NHL In COMA Era Without TV Deal For Hockey Night In America

Martin AveryMay 3, 2009

America is missing the greatest hockey season ever as there aren't enough games on TV. The NHL says US hockey interest is growing, with attendance and TV ratings up, but few games are broadcast nationally in the USA.

ESPN did not pick up their hockey contract after the NHL's freeze-out a few years ago. NBC shows the "Game of the Week". National coverage is weak.

Apparently, you can catch some games on the Gardening Channel if you want to see some NHL games in the era of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Sean Avery.

U.S. Television ratings are up through the first round, according to CP. Regional networks like MSG in New York, NESN in Boston, and Fox Sports in Detroit also reported ratings jumps.

In Canada, TSN reported record audiences for its first round broadcasts.Their ratings jumped 42 per cent from last year to an average of 567,000 viewers, beating the 440,000 who watched first round games in 1992.

In the U.S., NHL hockey has been slipping at a time when the game has never been better. The Dead Puck Era is over, the neutral zone trap is out, and high speed, hard-hitting hockey without goons is "in."

Crosby, Ovechkin, and Malkin battled for goals and points all season and bad boy Sean Avery got kicked out, made a remarkable comeback, changed into a hockey hero, got suspended again, and came back for a big finish in his final game.

The Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Avery, or "COMA," gave us the greatest stories in the NHL this year and made the game a million times more exciting than in the Dead Puck Era.

Crosby got tougher, Ovechkin took over Crosby's role as best player, Malkin got overshadowed by both, and Avery upstaged them all.

ESPN, NBC, CBC, and ABC are missing an amazing season. The USA needs something like CBC'S Hockey Night in Canada, home to the Stanley Cup for 56 years.

Hockey Night In America could bring Americans the best match-ups, the biggest names and brightest stars of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the regular season next year.