Six Ways To Save The NHL (Firing Gary Bettman is #6)

Hockey’s history in North America is as rich and storied as baseball. The professional level has a championship trophy equalivalent to the Holy Grail—the most recognizable trophy in all of sports.

But hockey’s most notable league, the NHL, hath fallen on dark times. The game had risen from its Original Six status in the early part of the century to a peak in 1994 on the heels of the Great One.

But since ’94, the league has suffered two lockouts, one canceled season, severe loss of fan interest, major financial repercussions, no major network television contract, and a complete overhaul in format called the “New NHL”—all of which has sunk the league deeper into its North American abyss.

It’s as much of “what happened” as “how do we fix it”—for we must understand what brought hockey to this juncture. But to dwell is to tread water.  To fix is to breathe new life. And this is exactly what the great game at the NHL level is in desperate need of—new life.

For the game has potential, and surprisingly still has a rather solid foundation of talent to excel upon moving forward. But the post-'04-05 lockout, “new” NHL is a failure—no matter what figures of finances the league office attempts to lavish upon the public.

And so, if the league truly wishes to rise back to the prominence it had in 1994, it will not only consider, but enact these six major changes to rescue the once great league and game.  So take a seat, for this may take a bit. I’ll save the best for last.

1. Re-establish a Canadian/American League

This is the second-most important part of fixing the product.

Fans support players they can identify with, plain and simple. Making money isn’t a popularity contest, nor can you manufacture interest as the music industry has discovered. Owners bring in revenue by providing customer satisfaction and a quality product.

The hockey product is a middle class, hard-working, “grind it out” sport—and fans root for players they can envision as themselves.

Politicians speak of a global economy, but in the NHL it hasn’t translated—especially in the NHL’s more recent expansion markets. But