Always seemed like it lacked decent advertising and promotion. Which comes down to money and it is where I think the nhl could come in. An NHL team could bankroll a women's team for a shortened season for the cost of a 4th liner and recover some of those costs.
I think they could find a niche with a few thousand fans a game with a short schedule, good promotion and ticket giveaways to girls minor hockey. If they played in right sized stadiums and promoted it I think there's a market there though just my opinion. Won't happen overnight though, it will take work.
Start there and build the product and it could grow into something even bigger imo with how dramatically society is changing socially in the last 20-30 years. The Clarkson cup... I've got a passing interest and I wasn't really aware of when it was on even though.
The nhl needs to start investing more in connecting with grassroots as it is rapidly becoming a sport and league mostly for upper middle class and rich people and I think this would be a good cheap way to do it. They don't seem to care right now while they rake it in with those of us who grew up in a different era but it will eventually bite them in the ass. Almost too bad that other league didn't go down too.
|