Five Things We’d Like to See on NHL TV Coverage This Season

The NHL season looms large, with four games this Thursday, all on national TV in one of the league’s two home countries.  Here are some suggestions to help them along as we get stoked.

1. Contemporary Music for Cold Opens and Commercial Breaks

Check that out.  Wouldn’t it be awesome to see that done with NHL highlights and Emrick’s or Hughson’s voice talking about all the potential storylines that will come with the 09-10 campaign?  I know ESPN takes a lot of heat for this, but the NHL can combat this with actual good music that people want to hear.  We’re talking to you, CBC with it’s Nickelback.

Mike Emrick does some fantastic cold opens over generic tunes for MSG Plus.  Bob Costas used to do them quite well for NBC with basketball in the late 90’s.  Networks have been dropping them as of late.  The NHL should bring them back, and bring amazing music with them.

2. American Networks: Talk about the negatives once and a while.

Now, we know that NBC and VERSUS have such sweetheart deals with the league (Well, NBC does).  We also know that the NHL’s American studio commentators are creampuffs who will gladly dip themselves into a vat of acid before talking about something anywhere close to controversial.  Instead, they’ll just throw around dumb platitudes like “Brian Gionta is a proven 40-goal scorer”.

We challenge the NHL’s TV partners to start talking about Phoenix, talking about the troubles of the Blackhawks in the wake of their success.  Talk about it so the fans don’t have to turn to internet mouthpieces to shape their thinking on stuff that matters throughout the whole league.  Did I say internet?  I meant… er, nevermind.

3. More Games

My dad’s a fairly simple guy.  He likes all the ancillary programming on NHL Network for the most part.  But sometimes he just wishes they’d show a friggin’ game.  I agree here.  NHL Network televising only 4 more games than VERSUS throughout the first two months of the season is pretty unacceptable.

Since there seems to be time for the network to right this the rest of the way, here’s a tip: Bring back both games of the HNIC doubleheader.  Show any TSN game that doesn’t air on VERSUS exclusive nights.  Show all of their ancillary programming.  By showing off the best hockey coverage has to offer, more folks will take your own coverage seriously.

3. Please… No More Lower Screen Ads

We’re pretty ardent flip-floppers on whether or not we’re willing to defend VERSUS.  One of the reasons that definitely puts me on the side with all the torches and pitchforks is the fact that they feel they need to show ads for shows that no NHL fan will ever watch every six minutes.  TSN bugs it’s viewers with the ESPN-style bottom line every now and then.  Please cut this out, or do as NBC does (Taking hockey hints from NBC?) and keep it confined to your score bug.

4. Speaking of Score Bugs… VERSUS, Use the One for College Football and Not Your Weird One that Takes Up Too Much Space

Notice that nice, clean, compact, modern looking score bug in the corner?  Why VERSUS hasn’t let it’s far superior college football graphics folks working on NHL coverage has been beyond me.  All the networks should be aiming for something smaller, sleeker, and less-filling.

5. Finallly… Don’t Ever Listen to Hockey Fans

Or at least what you think “hockey fans” want.  According to Gary Bettman, “hockey fans” love the shootout.  [Seinfeldian Accent] Who are these hockey fans?

Don’t listen to anyone claiming to know hockey.  Anyone that willing to bring up the sport in conversation is a phony.  Talk to the bloggers, the diehards, the people who have swiped an illegal stream from the internet just to watch the games what you can do better.  Not some SportsCenter hockey fan, like Gary Bettman.