Another Paean To the Washington Hockey Boom

During Friday night’s Washington Capitals Southeast Division showdown against the Carolina Hurricanes, the young, raucous crowd was polled twice for trivia questions. The first question went as follows:

• Which of the following players has a hat trick against the Hurricanes

1. Robert Lang
2. Calle Johansson
3. Alex Ovechkin

90% of the crowd voted for Alexander the Great, and they were incorrect, as the right answer was Robert Lang. The next question and response was slightly more troubling:

• Which of the following players scored his first NHL goal vs. Carolina

1. Jeff Schultz
2. Eric Fehr
3. Jason Arnott

37% (the slight majority) of the fans voted Arnott. Now, Jason Arnott played his first NHL game and scored his first NHL goal in 1993, when the Carolina Hurricanes were still in Hartford.

What’s the point I’m trying to make here? I’m not really sure of it, but I think it’s that Capitals fans of the older days (B.8.) and hardcore NHL fans should learn to be okay with the fact that the Capitals bandwagon exists. I’ve seen many criticisms throughout social media and the blogosphere mocking the fanbase (even from their own fellow fans) for hopping on just because of Ovechkin and the team’s (regular season) winning ways. However, the Capitals are building traditions in a way that cultivates that fervor in the right way: creating obsessed, fairly knowledgeable hockey fans, just like anyone who reads this blog.

Here’s the thing: this team is a hit with the younger set of the Washington/Maryland area in a big way, and it shows in the atmosphere: it is very much that of an ACC or Big East college basketball game, a lot of crowd encouragement, a segment where Tom Green phones in his “UNLEASH THE FURY” line from Road Trip, characters like “The Horn Guy”, a miniature mascot and tons of other stuff to keep their attention. Knock it all you want, but it works: other than as a lacrosse/soccer player, I’d never known my cousin for a sports guy. He knew more about the Caps than I did, and I was headed for an NHL press box. Most of the fans I talked to that night were that way: maybe not 100% on the NHL history quiz, but they know the team backwards and forwards.

Fact is, this is all a good thing for the NHL. Do you think baseball fans really care that every Yankee fan can’t go toe-to-toe on Ruth and DiMaggio and Mantle? Maybe a few do, but they’re wasting their time, because the Yankees and their fanbase are great for baseball, in some cases providing the revenue to (supposedly) keep some teams competing. I’m not saying the Capitals are like the Yankees, but the fanbase reminded me of a little bit of that.

This might be painful to hear for the elder statesmen Caps fan, but honestly, what is their really worth remembering all that much from the pre-Ovie days? A failed Stanley Cup trip in 1998, Rod Langway, Petr Bondra, the abortion of Jagr and … a whole lot of blah. Ted Leonsis brought superstars, and ones with personality to boot to this city, and the people came in droves (Sunday was the team’s 97th consecutive sellout) something that hadn’t worked before in Washington. They have an entire area that won’t follow the teams of their parents, who may have migrated from other places or just didn’t care about the Caps. They’re building their own traditions, and if more teams with success would find a way to sell their fans on the current team, more hockey teams might be thriving the way Washington is. Call it a call to hockey teams to live for the now.

NHL Properties All Over the GM Meetings

NEW YORK (March 10, 2011) – NHL® media properties will have all angles covered at the NHL General Managers’ annual spring meeting taking place next week in Boca Raton, Fla. NHL Network™ and NHL Radio™ will have three days of comprehensive, in-depth coverage — Monday, March 14, through Wednesday March 16 — while NHL.com will have dedicated writers on site to report all the latest meeting news.

 

The NHL’s daily signature radio show, NHL Live!™ will broadcast live from the GM Meetings Monday through Wednesday from noon-2 p.m. The show airs on Sirius XM radio, is simulcast on NHL Network in Canada and the United States and is streamed live on NHL.com. Hosts Deb Placey, former NHL general manager Craig Button and EJ Hradek will be joined by current NHL general managers to discuss each day’s proceedings.

