The NHL Needs the Wings to Win the Cup

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

If the NHL wants popularity and growth in the TV market, they need a legitimate team to win the Cup this year. Although Cinderella stories (Edmonton, Carolina, Calgary, Anaheim and Giguere) are fun for hockey fans, the apparent lack of interest from the general American sports fan only highlights the U.S's uninterest in the game. The additions of a Finals team not even making the play-offs the next season only reinforces the unsellability (my word) of the game.

The Red Wings are the answer. They are always leading in jersey sales. They always sell out on the road. They are the most marketable and successful team of the last 15 years. Plus, they are an Original Six team.

Hockey will always be profitable in Canada, but that is not what the sport needs. A Canadian Cup winner would be heaven for many, but will only set back the game in the States. Who would really watch a San Jose v. Buffalo Final? Not most Americans who watch hockey only semi-regularly.

A team like the Wings is a draw all over the nation, and the best shot the NHL has is a Wings team in the Finals. I know the NHL cannot dictate who plays in the Finals, but if they could, I'm sure the Wings would be their best bet.

Edited April 5, 2007 by Wings_Dynasty

[toby91_ca 620]

Rangers winning cup = more popular NHL.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

Rangers winning cup = more popular NHL.

Do the Rangers have more selling power than the Wings? Other than being in the largest city in the U.S. what do they have over the Wings? I don't see Ranger jersey's at Columbus v. Nashville games or at LA v. Anaheim games.

[TheLegend19 1]

If the NHL wants popularity and growth in the TV market, they need a legitimate team to win the Cup this year. Although Cinderella stories (Edmonton, Carolina, Calgary, Anaheim and Giguere) are fun for hockey fans, the apparent lack of interest from the general American sports fan only highlights the U.S's uninterest in the game. The additions of a Finals team not even making the play-offs the next season only reinforces the unsellability (my word) of the game.

The Red Wings are the answer. They are always leading in jersey sales. They always sell out on the road. They are the most marketable and successful team of the last 15 years. Plus, they are an Original Six team.

Hockey will always be profitable in Canada, but that is not what the sport needs. A Canadian Cup winner would be heaven for many, but will only set back the game in the States. Who would really watch a San Jose v. Buffalo Final? Not most Americans who watch hockey only semi-regularly.

A team like the Wings is a draw all over the nation, and the best shot the NHL has is a Wings team in the Finals. I know the NHL cannot dictate who plays in the Finals, but if they could, I'm sure the Wings would be their best bet.

Funny how the guy who posts this has the username "Wings Dynasty".

In all seriousness, I disagree with you completely. I believe the last thing the NHL wants is the Red Wings to win again. It won't sell the game. Look at baseball, in the late '90s, the Yankees won every World Series. Now, the Yankees haven't won since 2000 (haven't even made it since 2003) and baseball is doing better than ever. Parity is a good thing, and that's what every league wants.

If the Red Wings win again, people will get sick of it. They figure why support their home team when Detroit is just going to win anyways. People will complain its not fair that Detroit is so good and that they always win.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

Funny how the guy who posts this has the username "Wings Dynasty".

In all seriousness, I disagree with you completely. I believe the last thing the NHL wants is the Red Wings to win again. It won't sell the game. Look at baseball, in the late '90s, the Yankees won every World Series. Now, the Yankees haven't won since 2000 (haven't even made it since 2003) and baseball is doing better than ever. Parity is a good thing, and that's what every league wants.

If the Red Wings win again, people will get sick of it. They figure why support their home team when Detroit is just going to win anyways. People will complain its not fair that Detroit is so good and that they always win.

Now I disagree with you completely on your disagreement. The Yankees won all the time and were expecteed to win. It was no fun because the fans knew the players were greedy and were sick and tired of them after the LOCKOUT and CONTRACT DISPUTES. It took a homerun race between steroid users to bring the game back to life, not the Yankees not winning the Series.

The Wings are the Cowboys and Yankees of hockey. More fans over the entire country and most hated team by rival fans. Ratings will be higher with the Wings in the finals.

And you have a very original name.

[Zion 93]

"Who would really watch a San Jose v. Buffalo Final?"

I would. And this is who I have picked to be in the SCF.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

"Who would really watch a San Jose v. Buffalo Final?"

I would. And this is who I have picked to be in the SCF.

Like I said, who besides hockey fans would watch that final? Do you really think a Buffalo v. SJ game has a better shot of pulling viewers away from a baseball game than a Wings v. Sabres final?

[toby91_ca 620]

1994 - the NHL was never more popular than that year.....draw your own conclusions.

[gsusluvshockey 0]

The league wants the salary cap to look like a great idea. They want teams who wouldn't have had a chance 5-6 years ago to win the cup now. They want teams like Nashville and Atlanta to win.

They want to be able to say, "SEE, we told you that the expansion was good. And just look what the salary cap has done for the nhl. It made contenders out of every team!"

They see it as making fans (money) where there were no fans (money). And if a cinderella team wins or at least makes it pretty far, it increases the chances of making more money there in the future. Detroit will always make money. If they just throw a bone to the more developed fans every now and then they won't loose them either.

[YzerTinov 0]

I agree with the person who said the Rangers. Not like detroit winning wouldnt also be great for the NHL. You just get the sense that with another original 6 team returning to glory, as they moved through the playoffs New York would get crazy for hockey again. I dunno, I'm a Canadian myself, but i could just see the rangers winning pulling a lot of new fans into it...

[RyanBarnes! 293]

The Rangers have ZERO chance of winning a Cup with Jagr in the lineup. Zero.

