroit Red Wings because of their star players and great records. Instead, the final four teams in the playoffs were the Anaheim Ducks, the Edmonton Oilers, the Buffalo Sabres and, the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes.
So who's the bandwagon pick for this year? Nobody. Every team has a legitimate shot. Even the New York Islanders, whose money management has everyone scratching their heads, thanks to their signing of mediocre goaltender Rick DiPietro to a 15-year contract. Though the Islanders' playoff chances are remote, anything is possible.
That said, there are certain teams that have a better shot at beating the odds.
The Ducks are well on their way to recreating the magic that led them to the Western Conference Finals last year. The team is one of several lucky squads with two great proven goaltenders in Jean-Sebastian Giguere and Ilya Byzgalov, who should each top the 25 win mark this season. Last year, the Ducks resurrected the career of star forward Teemu Selanne who now captains the young team.
In the East, the Philadelphia Flyers look good on the ice, despite their current 1-2-1 record. Superstar center Peter Forsberg was elected captain this year, following the retirement of eight-year captain Keith Primeau, and leads a plethora of talented young players such as Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, RJ Umberger and Joni Pitkanen.
Like the Ducks, the Flyers also feature two great goaltenders in Robert Esche and Finnish sensation Antero Nittymaki. Philly's Finest have also solved some defensive riddles, ditching Kim Johnsson and Eric Desjardins in favor of faster defensemen Nolan Baumgartner, Randy Jones and Freddy Meyer. With any luck, they'll also get the memo that the oafish Mike Rathje should be chopping lumber somewhere back in Alberta. The biggest shock this year could come from the Phoenix Coyotes, coached by the great Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky spent the offseason signing veteran talent that his team desperately lacked last year, such as defenseman Ed Jovanovski. He will join former Boston Bruin Nick Boynton as addition to a blue-line corps that has four talented players under 25. The highlight reel will most likely be monopolized by star left-winger Ladislav Nagy, who, despite still recovering from a knee injury, intends to turn a lot of heads this year.
Will hockey re-emerge as a powerhouse of the sports world, as it once was? The jury is still out. But one thing is certain: NHL is the most competitive league in America, and no one can say with any confidence who will be holding Lord Stanley's coveted prize come June.