 

NHL Network will host a daily 30-minute show, NHL Network at the 2011 GM Meetings, Monday through Wednesday from 6 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET live from Florida to recap each day’s events and review the agenda items discussed by NHL General Managers. Hosts Deb Placey and Craig Button will have exclusive interviews with team and League representatives and an up-to-the-minute breakdown of issues covered. TSN Insiders Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie will also drop by the set to offer their insight and analysis.

 

NHL Network’s flagship show, NHL On The Fly™ will also have reports and interviews from the GM’s meeting on their nightly programming beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

 

On the web, NHL.com’s team of Shawn Roarke and Dan Rosen will cover every angle and bring fans into the meeting rooms with the stewards of the game. In addition to their dispatches, NHL.com will provide video that includes reports from the meetings, interviews with newsmakers and daily live streaming of NHL Network at the 2011 GM Meetings at 6 p.m. ET. Special segments for the NHL’s daily video newscast, The Blackberry All-Access Show, will also be produced from the meetings.

 

NHL Network Schedule – Monday, March 14 – Wednesday, March 16 (all times ET)

NHL Live! From the GM Meetings Noon – 2 p.m.

NHL Live! From the GM Meetings (encore presentations) 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. (U.S.)

Scheduled programming (NHL game replay) 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. (Canada)

NHL Power Play 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Canada)

NHL Network at the 2011 GM Meetings 6 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

NHL Network at the 2011 GM Meetings (encore presentations) 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

NHL On The Fly 8:00 p.m.

 

A Busy Week Ahead for NBC and VERSUS

NEW YORK – March 10, 2011 – The NBC Sports Group presents four NHL games in four days starting this Sunday, including two appearances each by two of the NHL’s hottest teams, the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks and the surging Washington Capitals. The Capitals, winners of six straight and eight of their last 10 games, host the Blackhawks, who have also won eight of their last 10, at Verizon Center in Washington D.C. this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports’ “NHL Game of the Week.” NBCSports.com will also stream the game live.

 

The schedule continues with games on VERSUS Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in primetime, including the Blackhawks hosting the San Jose Sharks on Monday and the Capitals visiting Detroit to take on the Red Wings on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Sabres and Hurricanes meet with both fighting for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

 

Sunday’s game will be the only meeting between the two teams this season. In their only game last year, the Capitals erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring three third-period goals in the span of two minutes and 16 seconds, eventually winning on an overtime goal from Nicklas Backstrom.

 

UPCOMING NBC SPORTS GROUP NHL SCHEDULE (all times ET):

 

Sunday Chicago @ Washington 12:30 p.m. NBC

 

Monday San Jose @ Chicago 8 p.m. VERSUS

 

Tuesday Carolina @ Buffalo 7:30 p.m. VERSUS

 

Wednesday Washington @ Detroit 7:30 p.m. VERSUS

 

Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass analyst) call the action on NBC. Liam McHugh will host NBC Sports’ studio show with analysts Mike Milbury and McGuire on site at Verizon Center.

 

EMRICK ON “NHL GAME OF THE WEEK”: “We’re going to see two teams that have fashioned really good stretches lately, which will make for a really interesting showdown on Sunday.”

 

EMRICK ON BLACKHAWKS: “The Blackhawks are one of the hottest teams in the league. The impressive thing about Chicago is that five of their top six scorers returned to the team from last year and they have had tremendous success with them, including: Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Towes.”

 

EMRICK ON CAPITALS: “Washington has put together a tremendous string and has made their way back into it. They are back to where they once were earlier in the season.”

