Dear Commissioner Bettman: How to Fix the NHL

The National Hockey League is hurting. Television ratings are down, and attendance isn't what the owners would hope. So how do we fix it? Here are a few simple steps from a case study that's worked.

1. Replace old, dead weight ownership with new, young blood that both respect the history of the game and also have enthusiasm for its future.

There are owners all over the league that have fallen into complacency and have been happily using the economy as a crutch for poor cap management and awful scouting.

Find some new owners, but they have to be hockey people. Rocky Wirtz grew up around the game in Chicago, and loves the game. But he didn't buy into his father's excuses that allowed for mediocrity; he loves the game and wants to win.

2. Bring in smart, creative marketing people.

Let me share with you a simple secret: the NFL and MLB have not dominated America's sports scene because of a superior product to hockey. They've sold themselves on the American public better.

In Chicago, Wirtz took his checkbook north to Wrigley Field and signed one of the greatest marketing minds in all of professional sports away from the Cubs; John MacDonough has been nothing short of spectacular since arriving at the United Center.

MacDonough is one of the best, but he isn't alone. The NHL needs more like him to sell a great game on a wanting fan base.

3. Ask for help.

There are some men without steady jobs right now that could be wonderful resources for Gary Bettman if he could simply put his pride in a drawer and walk away from it for a while.

Paul Tagliabue helped to build the NFL into the colossal machine it is today. George Will and Bob Costas have written volumes about not only the history of baseball, but the amazing impact the media can and has played on its future. These three men, as examples, could bring an amazing insight into how Bettman could sell his league on the American public more effectively.

4. Encourage the players to be excited about the game, and celebrate the players who are exciting.

When Brian Campbell came to Chicago, he noted that one of the reasons he turned down deals with teams who have much more successful recent pasts was that he saw something special about to happen with the young Blackhawks and wanted to be a part of it. He was excited to come to Chicago.

In the same way, Alexander Ovechkin is a true joy to watch play the game. He scores more frequently than any player in the game, but every time he does it he jumps for joy like a 10-year old who just lit the lamp for the first time.

I have nothing against Sidney Crosby, but the kid needs to smile and take himself less seriously. If Ovechkin's infectious smile and love for the game was on posters in the place of the serious, all-business profile of players praying for a paycheck, the game would be more personal.

Hockey needs to connect with the American public in two places to be a success: they need to win our hearts and our wallets. What Bettman hasn't comprehended yet is that you win the public in that order, not the other way around.

The NHL has a wonderful case study from which a lot can be learned about how to win back a public that cherished hockey for a long time.

The Chicago Blackhawks have sold out every home game this year; they averaged under 10,000 fans per game less than three seasons ago. It can be done, and has. Now, Mr. Bettman, let's duplicate this incredible success all over the league.