Any ways, NHLPA’s head Paul Kelly is unhappy with the current T.V. situation in the NHL and would like to see the NHL return to ESPN. Well Paul there are a lot of hockey fans that would like to see the NHL return to ESPN. Personally I get the NHL Hockey package through midco every season so I can watch the game that I would like to see. I also know that when you travel most hotel rooms don't carry Versus. I found this out recently with my trip to Mpls and well as my December trip Brunswick Georgia.
May 25, 2009 : ------ NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Paul Kelly is calling for league TV partners Versus and NBC to do more to promote the NHL and NHL players, citing players’ growing frustration over hockey coverage.
“We have to push our two partners to do a better job of covering our sport … or we have to go in a different direction when that contract comes to an end,” Kelly told the Sports Lawyers Association on May 16. Kelly has called in the past for the NHL to return to ESPN.
Kelly said the fact that people in the U.S. could not watch most of the Boston-Carolina playoff Game 7 earlier this month because Versus was airing Anaheim-Detroit Game 7 “is a source of great frustration” to NHL players as well as the union.
Kelly conceded that Versus has improved production and has increased the number of homes and sports bars where it is available. However, he said, “There are still problems.”
“It is not ESPN,” Kelly said. “It doesn’t have a sports highlight show. It doesn’t have a lot of properties people want to tune in to, unless you are a hunter or a fisherman or you like turtle wrestling.”
Versus President Jamie Davis, responding to Kelly’s comments, said Versus made a significant commitment to the NHL when it agreed to a deal to take it over from ESPN in 2005. Versus “has televised significantly more hours of hockey coverage per night in the first two rounds of the playoffs this year than ESPN did in the same time span during the last several years of their deal.”
I kind of like watching NHL hockey on Versus. They're coverage is pretty darn good. I also think that they're Hockey Central that often precedes and follows the
ReplyDeletegame(s) is excellent. Granted, they're not ESPN, but it's better than no national coverage at all. I too have the NHL Center Ice Package so I can pretty much choose any game to watch during the season, but it would be nice to see hockey televised better on a national scale. The thing is, hockey isn't really a national sport, it's more localized in specific areas. Take a look at Phoenix: they just went bankrupt because of attendance woes.
I would like to see the NHL go back to ESPN because they had more nights of hockey on ESPN and ESPN2, Versus during the playoffs is awesome because they have tried to make a good effort but there is no reason both game 7's couldn't have been seen that night, Versus could have been staggered the games where we could have delay telecast the Boston and Carlina game after the game 7 in detroit. (ducks and wings)
ReplyDeleteAs for the Hockey package I like it but I found that I can't watch as many games as I would like because there are just too many games to watch I almost need a split screen or two tv's (wife won't let me do that). So the past two seasons I ended up following mostly Boston and Minnesota and then a what ever was on that night that these two teams were playing. Then I would pick the game tha a ex-Sioux player was playing in.
Valid points about Versus. They're coverage during the regular season is minimal but I have been satisfied with their coveage during the post-season for the most part. Agreed on the staggering of game 7's, although it's tough to do in that particular night when the Pens/Caps played in the same time zone as the Canes/Bruins. Unfortunately, I am also somewhat forced to follow the lame ass Wild and their boring style of hockey because I live in Minnesota, but when there is a better game on (and almost every night there is), I watch that. I'm a die hard Flyers fan, so I watch them whenever I can too.
ReplyDeleteI almost need a split screen or two tv's (wife won't let me do that).
ReplyDeleteThe GOON is henpacked.
Say it ain't so.
Um, make that Hen Pecked.
ReplyDeleteWhistler I am hen pecked. :) I wonder if in that situation maybe the league should have made some kind of an accomidation and moved one of the games. I know hockey is a niche sport but they can break that if they market the game more.
ReplyDeleteThe last thing the NHL needs to do is go back to ESPN. Versus actually has great coverage of the NHL, the problem is limited access to the channel.
ReplyDeleteThe NHL should do 2 things: offer live game feeds on the Internet, and start it's own NHL network. Let's market hockey to hockey fans (I know, BRILLIANT!!!). This "we want to expand the market" crap doesn't work, as hockey was, is, and always will be a niche sport.
Next, the NHL needs to contract 4-6 teams. Florida, LA, Atlanta, Nashville need to go. Hockey just doesn't work in warm weather markets. Phoenix is toast already, and Tampa and DC should be in the mix too.
And put teams in Winnipeg and Hamilton, Ontario. This just in: CANADIANS LOVE HOCKEY!!!
If it is up to Betteman there will be no team in Hamilton. I think Jim Balsillie is going to lose in court and the NHL will continue on floundering in the southwest.
ReplyDeleteRJ being from Grand Forks, ND I am excited that there might be a chance of a franchise being relocated to Winnepeg, then I am much closer to traveling to a few NHL games. 150 Miles isn't a bad distance to
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm concerned ESPN is the devil. I hope they all die of Gonorrhea... even Dan Patrick.
ReplyDeleteRJ is right keep it on verses and expand the coverage. Although I must confess I haven't had cable for 3 years so I may not be the best person to comment on this matter.
Can't Gonorrhea be cured with a shot? :) I was hoping some day we could get TSN other than on our hockey package.
ReplyDeleteGoon:
ReplyDeleteI am a ND native, unfortunately I am stuck in the South right now (Atlanta is the closest team).
The movement of the Jets from Winnipeg to Phoenix was a travesty, second only to Edmonton trading Gretzky to LA.
And I believe Bettman is an old NBA guy. He is trying to market the NHL the way the MBA was marketing in the 80s. It's not gonna work...
ReplyDeleteLast but not least, I believe you can subscribe to Internet game feeds on NHL.com.
ReplyDelete