NBCSPORTS.COM: NBCSports.com will stream live all “NHL Game of the Week” broadcasts this season, including Blackhawks-Capitals. It will again offer “Star-cam,” which follows a marquee player in the game. Following the game, NBCSports.com will present bonus material, including “Star-cam” and “Net-cam” and bonus analysis from NBC Sports commentators. The NHL on NBC also has its own Facebook page. For NHL news and behind-the-scenes videos and photos, click here HTTP://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NHLONNBC

 

NBC SPORTS GROUP’S NHL VIEWERSHIP SURGES: NHL games on NBC are averaging 1.9 million viewers, the most ever through this point of the season in the six-year history of the NHL on NBC.

 

After 44 exclusive telecasts this season, average viewership for the NHL on VERSUS is up 13 percent compared to last year (322,000 vs. 286,000).

Since the formation of the NBC Sports Group at the end of January, exclusive NHL telecasts on VERSUS have averaged 380,000 viewers, up 26 percent from before the Comcast-NBCU transaction was completed.

FLEX SCHEDULING & CONSISTENT 12:30 PM ET START TIME: Again this year, “Game of the Week” broadcasts will consistently start at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sundays.

 

For the fourth straight season, the NHL and NBC Sports will utilize flex scheduling and will be able to select from up to four games on Sunday afternoons. At least 13 days prior to the scheduled games, the NHL and NBC Sports will announce one of those games as the “Game of the Week” to be broadcast during the NBC Sports window. The other games will remain available to the teams’ regional carrier but will not be televised during NBC Sports’ broadcast window.

 

Senator John Kerry, Representatives Higgins and Meehan on Bettman Hour

NEW YORK (March 9, 2011) – U.S. Senator and lifelong hockey player John Kerry (D-MA) and Representatives Brian Higgins (D-NY) and Pat Meehan (R-PA) are tomorrow’s guests on NHL Hour With Commissioner Gary Bettman on NHL.com and SIRIUS XM Radio at 6 p.m. ET. The show will broadcast live from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

 

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly will participate in a Congressional Hockey Caucus Briefing on Capitol Hill tomorrow. The briefing will focus on the state of hockey in America and the relationship between hockey and education and physical rehabilitation.

 

The Congressional Hockey Challenge charity hockey game also will take place on Thursday at Verizon Center at 6 p.m. ET. The game will feature the Lawmakers team comprised of Senator Kerry, Representatives Higgins and Meehan along with Representatives Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Anthony Weiner (D-NY). They will take on a group of federal lobbyists in the third annual event.

 

All proceeds from the game will benefit the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club and the Fort DuPont Ice Arena.

 

NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman broadcasts live on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on NHL Home Ice (XM Channel 204 and on SIRIUS Channel 208 as part of the “Best of XM” programming package) and NHL.com. The show will re-air on SIRIUS XM Radio, with archived shows available for download via podcast on NHL.com.

 

The show encourages fans to call in with questions for the Commissioner. To submit questions to NHL Hour call 1-877-645-6696.

NBC Reveals First Playoff Dates, Times

It is getting close to that time of year again, and that means we patiently await NBC telling us what timeslots they will fit their coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs into. The first of these such reveals came today, so here’s your opening weekend coverage:

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

NHL on NBC (Conference Quarterfinal) (TBD)(live) Commentators: TBA

Site: TBA

*Available in High Definition

 

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

NHL on NBC (Conference Quarterfinal) (TBD)(live)

Commentators: TBA

Site: TBA*

Available in High Definition

 

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Avs-Wild

Colorado vs. Minnesota, 8:00 PM ET, VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: Rick Peckham
Color: Darren Eliot
Inside the Glass: Brian Engblom

VERSUS Ends February With Another Top 10 Game

VERSUS, riding their most successful All-Star broadcast in network history, had a terrific February when it comes to drawing big hockey audiences.

Monday’s Chicago-Minnesota telecast – VERSUS’ last for the month – drew a stellar 474,000 viewers, according to John Ourand. That marks VERSUS’ 7th highest viewership for a game this season, but because VERSUS had such a solid month, only third best on the network during February, falling short to Washington-Pittsburgh on 2/21 and the Heritage Classic on 2/20.

