NHL National Viewership Down 22% in the U.S.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Sec214

Sounds like you should educate the kids on what gambling is and what the consequences are… Do you not teach your kids how to cook because you’re afraid they’ll burn the house down?

Love this IMO stupid response. Doughnut parenting these days.

So should they have sex on tv all the time?

[CroFlames]

Was hockey night in Canada more special when we were kids? Or was it more special BECAUSE we were kids?

Saturday night just felt like an event. Satellite hot stove, the jingle, coach's corner, etc. I'm not even including the powder blue jackets as that was before my time.

These days it just feels like a Wednesday.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Was hockey night in Canada more special when we were kids? Or was it more special BECAUSE we were kids?

Saturday night just felt like an event. Satellite hot stove, the jingle, coach's corner, etc. I'm not even including the powder blue jackets as that was before my time.

These days it just feels like a Wednesday.

It was more special because it was the only games of the week outside of your local game, Ed Whalen 2&7, and not all of them.

Now there is a national game every night it seems and you get all 82 flames games.

[GirlySports]

It's kind of like the all-star game argument. Back as kids, we'd watch All-Stars we'd never seen or heard of before. Like who was Mirko Frycer? Especially in baseball, got to see those wonderful uniforms.

Now we get to see everything all the time.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

It's kind of like the all-star game argument. Back as kids, we'd watch All-Stars we'd never seen or heard of before. Like who was Mirko Frycer? Especially in baseball, got to see those wonderful uniforms.

Now we get to see everything all the time.

I get your point but not your example we had all heard of Frycer because, although the Leafs were peak awful in those years, they were still the ones on HNIC most weeks, were covered in the Hockey news and other magazines we could read, got twice as many hockey cards (and/or hockey sticker pages) per team than anyone save the Habs etc

[GirlySports]

Steve Payne then? I'm just pulling names now.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Was hockey night in Canada more special when we were kids? Or was it more special BECAUSE we were kids?

Saturday night just felt like an event. Satellite hot stove, the jingle, coach's corner, etc. I'm not even including the powder blue jackets as that was before my time.

These days it just feels like a Wednesday.

It feels like once CBC lost exclusive rights to the brand, it became less of a thing.

Plus, people have games whenever they want now, so Saturday night isn't anticipated like it was back before streaming.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Maybe this trend spells the end of Bettman's reign?

Bettman did just turn 70, so they probably need to start thinking of who replaces him. It did occur to me that Treliving, being without a contract and once had aspirations of running a league, could go for the position one day. I doubt he would go directly from GM to commissioner, but I could see him going for a position at the league head office to one day throw his name into the hat when Bettman does retire. Just pure speculation and probably going out on a bit of a limb.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Was hockey night in Canada more special when we were kids? Or was it more special BECAUSE we were kids?

Saturday night just felt like an event. Satellite hot stove, the jingle, coach's corner, etc. I'm not even including the powder blue jackets as that was before my time.

These days it just feels like a Wednesday.

Great point.

That being said , I wish the song, the hot stove , coach’s corner, the tradition of it all on Saturday night is something I could share with my son.

As a kid born in Canada to immigrants in the 80s, who never even played hockey, hnic was a major part of my growing up.

I hate that all of that has disappeared in the last decade, and my son was born in that time frame, and missed it.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Saturday night just felt like an event. Satellite hot stove, the jingle, coach's corner, etc. I'm not even including the powder blue jackets as that was before my time.

It all went to #### when they stopped playing the HNIC theme.

[Patek23]

Originally Posted by Table 5

It all went to #### when they stopped playing the HNIC theme.

100 percent. CBC should of paid whatever they had too for that.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon Surfer

Too many gambling ads make it not safe to watch with kids. That cuts out a lot of my viewership right there, pretty much no more hockey at home. Only a few games per year where I have enough free time to go out somewhere to watch games.

I’m more concerned you let your kids watch commercials. Who does that?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Was hockey night in Canada more special when we were kids? Or was it more special BECAUSE we were kids?

Saturday night just felt like an event. Satellite hot stove, the jingle, coach's corner, etc. I'm not even including the powder blue jackets as that was before my time.

These days it just feels like a Wednesday.

HNIC was definitely a thing when I was younger, and part was because I was a kid. Like the showdown competitions between the players during the intermissions. Stuff that was filmed in the off-season but pre internet so you had no idea who won.

It was the same kind of thing they do now in the ASG but 6 year old me really cared who won those things. It made the stars more real and you could also tell they cared more. Probably because whatever money was at stake was more meaningful to them.
Loved seeing the stars of the league compete in breakaway competitions, mini games etc. Like the Al star game but not as gimmicky.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

HNIC was definitely a thing when I was younger, and part was because I was a kid. Like the showdown competitions between the players during the intermissions. Stuff that was filmed in the off-season but pre internet so you had no idea who won.

It was the same kind of thing they do now in the ASG but 6 year old me really cared who won those things. It made the stars more real and you could also tell they cared more. Probably because whatever money was at stake was more meaningful to them.
Loved seeing the stars of the league compete in breakaway competitions, mini games etc. Like the Al star game but not as gimmicky.

Thanks for ruining a major part of my childhood.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Crosby said 1-8 is the best playoff format and I hope the league actually listens to its star player.

[PepsiFree]

I don’t know that 1-8 would improve US TV viewership, other than a very minor increase in chance that a high placed US team would get at least to the second round. But I do think it’s time to change it back.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I don’t know that 1-8 would improve US TV viewership, other than a very minor increase in chance that a high placed US team would get at least to the second round. But I do think it’s time to change it back.

Didn't think a small news item like that deserved it's own thread and thought this was the logical place to put it.

I don't think it would do much for ratings but it would fix the current stupid playoffs format.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

Thanks for ruining a major part of my childhood.

Lol. It was as real and “live” as the game itself when I was a kid.

Kind of fun watching videos of it. I found Lanny vs. Gilbert Perreault the other day. Rogie Vachon and Chico Resch in net.

[looooob]

yeah I've found some of the old showdown videos (like you mentioned Perreault- who was my favorite growing up) but one thing I can't find is any footage of 'team showdown' does anyone else remember that one- It may have only been one year- the goalies picked the teams and they played games, I seem to remember team Edwards, Esposito. Palmateer,



separately on the weekends for at least one year if not more was it on Saturday or Sunday afternoons they played oldtimers games- alumni from the original 6 playing each other- anyone remember those?


(edit: found at least some documentation of the latter- interesting that they highlight Errol Thompson as one of the participants, he would have been 32 and retired for 2 seasons at that point- but I guess that was sort of the point each team had a few recently retired guys- including some who I don't think even ever played for that original 6 team who were sort of the ringers- like when a guy brings his 21 year old son to beer league)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_bSZ1ydrwU



but you'd watch dammit because you weren't going to see an actual NHL game programmed

[InternationalVillager]

I live in the US. Only 1 other person in my circle watches hockey. It's sad. I often find myself watching college sports at gatherings. Now that's big business.