So what happens next?
Yes, 4.4 million American viewers tuned in to Saturday night’s U.S.-Canada showdown, and millions more will watch tonight. But how does the NHL capitalize on that? Because there sure won’t be 4.4 million people watching Blackhawks-Blue Jackets two nights from now.
The argument for NHL players at the Olympics has always revolved around “growing the game.” And exposing different audiences to the sport at its very best, its fastest, its most intense, can only help. But the league never seemed to carry forward the momentum from Vancouver 2010 or Sochi 2014 or any other Olympics. The ratings year to year are always in the same ballpark, and the league continues to be gate-driven, while bigger sports make their money off broadcasting rights.
The beauty of Saturday night’s game was that the fights generated a buzz that brought in curious rubberneckers, and the terrific game that followed kept them there. But was it a one-off thing? At least until the Milano Cortina Olympics next year? Those of us who love the game think the sport sells itself, but the league needs to keep creating new entry points for new fans. It starts with marketing the stars, and the current ad campaign of “The new golden age is now” is a good starting point. It goes against hockey’s old-school nature by highlighting the names on the back, not just the names on the front. But there has to be more. The push has to be harder. The NHL has a rare chance now to grab hold of a new cohort of sports fans, here in the dog days between football and baseball. But do we trust them to do anything with it?
International hockey every other year is great, and for one glorious weekend, it felt like the NHL was bigger than the NBA. But figuring out how to keep it there is a whole different problem, one the league has struggled with for decades.
NFL legend J. J. Watt agrees…
