Hockey is no longer a major sport in the US

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Pekka

It also might help (Stanley Cup Finals) if it was other teams in it than Carolina and Edmonton.

Pekka

They tried but through a process of elimination, not like Wrestling mind you, these actually have to be played to determine the winner

Thus leaving Carolina and Edmonton

[Asher]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
We'd actually really appreciate it if you guys stopped watching hockey altogether.

Just be sure to give us back the Jets and the Nordiques before you go.

We need more Alberta teams, they're the only ones who can go places in the playoffs.

Red Deer Rebels should get upgraded to the NHL, Fort McMurray should get a team.

F*ck Anaheim, Carolina, Dallas, etc.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Asher
F*ck Anaheim, Carolina, Dallas, etc.

While I disagree with your childish way of getting around the censors...

I have to agree with the point you were making. Why is the NHL still trying to cram hockey down the throat of warm weather cities... The intent was to get more big city markets to get a better TV contract. Well, that didn't work

They should focus on markets where they actually give a damn about hockey.

[DanS]

I don't know that I agree with that. Before the strike/lockout, the Washington Capitals seemed to have decent crowds at their games and a solid following. DC isn't quite Miami or LA, but...

The strike/lockout seems to have really hurt the NHL in DC. I don't know the attendance figures, but there's definitely less buzz.

[Lord Avalon]

The NHL should never have taken a year off. That enabled ESPN to find out that poker got better ratings , so they decided not to pick up NHL games.

OLN is in the Comcast "Preferred Basic" package here in Ann Arbor (1 hr west of Detroit). Of course I have the advantage of being able to watch CBC. (Not that I've watched much hockey since the Red Wings got knocked out.)

[Asher]

Hockey is as popular as ever in Canada, and that's what counts. Hopefully this curbs the trend of Canadian teams moving south.

[Traianvs]

How about playing real hockey instead?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by joncha
Ty Conklin

[Ming]

Just to show how bad it's gotten, here are the ratings from the week of 5/15 when NBC had an NHL playoff game

These were the top 10 sporting events for the week.
The number represents total TV Households that viewed the event

1 NBA PLAYOFFS ON ABC Sun 6,670,000
2 FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL FOX Sat 3,194,000
3 COLONIAL GOLF CBS 2,240,000
4 WWE SMACKDOWN UPN Fri 2,135,000
5 NBC POKER SERIES NBC Sun 1,503,000
6 COLONIAL GOLF CBS Sat 1,457,000
7 NBC NHL PLAYOFFS NBC Sat 1,125,000
8 INDY 500 BUMP ABC Sun1,090,000
9 AVP VOLLEYBALLFOX Sat 973,000
10 CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR CBS Sat 902,000

The NHL was beaten by Wrestling, Poker and both days of the golf tournament. The NHL did however give volleyball and a meaningless piece on the Indy 500 a run for their money

So yeah... poker does do better. But the NHL better be careful, because Volleyball is making it's move

[asleepathewheel]

OLN:
VS

OLN vs VS: Push

[techumseh]

Comments overheard in a Tim Horton's when Canadians learn that Americans don't watch hockey:

"Hey, did you hear that American TV ratings for the NHL are very low?"

"Get me another coffee, eh? Make it a double-double."

or

"Hey, did you hear that American TV ratings for the NHL are very low?"

"Do you think we'll get another snow storm before the July 1st long weekend?"

or

"Hey, did you hear that American TV ratings for the NHL are very low?"

"I'll miss their beer commercials more than their beer. Pass the sugar, please."

[mrmitchell]

Just how bad was it... The College Soft Ball World Series which aired on ESPN2 drew more viewers.

Oops I watched that

[Ming]

Last nights slaughter is bad news for NBC and future ratings... Will there be any interest left by the time NBC does game three?

They maybe lucky to hit the numbers they got for the earlier rounds of the playoffs...

[aaglo]

If Ice Hockey is not a major sport in USA anymore, then it's just one more thing for the rest of the world to ridicule USA

[Tingkai]

When did poker become a sport?