Impact of Olympics on Hockey in America

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Much has been made by the NBC broadcasters about how big this game was for hockey in the US.

Does anyone here think this game will have a significant impact on the casual American sports fan?

If not, would the US winning have made a difference?

Personally, I would say no to both questions. I don't think it'll change that much. The hype was great for a few days, but it'll soon go back to no one caring about the NHL and espn blatantly ignoring it.

[Rikadyn 16]

Doubt it

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

I would answer no to both questions as well. The hype was exactly that. Americans will forget all about hockey and the Olympics in the coming days.

[jeff48109 474]

i agree with no to both answers. The NHL needs better TV exposure.

[Original-Six 254]

sadly i can pretty much guarantee it will have little impact if any in getting more Americans involved in hockey.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I guess everyone sadly shares my sentiments on this.

The announcers made it sound way bigger than what it really means. It may be a big deal in Canada, but here no one would care long term, even if America had won.

[wingschamps 0]

I'm not so sure. I had a few people staying at my place for the weekend and they were convinced hockey was just about the coolest thing in the world by the end of it.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I'm not so sure. I had a few people staying at my place for the weekend and they were convinced hockey was just about the coolest thing in the world by the end of it.

Let's hope they still feel that way when they sober up.

[Seraph 240]

I think had they won, there might have been more of an impact. But either way, it wouldn't have been much. I just think people look up to winners and try to emulate/watch the things they do. With the loss, it's more of a shrug and a "it's their sport anyway" type of thing.

[elriqo28 2]

anyone else seen the Sports Center commericals with Gretzky? I'm hoping those give the NHL a little boost. And it's nice to see ESPN doing any kind of advertising with hockey as it's premise.

[Trapt1307 81]

Won't change until ESPN stops treating it like arena football.

Pretty sad how much of an impact ESPN has on the popularity of a sport in an entire country.

[Tane 17]

I thought spped Skating, Luge, Skeleton, Snowboarding and figure skating were the coolest things ever when someone from my country was competing for the gold. I also know that I probably won't watch more than 5 minutes of any of those sports between now and 2014. It helps when you watch a game, and you know exactly what that game means, and you know the weight of the game.

After these olympics, I think maybe someone from Nashville that really got into it, Might watch the Predators if they make a deep playoff run. I think it'll create some new fans, but not a whole lot.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I thought spped Skating, Luge, Skeleton, Snowboarding and figure skating were the coolest things ever when someone from my country was competing for the gold. I also know that I probably won't watch more than 5 minutes of any of those sports between now and 2014. It helps when you watch a game, and you know exactly what that game means, and you know the weight of the game.

After these olympics, I think maybe someone from Nashville that really got into it, Might watch the Predators if they make a deep playoff run. I think it'll create some new fans, but not a whole lot.

That's a good point. I won't watch any of those sports either.

I sure hope hockey isn't as low on the totem pole as those sports, however.

[Sergei Fedorov91 24]

No way. Hockey will only be popular in mostly northern states and even then only a minority of those people watch NHL. Most of my friends and co-workers only talk about hockey if the Red Wings are in the finals and they don't even know what a slapshot is. Just an excuse to go to the bar and act crazy because everyone else is lol.

Edited March 1, 2010 by Sergei Fedorov91

[Guest mindfly]

What is wrong with americans then why cant you love the sport like your neighbours?

[wingsdiehard13 33]

I really like the fact that Versus will be playing 7 games between now and Thursday. It finally seems like a good decision that could help piggy back from the Olympics.

[henrik40 76]

It won't change until it's back on ESPN. I was livid when I found out direct TV doesn't carry versus anymore and haven't since september. Luckily I have NHL network but still. It sounds like Comcast treats everyone like s*** when their contract with versus comes up. Until it's off that garbage, it won't increase in popularity at all.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

It might have some small impact, but that's probably it. I was watching the game at a restaurant in the New Orleans area and just about everybody else there probably is just the casual fan. When Parise scored to tie it, we all went nuts in the restaurant which is great obviously, but in a week or two hockey will probably wear off for the majority. At least down here in all likelihood.

[jollymania 162]

0 when i told people to watch the wings game on vs tonight (nhl hockey) the reply was "bomb canada", keep in mind these are people living in "Blackhawks territory"

[RedWings 79]

It might have some small impact, but that's probably it. I was watching the game at a restaurant in the New Orleans area and just about everybody else there probably is just the casual fan. When Parise scored to tie it, we all went nuts in the restaurant which is great obviously, but in a week or two hockey will probably wear off for the majority. At least down here in all likelihood.

I was an exchange student in Tulane back in 2008, and when I was speaking about Red Wings hockey in the college bar, people were basically laughing at me: "You watch hockey? HAHA we have a hockey fan, but why man??"..

I guess people there were still watching reruns of saints superbowl rather than watching olympic hockey

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I was an exchange student in Tulane back in 2008, and when I was speaking about Red Wings hockey in the college bar, people were basically laughing at me: "You watch hockey? HAHA we have a hockey fan, but why man??"..

I guess people there were still watching reruns of saints superbowl rather than watching olympic hockey

No they weren't, the hockey game was on in the entire restaurant pretty much and people were interested.

And two wrongs don't make a right. Don't make fun of people enjoying football or baseball more down here. Kinda makes sense for people to watch the Super Bowl rerun down here since we won it all.

It's a different environment than what you are probably used to and will always be different. It's neither right/wrong, good/bad. Let it be.

Edited March 1, 2010 by SouthernWingsFan

[ltgator333 3]

We may find out years later that it had an impact on some kid that watched the game, and ended up soon thereafter at a local rink, but realisticly we'd be talking a handfull of kids nation-wide. And, they'd almost have to be kids where one of the parents already is at least a casual fan.

The real reason, imo, why ice hockey will not grow in popularity in the US has not much to do with what TV channel it's on. Closest rink to me growing up was in Jackson (MI) good 30-40 minute drive away. Today, the closest rink to me is in Battle Creek, again a good 30 minute drive. And this is in Michigan where hockey has some level of relevance, I imagine in other states it gets worse. Then there's equipment costs and the fact that there was one high school in my area (private school) while growing up that had a team. One. Vs every school system has a football/basketball/baseball team.

So to me, yeah it's all well and good to be able to watch the games of TV, but the whole point of TV exposure is to get people to the rinks and play the game. I've been a fan of the game since the mid 90's, and aside from a bunch of fooling around on roller blades with cheapo tennis balls vs friends/family in someone's driveway/parking lot- I've never played the game. And I imagine even at that, I've got many posters on this forum beat.

[Guest mindfly]

Hockey is a much cheaper sport than golf for example which is very popular over there

[Original-Six 254]

Won't change until ESPN stops treating it like arena football.

Pretty sad how much of an impact ESPN has on the popularity of a sport in an entire country.

Its pretty sad how ESPN hardly even acknowledged that one of the biggest sporting events in the world was taking place. Even when the USA almost upset arguable the greatest hockey team ever assembled twice in the same week. I think ESPN gave the winter Olympics about 10 minutes of total coverage the whole tournament. They were too busy swinging from D-Wade,Kobe and Lebron James nut sacks.

[T.Low 1,011]

No to both questions, but I don't neccessarily think it's a bad thing. But I do think the NHL needs to manage itself a lot better on so many levels.

The sports nuts that I talked to recently were shocked when I told them "I just hope it's close and that we (THE US) don't get blown out" of the Gold Medal game.

They looked at me like I didn't know what I was talking about and said, "but we killed them the first game, like 5- 3 or something". I simply pointed out that Canada is rolling argueably the best four lines ever assemble on one team anywhere, and they didn't know what I meant by rolling four lines!. They had no idea what they were watching, no idea that the play was in Ryan Miller's face all frikin game, and that Rafalski made the best out of a few opportunities. Even the sports nuts in the US do not know hockey. They don't realize there is any "controversy" regarding Sydney Crosby's popularity or whining, they don't understand the significance of shots on goal, dump and chase, puck possession, or nothing! They only know what little they've seen on ESPN.

Until there is a frozen pond in every neighborhood, hockey will never be much more popular than it is now.