5 Things the NHL Can Do to Avoid Disaster Again

So we’re sorry guys.  The NHL Awards did not turn out to be awesome.  I’m pretty sure I visibly aged while I tuned in.  Kevin Smith and Denis Leary were the only thing that saved the show.  Can next year’s show be all taped bits?  Here are five other suggestions for next year:

1. Celebrity Host, Or a Host at All – One thing we’ve all agreed we were tired of is that Ron MacLean’s hosting gig had become stale.  Well, this year’s awkward transitions between Jeremy Roenick (who really disappointed me), “Entourage” star Kevin Connolly, and Vancouver Canucks analyst/occasional crooner Michael Buble (the best of the bunch) was awkward, as was most of the show.  Either give the spot back to Ron or get a celebrity.  Alan Thicke mentioned hosting a couple shows during the red carpet on NHL.com.  Why not Kevin Smith?  Denis Leary?  Buble again?
2. All Celebrity Presenters – Hockey players reading teleprompters: Not a good thing.  I think we’d all agree that there should be more Tricia Helfer, less Igor Larionov.  Though it was touching to see Vladimir Konstantinov again.
3. Make The Lighting So that attendees Don’t Look Purple – Did you seem some of these guys on TV?  Jean Beliveau looked purple when they cut to him in the crowd.  Now that VERSUS has perfected the art of not screwing up the broadcast, let’s get some proper color down.
4. One Chaka Khan is Enough – It’s great that Robin Thicke digs hockey, and that JR digs Chaka Khan, but we need music that represents the spirit of the game a little more next year.  We know the league doesn’t like to use bands that make “too much sense”, but we’ll have The Tragically Hip and Barenaked Ladies just fine, thank you.
5. No More Cutting to Pointless Non-Celebrities – We like Heidi Androl and Carrie Millbank as much as the regular red-blooded American male.  But there’s absolutely no point to cutting to them during an award speech.  At all.