[TheLegend19 1]

Now I disagree with you completely on your disagreement. The Yankees won all the time and were expecteed to win. It was no fun because the fans knew the players were greedy and were sick and tired of them after the LOCKOUT and CONTRACT DISPUTES. It took a homerun race between steroid users to bring the game back to life, not the Yankees not winning the Series.

The Wings are the Cowboys and Yankees of hockey. More fans over the entire country and most hated team by rival fans. Ratings will be higher with the Wings in the finals.

And you have a very original name.

First of all, aren't they (the steroid users) innocent until proven guilty?

I did not intend to say that the Yankees brought the game back to life. Of course it was the homerun chase. What I meant to say is now that the Yankees have not won in 7 years, the league is doing better than ever. They have had a different winner every year. The casual fans want that. They want to head into the season every October thinking "This is the year the Blackhawks win the Cup." Other fans around the league know that won't happen, but hell, they hold out hope for their own hometown team.

Furthermore, why do you think they want 16 teams in the playoffs? Parity. More than half the league makes the playoffs every year. To the diehard fans, that's ridiculous. To the casual fan; it's just what they want.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

1994 - the NHL was never more popular than that year.....draw your own conclusions.

They also had Gretz, Mario, Messier, Yzerman, Fedorov, Roy, Jagr, Roenick, Chelios, and 20 other LEGITIMATE stars to promote. They have 2 now. Crosby and OV.

[Zion 93]

Like I said, who besides hockey fans would watch that final? Do you really think a Buffalo v. SJ game has a better shot of pulling viewers away from a baseball game than a Wings v. Sabres final?

Sorry. Read your post too quickly before attacking.

I would have to agree that a northern California team and a small-market franchise like Buffalo, with baseball season getting underway, would have little to no interest to the casual fan, especially in the midwest and the south.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

First of all, aren't they (the steroid users) innocent until proven guilty?

I did not intend to say that the Yankees brought the game back to life. Of course it was the homerun chase. What I meant to say is now that the Yankees have not won in 7 years, the league is doing better than ever. They have had a different winner every year. The casual fans want that. They want to head into the season every October thinking "This is the year the Blackhawks win the Cup." Other fans around the league know that won't happen, but hell, they hold out hope for their own hometown team.

Furthermore, why do you think they want 16 teams in the playoffs? Parity. More than half the league makes the playoffs every year. To the diehard fans, that's ridiculous. To the casual fan; it's just what they want.

Everyone knows that they are, so no, they are guilty in the media and that is all it takes, ask OJ.

I want the NHL to be a 30 contender organization (with the Wings as the best, of course) but that won't sell the game to the media and the casual fan. If the Wings went on a 30 game winning streak scoring 10 goals a game, that would draw more ratings than 30 2-1 games. I'm sorry, but winners promote sports, I wish it was the competition of the sport like the NCAA March Madness, but that won't happen for the NHL.

I would love to see a 4 team in each conference play-off series, but if the Wings keep going in the play-offs as opposed to going out in the first round, I don't mind watchig hockey for 2 more months.

[eva unit zero 271]

Everyone knows that they are, so no, they are guilty in the media and that is all it takes, ask OJ.

That's a dangerous, ignorant statement.

Unless of course you WANT to have witch hunts and executions with no real trial.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

That's a dangerous, ignorant statement.

Unless of course you WANT to have witch hunts and executions with no real trial.

never said it was right or fair. but it is what it is. if i get called a rapist in the media and am later declared innocent, i still won't get a job cause i will be that rapist guy.

do you really think bonds and mcgwire are clean anyway?

Edited April 5, 2007 by Wings_Dynasty

[drwscc 212]

I'm not here to talk about the past.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

I'm not here to talk about the past.

?

[Winged Scooter 0]

Actually as much as I love the Red Wings I think the best thing that could happen to the NHL is that they get a new dynasty every decade, a highly marketable , high profile team takes charge of the league for a 5-7 year span. ( It sure has worked wonders for the NFL!

[Viperar 16]

Rangers winning cup = more popular NHL.

yup

[cjeder 0]

The NHL needs the best two teams in the SCF, not the most marketable teams. I find it absurd that so many fans concern themselves with the NHL 'selling itself', especially when the undertone is that we should slant the table to favor some teams over others. This is hockey not the WWE.

I for one am excited to watch the most competitive first round of the playoffs in recent memory. There isn't a match-up, as they stand today, that looks like a done deal. Even Montreal v Buffalo could tilt - they have matched up evenly thus far. It really is remarkable and, more importantly, good for the game.

[Happy Pancake 6]

The Wings are the Cowboys and Yankees of hockey.

As a Redskins and Orioles fan that was the worst thing you could ever say about the Wings.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Believe it or not, but if LA was a contender and won the cup, that would be huge for the popularity of hockey as well. So would Chicago...but thats a whole 'nother story.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

They also had Gretz, Mario, Messier, Yzerman, Fedorov, Roy, Jagr, Roenick, Chelios, and 20 other LEGITIMATE stars to promote. They have 2 now. Crosby and OV.

to the public at large, the only names they would recognize were Gretzky and Mario, and then Mess when he became a Ranger. Much like now it's basically going to be Ovechkin and Crosby.

There are plenty of other legitimate stars now, as there was then, but that doesn't mean they have the name recognition that guys like Gretzky and Lemieux did. Ask any sports fan who doesn't watch hockey, and they've probably never heard of Yzerman.

Honestly when Crosby was getting drafted, I knew if he went to the Penguins it could help save that franchise, but I wanted him to go to New York so it would help the NHL.

New York is not just one of the biggest cities in the country. It is the largest media center in the united states. A local team doing well there gets more national attention for that reason.