[Monahammer]

Imo parity measures and overexposure cripple the league. I'm a superfan but now that I have kids I can barely bring myself to watch all but rivalry games. I just have too much more important stuff to do, and regular season games are boring and pointless.
Americans have very little vested interest in hockey. The game has become a game of xs and os, and society in general is trending away from that. Darryl Sutter is a great example. His hockey style is proven to win in tournament settings like the cup playoffs, but it's horrible to watch even when you are supporting the winners. So horribly boring.

Also agree about access problems. The archaic cable TV deals cripple the ability for the league to expand to the younger generations easily. I will probably cut my cable in the next few years permanently, and will likely lose many flames games in the process.