is this what the NHL wants?

[stevie for president 42]

When you look at the last 8 teams, you see

Anaheim and San Jose, both pretty big markets, and exposing cali to playoff hockey

Vancouver, small market, but i hear seattle has a lot of canuck fans, and canada always rallies for the last remaining team in the playoffs

Detroit, one of the big hockey markets in the NHL

Ottawa, see Vancouver

Sabres, small market, but toronto fans are sabre fans

Rangers, biggest market in the NHL, in my opinion

Devils, close to new york but they arent that hockey crazy

The way I see it, the stanley cup finals will finally have 2 big markets that the NHL needs, unless it turns out to be an all-canadian final. other than that, any matchup should generate more hype than any other since bourque hoisted the cup.

I say best possible is detroit vs. new york, worst possible is vancouver vs. ottawa, in terms of ratings and hype in america, and all other match ups should be really exciting and with bigger markets.

[murf 0]

I say best possible is detroit vs. new york, worst possible is vancouver vs. ottawa, in terms of ratings and hype in america, and all other match ups should be really exciting and with bigger markets.

In terms of ratings and hype in the U.S., absolutely.

In terms of generating new interest in the sport, I'd think Anaheim or SJ from the West, only because both sit in 10+ million person markets, a small percentage of which are regular season hockey fans. If the Ducks won a cup, for example, 19 million people who are within driving distance of the Pond and certainly driving distance from malls where Ducks gear is sold, will take notice. When Tampa Bay won theirs, it effected along the lines of 2 million.

[Viperar 16]

Yeah, Id have to agree that one of the california teams going through to the stanley cup finals would be the best thing for the NHL. On the eastern side, I think the rangers would be the best bet, but again i highly doubt we'll see the rangers.

[AlTheOctopus 0]

Yeah, Id have to agree that one of the california teams going through to the stanley cup finals would be the best thing for the NHL. On the eastern side, I think the rangers would be the best bet, but again i highly doubt we'll see the rangers.

I don't think the Rangers are going to make it either. I'm picking the Sabres out of the east, and, of course, the Red Wings out of the west.

[Echolalia 2,961]

Its going to be Detroit/San Jose vs Ottawa.

[Guest Crymson]

When you look at the last 8 teams, you see

Anaheim and San Jose, both pretty big markets, and exposing cali to playoff hockey

Vancouver, small market, but i hear seattle has a lot of canuck fans, and canada always rallies for the last remaining team in the playoffs

Detroit, one of the big hockey markets in the NHL

Ottawa, see Vancouver

Sabres, small market, but toronto fans are sabre fans

Rangers, biggest market in the NHL, in my opinion

Devils, close to new york but they arent that hockey crazy

The way I see it, the stanley cup finals will finally have 2 big markets that the NHL needs, unless it turns out to be an all-canadian final. other than that, any matchup should generate more hype than any other since bourque hoisted the cup.

I say best possible is detroit vs. new york, worst possible is vancouver vs. ottawa, in terms of ratings and hype in america, and all other match ups should be really exciting and with bigger markets.

Buffalo is a LARGE market. New Jersey is as well.

[FireCaptain 563]

Buffalo is whoseewhatzit?

seriously, Buffalo is not that big of a market.

Buffalo is a LARGE market. New Jersey is as well.

[hockeysattva 8]

People in Cali like baseball and football more than hockey, but that doesn't happen there...

Not sure what your point is, but it doesn't quite sound right to me. Just saying... not trying to be a jerk though, but seriously California has over a dozen professional teams.

[arnoldbuck 0]

Idealy, yeah the finals are going to be huge markets with max exposure. And I understand they arent AS big as the Cali teams, but Van is a big market. 3 mill, thats some decent change. And at that, it is Canada, where 99% of all about hockey. So you can argue the league has nothing to gain from a market that is already hooked, but at the same time they are loyal and are Always going to be bringing in the revenue for the league.

As for the teams left in the playoffs. I am very happy with the remaining 8. It is nice to see for the first time in a few years that there is no real 'Cinderella team.' NO fluke team that backed into the playoff and road a hot goalie to the finals. Every team in the remaining 8 has the potential to win the cup and actually deserve to be there.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Sabres, small market, but toronto fans are sabre fans

No, they're not. Good god no. That's like saying Oiler fans would root for Calgary with the Oilers not playing.

Oh, and Vancouver isn't really a small market. It's the third largest in Canada behind Toronto and Montreal. Definitely bigger than Buffalo. Nice analysis otherwise.

I think the NHL will be happy from a marketing standpoint as long as the Devils don't make the Finals and as long as at least one American team makes it. An all-Canada Finals would please the hell out of Canadians but all but the die-hard American fans would tune right out.

[RedwingFan29 1]

Sabres, small market, but toronto fans are sabre fans

I would go along with everything but the Buffalo fans in Toronto. After living in Toronto for several years, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Toronto hates Buffalo and vice versa. At least I know the radio stations from the neighboring cities love to verbally bash each other.

[Zetterberg is the man!! 0]

are you guys trying to say hockey is fixed??