VERSUS had five of their top 10 broadcasts of the season in terms of viewership during February. Meanwhile, their Tuesday broadcast of Buffalo-NY Rangers drew 295,000 viewers, about the VERSUS average for exclusive broadcasts this season, while their simulcast on Wednesday of TSN’s broadcast of Toronto-Pittsburgh drew 176,000 viewers, around the average for VERSUS’ bonus telecast this season.

Top 10 Most-Watched VERSUS Games Through 3/6/11

1. Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia, 12/14/10 – 750,000 viewers
2. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, 10/7/10 – 730,000 viewers
3. Washington vs. Pittsburgh, 2/21/11 – 681,000 viewers
4. Montreal vs. Calgary, 2/20/11 – 608,000 viewers
5. NY Rangers vs. Detroit, 2/7/11 – 534,000 viewers
6. Boston vs. Pittsburgh, 1/10/11 – 523,000 viewers
7. Chicago vs. Minnesota, 2/28/11 – 474,000 viewers
8. Pittsburgh vs. NY Rangers, 2/1/11 – 460,000 viewers
9. Buffalo vs. Boston, 12/7/10 – 438,000 viewers
10. Colorado vs. Detroit, 10/12/10 – 432,000 viewers

Streaming Episodes Online Could Be a Way to Build NHL Overtime’s Cred With Hockey Fans

In the past half-decade, television has found ways to connect with other forms of media to help sell shows to viewers across various platforms. When The Office became a hit on the backs of iTunes episode sales, a paradigm shifted and networks started looking for new ways to sell their wares on the internet and through portable, personal media. While you might not be able to make money directly off of Hulu or iTunes, there is a chance that your show can build buzz, grow audiences, and eventually generate revenue through the old-fashioned means – TV advertising.

So why not bring VERSUS’ flagship NHL show, NHL Overtime, to one of these sites, if not their own? While Hulu and iTunes are considered most popular, CBS has it’s own streaming site that joins it with The CW, while shows like The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Conan and Lopez Tonight all have their own individual websites which feature streaming of every episode. One would figure they could find a way to get NHL Overtime on VERSUS.com fairly easily.

A move like this would be similar to how the NHL sold their own network’s highlight show. A few years ago, NHL.com launched a microsite that played nothing but episodes of NHL On the Fly just as the NHL Network was getting into American homes. It helped build up the show’s recognition with hockey fans and proved an invaluable online source for live hockey anytime you wanted to see what happened last night.

This is just a suggestion for VERSUS, but why not do something similar with Overtime? With fairly low ratings throughout the season, and the addition of Jeremy Roenick as a regular analyst on the show, this would be the perfect time for the show and the network to reintroduce itself with more of an online presence. In fact, the show already embraces the web by taking questions from Facebook every night. This could be a way to keep the show in people’s minds all day, and allow them to keep up with what’s going on in the NHL every night without having to stay up late. It would also help the (still substantial) number of folks that don’t get the network.

I assume there are reasons not to do it, but why not take a shot – at least until the end of the season? The results could work out in the long term, or at least until the playoffs, when I imagine the show will be on seven nights a week and after Stanley Cup Playoff doubleheaders that would have it on people’s minds every night anyway. The network already puts clips and highlights online, why not just give ‘em the whole thing?

NESN Continues Bruins Hot Streak

NESN garnered a 4.5 household rating in theBoston DMA for Saturday night’s Bruins OT loss to the Penguins, thenetwork’s second best Bruins rating of the season. NESN’s best rating ofthe season was Thursday, March 3 against TampaBay when NESN garnered a 4.6 household rating. NESN’s season average is now a 3.0 going into Tuesday night’s highly anticipated contest againstdivisional rival Montreal. Coverage begins at 7 pm with Bruins FaceOff LIVE hosted by Kathryn Tappen with Mike Milbury and GordKluzak.

 

 

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Caps-Lightning

Washington vs. Tampa Bay, 7:00 PM ET, VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire