KHL business aspects discussion

[Milos Krasic]

Your average American has never heard of Brandon Bochenski. and he's a great KHL and American player.

 

[stars33]

Your average American has never heard of Brandon Bochenski. and he's a great KHL and American player.

Guys you are not understanding. Most Americans love sports and gamble. If a hockey fan such as myself is awake at 8am on a Sunday morning I would rather watch the KHL. Currently I am watching the English premier league soccer.
I am not saying it is going to replace the NHL. It would be nice like an appetizer.

 

[stars33]

I have hockey friends who bet on soccer because it is the only thing on in the morning. Yes, they degenerate gamblers but they are potential viewers.
Before the EPL was on TV in the US Americans never heard of Manchester United or Arsenal.
I believe if you tossed on the KHL they will get to know the teams and even toss money on the games.

 

[Milos Krasic]

I mean, I love the KHL obviously, and it's not a terrible idea, but the EPL and Bundesliga are far stronger brands in America, and that's who they would be competing with on weekend mornings. Sure, hockey fans might watch, but most hockey fans I know are more NHL fans.

 

[SoundAndFury]

So nobody in America cares about the AHL where most of the best prospects of the NHL teams play but they would care about the league far away where guys with unpronounceable names and guys too bad to make it in the NHL play? Doubt it. Any major football league gets viewers because it's better than the MLS which is not the case at all with KHL.

Also, how many USA citizens recognize hockey as their #1 sport? 2%? Such market.

 

[Acallabeth]

So nobody in America cares about the AHL where most of the best prospects of the NHL teams play but they would care about the league far away where guys with unpronounceable names and guys too bad to make it in the NHL play? Doubt it. Any major football league gets viewers because it's better than the MLS which is not the case at all with KHL. Also, how many USA citizens recognize hockey as their #1 sport? 2%? Such market.

Not that I disagree with you, but the AHL is literally a much worse NHL, while the KHL is an exotic league far away with a different game.

 

[stars33]

So nobody in America cares about the AHL where most of the best prospects of the NHL teams play but they would care about the league far away where guys with unpronounceable names and guys too bad to make it in the NHL play? Doubt it. Any major football league gets viewers because it's better than the MLS which is not the case at all with KHL.

Also, how many USA citizens recognize hockey as their #1 sport? 2%? Such market.

The reason another countries league would be more interesting to watch is the passion demonstrated by the fans.
NCAA basketball is much more enjoyable than the professional NBA. Why? It is not the talent. It is passion and importance fans give the games.
An AHL game has some talent on the ice but does not have the passionate fans oohing and ahhing on each shot. The KHL on the other hand has similar talent as the AHL but has passionate crowds and significance with Europe's best league championship to be won.

 

[Killion]

I believe there is an interest in the KHL from N. American hockey fans. I think a game a week would be really cool especially on weekend morning.

3 point wins, 60 game season, big ice and exotic locations would be enticing to many hockey fans who are frustrated with Bettman's NHL.

I mean, I love the KHL obviously, and it's not a terrible idea, but the EPL and Bundesliga are far stronger brands in America, and that's who they would be competing with on weekend mornings. Sure, hockey fans might watch, but most hockey fans I know are more NHL fans.

Yes, therein lies the problem. Scheduling & ratings. Sat/Sun mornings already chock-a-block full of EPL etc, all drawing extremely well. In more traditional hockey hotbeds such as Toronto, the Toronto Marlies, AHL, Game of the Week broadcast but its on a local cable stations "informational channel", like sandwiched in-between "Community Events" & other low brow low budget productions & doesnt draw much in way of an audience. TSN (Canada-wide broadcaster) was looking at broadcasting KHL games but, theres other live sport events / content available (including CIS Hockey, NCAA Div 1, Womens Hockey & Major Junior) that would easily outdraw it so no go. I cant see it flying in the US at all, not even in big markets outside of some pockets of recent Russian emigre' communities in places like New York & Florida but those audiences just far too miniscule to be giving up 2-3hrs worth of air-time over to, cost prohibitive. You have to realize as well that even the NHL & NBC struggle for ratings in a number of markets. Ratings in Arizona & South Florida for example for Coyotes or Panthers games are in the 3am infomercial range in terms of audience size so no, unfortunately, I dont see anyone picking up the KHL for Canadian much less North-American wide broadcasting at this time.

 

[Yakushev72]

They do indirectly as their taxes go in part to cover those costs as do Registration Fee's & often a small surcharge of a few dollars paid at the gate that players & their parents are required to pay every time they enter a public (or private) facility. At the amateur level of course, hockey is supposed to be not for profit, strictly developmental, however in North America that is not always the case. In Toronto for example, which is home to the Worlds largest minor hockey program, the Greater Toronto Hockey League (app 2800 teams, 40,000+ registered players from Single A to AA & AAA) there was a huge controversy a few years back when a businessman started buying up AAA Teams from Atom through Midget, charging exorbitant Registration Fee's ($10,000+ per kid), paying Coaches (ex NHL'r Rick Vaive for eg was reputedly receiving as much as $60,000 a season to Coach a team) & so on. The interest wasnt in "developing players" it was in "Winning" and thereby attracting players & their "Hockey Moms & Dads" who wanted little Bobby on the "Winning Team", drafted into the CHL, off to Junior & then hopefully the NHL.

Obviously you need to be making extremely good money to be putting your kid into hockey, elite amateur in Canada or the US. Not unusual to drop $15,000 per kid per season including some Power Skating Camps & so on, and of course equipment costs just insane. $300++ for a stick alone. And God help you if your kids a goalie. It wasnt always like this of course, amateur hockey the purview of the wealthy upper middle-classes. It was until the early 80's easily accessible & affordable. It still can be at the House League & Rep Team Levels but thats basically about B or C Level hockey. Has a ceiling. Most kids done by 15 at Bantam. Over the past 10yrs or so, really since about the mid-90's, the GTHL AAA & AA teams at the Pee Wee-Bantam-Minor Midget age groups have had an influx of Russians (the odd Swede, Finn) who's families are well enough off to send their kids to Toronto as "Foreign Students", many also taking part-time residency, or sending them to Private Schools that have full wing Hockey Academys' as they'll then receive the kind of training thats not available in Russia. Advanced levels. So many in fact that the GTHL imposed an "import restriction" on the teams. Pretty crazy huh? Were talking about a kids game & league here (one I played in back in the 60's & early 70's). Even more odious is the creation of the "Pay-To-Play" so called "Junior A" Leagues in Canada & the US, no import restrictions, mostly Russian kids who werent good enough to get Drafted in the CHL Midget Draft charged 10's of 1000's to play in these Outlaw Leagues in the hopes they'll be scouted by an OHL Team, by the NCAA or the NHL, European or given a shot at the AHL or ECHL levels. So there they are, 16, 17 years old. Parachuted into some backwater Podunk town in the US or Canada, dont speak much if any English, struggle with school, isolated really from the community at large, their folks paying huge dollars towards a dream that will for the vast majority never come to fruition. And these kids are good players, late bloomers if you will, but never blooming, out of the game by 19 or 20, returning home unhappy, disillusioned. The lack of a proper, advanced & sophisticated elite development league & program in Russia is a void filled by unscrupulous promoters in North America who are selling dreams of NHL Glory to Russians. And were talking serious $$$ here. $40,000, $50,000, $75,000 a season per player.

This is bad for hockey. So yes, Russia really needs to get its act together, laying the foundations with advanced amateur programs & if the IIHF wont play total hardball with the advanced amateur leagues in Canada & the US, with the CHL & NHL in not only protecting their talent but in receiving some serious compensation for pond jumpers, then the Russian Hockey Federation should do it themselves. And I mean get Draconian about it. Punishing. Set-up an advanced amateur system including clinics & camps etc etc, and if someone wants to drop $50,000 or whatever to send Boris to Ontario to play for the Toronto Red Wings Bantam AAA team then maybe the Toronto Red Wings organization & that kids Parents should be paying a "Transfer Fee" or whatever to the Russian amateur team he grew up playing with as well. Same thing with these Pay-To-Play Jr teams & leagues; while demanding one Hell of a lot more money from the CHL & NHL clubs drafting Russians. And if the players do just puddle jump, dont care, no loyalty, lift their ticket. Barred from ever playing for a National Team, in the KHL for life. Only lifted after paying a nice big fat fine with that money poured back into Russias own amateur & Junior program.

This is really amazing information that you provide. As a casual observer, I could see that Canada dwarfs the rest of the World in investment in hockey, but I had no idea of the lengths to which they have gone. But if you combine all the elements - a hockey-mad country, with lots of excess wealth, and parents and other taxpayers who are willing to give whatever is required in order to maintain "the common good," it becomes more clear that no sum of money is too much to ask.

For Russia, a big problem is that, even though Russian parents would love to have "Little Dima" earn a fortune beyond their wildest dreams in the KHL (much less what can be earned in the NHL), any significant contribution to building the hockey infrastructure to permit that to happen is beyond their reach. When it comes to non-essential spending on something like hockey rinks, Russian parents have far less disposable income, on the average, than their counterparts in Sweden and Finland, much less Canada and the United States, to contribute. If it falls on the average taxpayer to fund hockey development in Russia, my impression is that it won't get done.

Russia's great success in hockey during the Soviet era was mostly built on innovation and ingenuity. Tarasov realized that if he was going to build a hockey power on the international level, and he chose the Canadian model, it would be simply futile. Instead, he built a program that was uniquely Russian, and that focused on science, psychology, physiology and strategy/tactics that exploited the weaknesses of the Canadians. If Russia wishes to be competitive on the international level again, they are going to have to rely on some form of innovation to do it. If the average citizen can't provide funding, then some other source - Government, oligarchs, or even foreign investors - are going to have to play a leading role. The KHL is certainly going to have to play a leading role in "growing their own," so to speak, or they may be starved of oxygen as a consequence.

 

[Yakushev72]

The reason another countries league would be more interesting to watch is the passion demonstrated by the fans.
NCAA basketball is much more enjoyable than the professional NBA. Why? It is not the talent. It is passion and importance fans give the games.
An AHL game has some talent on the ice but does not have the passionate fans oohing and ahhing on each shot. The KHL on the other hand has similar talent as the AHL but has passionate crowds and significance with Europe's best league championship to be won.

It is possible that someone at a TV network could get interested enough to broadcast it at their own expense and, if the viewer ratings were solid, use them to sell the concept to advertisers. But I think it is a long stretch.

 

[Killion]

This is really amazing information that you provide. As a casual observer, I could see that Canada dwarfs the rest of the World in investment in hockey, but I had no idea of the lengths to which they have gone. But if you combine all the elements - a hockey-mad country, with lots of excess wealth, and parents and other taxpayers who are willing to give whatever is required in order to maintain "the common good," it becomes more clear that no sum of money is too much to ask.

For Russia, a big problem is that, even though Russian parents would love to have "Little Dima" earn a fortune beyond their wildest dreams in the KHL (much less what can be earned in the NHL), any significant contribution to building the hockey infrastructure to permit that to happen is beyond their reach. When it comes to non-essential spending on something like hockey rinks, Russian parents have far less disposable income, on the average, than their counterparts in Sweden and Finland, much less Canada and the United States, to contribute. If it falls on the average taxpayer to fund hockey development in Russia, my impression is that it won't get done.

Russia's great success in hockey during the Soviet era was mostly built on innovation and ingenuity. Tarasov realized that if he was going to build a hockey power on the international level, and he chose the Canadian model, it would be simply futile. Instead, he built a program that was uniquely Russian, and that focused on science, psychology, physiology and strategy/tactics that exploited the weaknesses of the Canadians. If Russia wishes to be competitive on the international level again, they are going to have to rely on some form of innovation to do it. If the average citizen can't provide funding, then some other source - Government, oligarchs, or even foreign investors - are going to have to play a leading role. The KHL is certainly going to have to play a leading role in "growing their own," so to speak, or they may be starved of oxygen as a consequence.

First bolded, no, its not. The Registration Fee's etc, just absolutely insane and out of reach of the ever diminishing & disappearing Middle Classes let alone the Lower Middle & Lower Classes, a segment of society btw where the vast majority of Canadian hockey players came from up until the 1980's. Guys like Dryden an anomaly. These were blue collar kids/men from hardscrabble mining, farming, factory backgrounds. Maurice Richard. Tim Horton. Dave Keon. Bobby Hull. Pretty much every one of them. It was a "peoples game". Easily accessed, outdoors, indoors, Registration Fee's beyond reasonable, equipment cheap & readily available from the late 19th Century until the mid-80's. Almost all American & most Canadian players drafted since the late 80's on, all coming from primarily Upper Middle Class backgrounds.

Second bolded.... The KHL like the NHL is first & foremost a business. The argument or point being that they as businesses dont feel it's their responsibility let alone obligation to provide funding or even intelligence to grow & develop the game at the amateur or Junior levels. Yet both take the tack that yes, they are growing the game in establishing franchises in markets (some with absolutely no history of advanced hockey of anykind); expect "growth" through osmosis... leaving the owners of that team who have already in many cases blown their loads on an insane Expansion Fee & in building a state of the art arena. Where are they supposed to find the $$$ to assist financially with the community groups & local govt in funding new ice-pads etc, when they cant even fill their own buildings, barely able to cover payroll (some dont at all as we know), in the NHL's case, struggle to reach the CAP Basement?

The only solution I can come up with, hybrid combining elements of the old with the new is if we turn the clock back to the old Soviet System pre 1989/90'ish, the NHL prior to the institution of the Universal Draft in 1963 (which wasnt in full effect until about 1970) when elite amateur, Junior & Senior teams were "sponsored" by the State in the USSR & by the NHL Clubs in Canada. Top tier talent identified at a young age regardless of a families economic heft, signed to play on elite Amateur Teams, receiving the best Coaching through their development as children, people, building "all rounders", concentrating on issues of personal growth character, experiencing other sports & excelling, not a steady diet of hockey hockey hockey.

Personally I believe the NHL & the KHL should be doing a Hell of a lot more as the future of their "product" depends upon it, and in both the East & the West, the system is badly broken. They along with their official equipment suppliers & corporate sponsors, the clubs & the leagues in conjunction with the respective Players Associations should all jointly & combined have a War Chest set aside... fully blown package in working with sports associations, community groups & municipal, state, provincial & federal governments in providing serious money & brains to the building of community facilities, establishing leagues, making equipment readily available, free included to those in need & who wanna play. Staging Clinics & Camps.... Old/New. Back in the day, exactly what the Soviets did, exactly what the NHL did (most notably Toronto & Montreal) in sponsoring entire leagues, teams.

It is possible that someone at a TV network could get interested enough to broadcast it at their own expense and, if the viewer ratings were solid, use them to sell the concept to advertisers. But I think it is a long stretch.

Its a "loooooooooooong" stretch. Yes. Look, Bow Fishing for Bass with Ted Nugent on Saturdays often outdraws an NHL game so honestly, just not seeing it.... Now, eventual Amalgamation between the KHL & NHL, yes, I can see that happening down the road if both parties ever get their acts together. Possible before that happens we see an incursion of the KHL onto North American soil. Id like to see that as well, could be the first step, point of nexus in a forced Amalgamation (WHA style) as their are several markets in North America who for many a year are being denied NHL entry. The NHL itself arrogantly & pompously pricing itself out of reach for all but those motivated by vanity (Foley in Vegas at $500M).

 

[Yakushev72]

First bolded, no, its not. The Registration Fee's etc, just absolutely insane and out of reach of the ever diminishing & disappearing Middle Classes let alone the Lower Middle & Lower Classes, a segment of society btw where the vast majority of Canadian hockey players came from up until the 1980's. Guys like Dryden an anomaly. These were blue collar kids/men from hardscrabble mining, farming, factory backgrounds. Maurice Richard. Tim Horton. Dave Keon. Bobby Hull. Pretty much every one of them. It was a "peoples game". Easily accessed, outdoors, indoors, Registration Fee's beyond reasonable, equipment cheap & readily available from the late 19th Century until the mid-80's. Almost all American & most Canadian players drafted since the late 80's on, all coming from primarily Upper Middle Class backgrounds.

Second bolded.... The KHL like the NHL is first & foremost a business. The argument or point being that they as businesses dont feel it's their responsibility let alone obligation to provide funding or even intelligence to grow & develop the game at the amateur or Junior levels. Yet both take the tack that yes, they are growing the game in establishing franchises in markets (some with absolutely no history of advanced hockey of anykind); expect "growth" through osmosis... leaving the owners of that team who have already in many cases blown their loads on an insane Expansion Fee & in building a state of the art arena. Where are they supposed to find the $$$ to assist financially with the community groups & local govt in funding new ice-pads etc, when they cant even fill their own buildings, barely able to cover payroll (some dont at all as we know), in the NHL's case, struggle to reach the CAP Basement?

The only solution I can come up with, hybrid combining elements of the old with the new is if we turn the clock back to the old Soviet System pre 1989/90'ish, the NHL prior to the institution of the Universal Draft in 1963 (which wasnt in full effect until about 1970) when elite amateur, Junior & Senior teams were "sponsored" by the State in the USSR & by the NHL Clubs in Canada. Top tier talent identified at a young age regardless of a families economic heft, signed to play on elite Amateur Teams, receiving the best Coaching through their development as children, people, building "all rounders", concentrating on issues of personal growth character, experiencing other sports & excelling, not a steady diet of hockey hockey hockey.

Personally I believe the NHL & the KHL should be doing a Hell of a lot more as the future of their "product" depends upon it, and in both the East & the West, the system is badly broken. They along with their official equipment suppliers & corporate sponsors, the clubs & the leagues in conjunction with the respective Players Associations should all jointly & combined have a War Chest set aside... fully blown package in working with sports associations, community groups & municipal, state, provincial & federal governments in providing serious money & brains to the building of community facilities, establishing leagues, making equipment readily available, free included to those in need & who wanna play. Staging Clinics & Camps.... Old/New. Back in the day, exactly what the Soviets did, exactly what the NHL did (most notably Toronto & Montreal) in sponsoring entire leagues, teams.



Its a "loooooooooooong" stretch. Yes. Look, Bow Fishing for Bass with Ted Nugent on Saturdays often outdraws an NHL game so honestly, just not seeing it.... Now, eventual Amalgamation between the KHL & NHL, yes, I can see that happening down the road if both parties ever get their acts together. Possible before that happens we see an incursion of the KHL onto North American soil. Id like to see that as well, could be the first step, point of nexus in a forced Amalgamation (WHA style) as their are several markets in North America who for many a year are being denied NHL entry. The NHL itself arrogantly & pompously pricing itself out of reach for all but those motivated by vanity (Foley in Vegas at $500M).

I completely agree with your thesis. This is the changing face of hockey. Most of the great Canadian heroes of yesterday were either working class kids or were raised on the farm. Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull were farm boys from the frozen plains of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and Bobby Orr was a working class kid from Parry Sound, Ontario. Compare them with the top prospects of today like Auston Matthews. Matthews learned to play at facilities owned and operated by the Phoenix Coyotes. To play hockey at the top level in Phoenix, you have to be rich and well-connected to have access to state-of-the art facilities and the best coaches. If you dumped the entire Arctic Region on the streets of Phoenix, it would melt within 2 hours. Other Southern kids in tropical climates (although only a handful) have emerged in Miami and Dallas, where NHL franchises operate hockey rinks for local kids - local rich kids, that is.

You are right in stating that hockey will stay stagnant in Russia as long as the RHF and KHL and others rely on "osmosis" instead of a well-funded plan to begin to challenge and excel. In lieu of neighborhood-level development, either the Government or the big-money owners of KHL franchises are going to have to step forward and commit some investment money. I believe that for the KHL increasing the flow of domestic prospects is critical to the league's survival. Either that, or find some way to discourage talent from migrating overseas, without actually banning it. I believe that this is the frustration that caused Slava Fetisov to speak out about the migration to the NHL. He was not trying to restrict players' freedom, but as an investor in Admiral in Vladivostok, to have league rules that make it necessary for migrants to give something up in order to leave. Fair enough.

And of course you are right about NA broadcasts of KHL games. There is just no market for it - if there was, they would already be broadcasting a full schedule. Since most North American fans would have no allegiance to a particular KHL team, players would be the main attraction, and there just aren't enough good ones left to capture their interest.

 

[Go Donbass]

Just want to address one thing. As a Canadian, I can say that Canada is not a hockey mad country. We are an NHL mad country. Outside of the NHL, and some CHL teams, hockey is a lousy draw in Canada. We will support our national teams, but I've been to hockey games at pretty much every level in this country and the games draw flies. FWIW, there's more kids playing soccer in Canada than hockey.

 

[Jussi]

Just want to address one thing. As a Canadian, I can say that Canada is not a hockey mad country. We are an NHL mad country. Outside of the NHL, and some CHL teams, hockey is a lousy draw in Canada. We will support our national teams, but I've been to hockey games at pretty much every level in this country and the games draw flies. FWIW, there's more kids playing soccer in Canada than hockey.

World juniors?

 

[vorky]

Jokerit establishes business opportunites in Russia and China

During the first two seasons in the KHL, Jokerit Helsinki has been able to assist Finnish companies in making their business known internationally. With China joining the KHL, these possibilites are now even greater.

For the 2016-17 season, the KHL will expand into China which will become the ninth country in the league. HC Red Star Kunlun out of Beijing is rapidly putting together a team for the new season and has already signed Finnish goalie Tomi Karhunen and defenseman Janne Jalasvaara. The team will have its first practice sessions and exhibition games in Finland as they will have preseason camp in Vierumäki and Vantaa in July.

With China joining the KHL, it will generate even greater possibilites for co-operation for the league and Jokerit both sports wise and in the business world. Jokerit has launched a new international export program called JIPP or Jokerit International Partner Project which has the purpose of creating different kinds of opportunities for companies who are aiming to the Russian and Chinese markets.

http://www.jokerit.com/jokerit-avaa-yritysmahdollisuuksia-venajalle-ja-kiinaan

 

[Go Donbass]

World juniors?

I did say in my post that we support our national teams (women's team included) and some major junior teams get excellent fan support.

Toronto and Montreal for example, which most people associate with being hockey mad in Canada, have both had major junior teams recently, and subsequently lost them due to lack of fan support.

 

[stars33]

I am saying the KHL should not discount the North America hockey market.
North America sports fans are becoming interested in world sports. Why now?
Because they were never exposed to it. We did not have the multiple professional leagues like in Europe. We were used to one league having all the best players. Now people are realizing because mainly the internet that there is a whole world of entertaining sports leagues. You do not have to psycho analyze the American sports fan population.

 

[Jussi]

I am saying the KHL should not discount the North America hockey market.
North America sports fans are becoming interested in world sports. Why now?
Because they were never exposed to it. We did not have the multiple professional leagues like in Europe. We were used to one league having all the best players. Now people are realizing because mainly the internet that there is a whole world of entertaining sports leagues. You do not have to psycho analyze the American sports fan population.

You don't seem to get that American sports fan doesn't care about hockey. They'll watch international sports, and by international sports I mean international football, because it's way more popular than hockey. They watch the clubs and players they know because "everyone" knows then. Americans don't even know teh NHL players. You're completely out to lunch on this subject. There is absolutely zero fact or figure supporting your statement.

 

[Yakushev72]

I am saying the KHL should not discount the North America hockey market.
North America sports fans are becoming interested in world sports. Why now?
Because they were never exposed to it. We did not have the multiple professional leagues like in Europe. We were used to one league having all the best players. Now people are realizing because mainly the internet that there is a whole world of entertaining sports leagues. You do not have to psycho analyze the American sports fan population.

It seems to me that the ESPN network broadcast some KHL games during the NHL strike in 2013, but I don't think they ever made an effort to continue the practice. I'm sure that the KHL would like to continue coverage, but I don't see any interest on the part of NA TV networks.

 

[malkinfan]

KHL should push hard to do a KHL vs NHL with SKA. If say TSN promotes Datsyuk and Kovalchuk coming back to avenge the NHL in an exhibition at the end of summer people in Canada would watch it. If you made the game vs the leafs people would go mad for it (by the end of the summer leafs nation is sick of listening to talk shows and watching re-runs of the glory days on leafs tv). I think the game would just be interesting as hell for any die hard hockey fan. Too bad GB will never do this sort of thing again.

 

[Jussi]

KHL should push hard to do a KHL vs NHL with SKA. If say TSN promotes Datsyuk and Kovalchuk coming back to avenge the NHL in an exhibition at the end of summer people in Canada would watch it. If you made the game vs the leafs people would go mad for it (by the end of the summer leafs nation is sick of listening to talk shows and watching re-runs of the glory days on leafs tv). I think the game would just be interesting as hell for any die hard hockey fan. Too bad GB will never do this sort of thing again.

Avenge? For what? NHL didn't force them to leave.

 

[Yakushev72]

KHL should push hard to do a KHL vs NHL with SKA. If say TSN promotes Datsyuk and Kovalchuk coming back to avenge the NHL in an exhibition at the end of summer people in Canada would watch it. If you made the game vs the leafs people would go mad for it (by the end of the summer leafs nation is sick of listening to talk shows and watching re-runs of the glory days on leafs tv). I think the game would just be interesting as hell for any die hard hockey fan. Too bad GB will never do this sort of thing again.

I would like that, but I don't think an NHL team would ever agree to it. They have everything to lose and nothing to gain. To make it fair, it would have to be structured like the '72 Series, home and home. The NHL stepped into that trap in 1972 - I don't think they'll do it again unless the fans demand it. It would only serve to validate the status of the KHL, which they want to avoid doing.

 

[hansomreiste]

Just as I was watching Anzhi-CSKA in football, I thought whether ice hockey is more popular than football or not, in Russia... Which one do Russian people favour more? I'd like to see figures (TV ratings, number of people watching the sports etc.) if possible. I know Russia is not an "ice hockey only" country and they have strong football teams but I've always thought that the interest in football is never good enough, except for a handful of teams. Second division, my absolute favourite as Krasnoyarsk plays there, is total mess in terms of attendance.

Anyway, long story short, is hockey more popular than football in Russia? If not, how are the figures? I'd be especially happy to hear from local Russians about their preferences - for example, would you and your friends choose a KHL play-off game or CSKA-Zenit? What is the general trend for people?

 

[joshyhockey26]

You don't seem to get that American sports fan doesn't care about hockey. They'll watch international sports, and by international sports I mean international football, because it's way more popular than hockey. They watch the clubs and players they know because "everyone" knows then. Americans don't even know teh NHL players. You're completely out to lunch on this subject. There is absolutely zero fact or figure supporting your statement.

I disagree with a ton of this. As an American who follows not only the NHL but also keep up with the SHL,Liiga,KHL,and Swiss league. Quite honestly if the KHL put out an affordable ENGLISH streaming service for their games online I feel like it'd pick up traction. Not only that but working with ESPN again could get them some airtime in the mornings instead of having a rerun of sports center. It's not that Americans don't care international leagues, it's that most euro leagues do nothing to gain the attention of North America.

 

[Jussi]

I disagree with a ton of this. As an American who follows not only the NHL but also keep up with the SHL,Liiga,KHL,and Swiss league. Quite honestly if the KHL put out an affordable ENGLISH streaming service for their games online I feel like it'd pick up traction. Not only that but working with ESPN again could get them some airtime in the mornings instead of having a rerun of sports center. It's not that Americans don't care international leagues, it's that most euro leagues do nothing to gain the attention of North America.

You are in the very minority. Ratings simply speak for themselves.

I also disagree, American networks simply aren't interested in European hockey leagues. They are equally territorial in their hcokey interests, it's evident from the NHL ratings. There's only the select few "hockey cities" that pay attention to the Stanley Cup playoffs when their team has been eliminated. Logic dictates that peopel from those cities surely wouldn't be very interested in European leagues.