[vladdy16 2,154]

An all-Canada Finals would please the hell out of Canadians but all but the die-hard American fans would tune right out.

Excuse me? I most certainly would not tune right out. Would I be watching alone? I think not. But I do agree that it wouldn't bode well for the American market in general. I would seriously need a moment alone if there was ever a Toronto/Montreal SCF.

I don't know about a California team winning the Cup making such a huge impact. Carolina's Cup win wasn't even a blip on the radar. Seriously. I think it's going to take a more subtle, grass-roots approach to win more fans over. A constant barrage of advertising, a change in scheduling to bring stars to the outer reaches, that kind of thing.

[BlakChamber 8]

are you guys trying to say hockey is fixed??

No, this isn't the NBA. But it would be naive to think the league doesn't have their preferred Cup matchups.

[Kp-Wings 3]

No, they're not. Good god no. That's like saying Oiler fans would root for Calgary with the Oilers not playing.

There are some Oiler fans, like the hockey purists and Don Cherry kool-aid drinkers, that were rooting for the Flames to beat us just because the Flames are a Canadian teams. So no, Oiler fans have rooted for the Flames at times.

[superstarsingh 23]

I think Ottawa vs Detroit would be good, but yeah, I would love to see the Rangers and Wings.

[Rikadyn 16]

don't care who the wings face if they get through, but if they can't get through i wan Van vs Ott, just to see the NHL front office s*** themselves

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

If two Canadian teams make it to the Finals, I'd still tune in, and I could really care less if less U.S. citiizens watch or not just because it's not a U.S. team vs. U.S. team. Doesn't matter to me what everybody else thinks/donesn't think pertaining to this and I'd still be watching.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Wings vs. Rangers is the ideal situation for many. However, you're crazy if you think the Rags are going to beat Buffalo. There is a huge talent dropoff between the two teams.

An all Canadian final would probably hurt US ratings, but I'd still watch it. A lot of hockey fans in the US probably would too. I don't mind the Canadian teams, and actually I do root for Ottawa as kind of a secondary team.

On a related note, I think the one other positive is it would shut up all these Canadian dumbf***s that think the NHL is becoming too "Americanized". Listening to a bunch of Leafs fans coming off all high and mighty saying every team south of the Mason-Dixon line should be moved to Canada can get very annoying after hearing it a thousand or so times. I think perhaps an all-Canadian final would put these comments to rest, for a short while at the very least.

Edited April 29, 2007 by Kp-Wings

[drwscc 212]

Nah, that'd just make it worse. It would be the "be all, end all of Stanley Cup Finals," and every year after that where it wasn't 2 Canadian teams would be a "travesty" and "not worth it." If anything, an all Canadian final would make the drumbeat of "Get hocley out of the south" even louder and stronger.

[sixer 37]

Wings vs Sabres would be the Best!

I'll be wearing my Wings Jersey in Buffalo for sure!!!!

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

Rangers, biggest market in the NHL, in my opinion

Devils, close to new york but they arent that hockey crazy

I don't know how you can say one is true when the other is not.

MSG and Continenal Airlines Arena aren't even 20 miles from each other.....

[Legionnaire11 0]

i'm pulling for a Wings - Rangers series. Doubt the rangers make it though, but regardless of market size, I really want Detroit to make it so that none of the games are starting at 8-9:00. I really think something that would help marketing is if all the finals games are shown in prime time.

[Zeta Power 40 1]

i'm pulling for a Wings - Rangers series. Doubt the rangers make it though, but regardless of market size, I really want Detroit to make it so that none of the games are starting at 8-9:00. I really think something that would help marketing is if all the finals games are shown in prime time.

agreed

[YzerTinov 0]

I think it's such a joke how it always turns into a Canada vs. US thing. Theres just as many canadian players on american teams as some canadian teams (minus montreal). As a Canadian myself, if the final was Nashville vs. Columbus I'd be no less likely to watch it then Ottawa Vancouver.

Realistically I think you want expansion teams to get their feet wet in the playoffs and start generating some buzz. Get new ppl exposed to it and things. But I think for the health of the league, they need some original 6 franchises to return to glory.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge wings fan, but like the rangers winning a cup would be huge. Not only would that city go nuts, and be buzzing for the next 5 yrs. But that'd draw in way more fans out of the states than having some expansion team win.

Other than that, you just want big storylines. Like, Ottawa has had such good teams, so fun to watch, and they want it so bad. I'd love to see them win. They deserve it.

Detroit winning would be great. But, the city seems so spoiled with the success of the Pistons and the Tigers, that you wonder if anythign less than a cup will even be a blip on the radar. Analysts said this team couldn't make the playoffs. And here we are with a fighting chance in the second round. The fact that the fans at the game aren't going nuts is ridiculous. Every single game should be a celebration of the success we've had so far this season. And if you want the team to do well, why not make some noise, let the players feel the fans behind them, and then they'll up their game too. I dunno, im a huge wings fan, but the fans really need to take a lesson from the fans of some other teams.

Just an opinion