My realistic way of fixing the NHL today.

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

There's many ways to fix the NHL, get a contract with ESPN or any respectable network, get rid of Bettman, retract, etc. But none of those are truly realistic at the moment. This is the realistic way to help improve the NHL.

1. Direct more funds to marketing: They're off to a magnificent start. Those ad campaigns that promote 'NHL players are just like you and me, except they're really good at hockey' are engenious, but shallow. If the right people get in there I think they can help broaden the target ages for the NHL. Start targeting teens with a super-sexy spokeswoman. Identify the demographics of your veiwership, reduce exposure to that market and pump it up in other 'gold-mines'. NBA has no problem with exposure because of the whole 'Gangsta' idealogy they promote. ESPN or some other sports analyst had this to say on that. Get AO to go AI. Sad but true. The NHL needs to have someone like Avery to go out to the media and flap his jaw. Create controversy. The biggest market is America, land of soap operas and scandals. NHL could publicize themselves with something like that. Another way is to expose the memorabilia to people. I've seen rappers wear LA Kings jerseys and a few wear Rangers jerseys and of course lil' John wears his Thrashers jerseys. Pay a rapper x amount of money a year to wear that jersey on a tour. Its the little stuff like that that can build up and go a long way. The problem is that today in Chicago, I have to go to the gift shop in the United Center to get anything Hawks. Go into sports authority and you got a choise of Khabibulin and Daze jerseys. Start getting the product to the people before the people come to you.

2. Understand Bettman's flaws and work around them: Believe it or not the worst thing we could do now is fire him. That would cause pandimonium to fill his spot. Bettman is strong so the best thing we could do is work around his problems. We could leave it at that.

3. Pinpoint weak links in the 'chain' and work with them: Failing markets bring down the entire NHL. Send in a consultant to help identify problems. If it means lowering ticket prices or dumping prospects to get a big name player, do what ever it needs so that team can stay on the surface.


That's really all I got right now. Those are realistic, unlike the 'Fire Bettman' and 'Expand!! Retract!!' hypes.

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[Sens Rule]

The NHL does not need fixing.

Your marketing idea is Pejorative Slured. Make the NHL gangsta? Use a Hooters metality to promote the NHL?

How about we promote the sport of hockey? Say show Crosby scoring a goal like he did in Junior from behind the net, show Spezza turning Souray inside out. Show Dion Phaneuf hitting someone. Heck show Derek Boogard fight Brian McGrattan.

We don't need the NHL to go gangsta. We don't need strippers to sell hockey. Sell the Speed, the incredible skills, the tougness of the game.

If you want to sell sex show the actual players with their shirts off in the dressing room and try to appeal to females.

The NHL is not the WWE.

 

[Hollywood3]

The NHL does not need fixing.

Your marketing idea is Pejorative Slured. Make the NHL gangsta? Use a Hooters metality to promote the NHL?

How about we promote the sport of hockey? Say show Crosby scoring a goal like he did in Junior from behind the net, show Spezza turning Souray inside out. Show Dion Phaneuf hitting someone. Heck show Derek Boogard fight Brian McGrattan.

We don't need the NHL to go gangsta. We don't need strippers to sell hockey. Sell the Speed, the incredible skills, the tougness of the game.

If you want to sell sex show the actual players with their shirts off in the dressing room and try to appeal to females.

The NHL is not the WWE.

I basically agree with this. People know all about hockey. For years now the NHL has basically held its own against the NBA for ticket sales and regular season TV ratings.

Where the NHL falls down is that in the USA fans only watch their team, not the league. I saw the TV ratings for a World Cup semi-final against Finland and they never even got all the season ticket holders for all pro and college teams to watch. That's odd.

 

[octopi]

No thanks to idea 1 there. If the players want to have different personalities good for them, but the "Gangsta" theme in society as a whole is something I find is stupid and idiotic. As if we need more of that in society as a whole.

 

[mouser]

There's many ways to fix the NHL, get a contract with ESPN or any respectable network, get rid of Bettman, retract, etc. But none of those are truly realistic at the moment. This is the realistic way to help improve the NHL.

If you believe the NHL is broken, getting a contract with ESPN won't fix it.

1. Direct more funds to marketing: They're off to a magnificent start. Those ad campaigns that promote 'NHL players are just like you and me, except they're really good at hockey' are engenious, but shallow. If the right people get in there I think they can help broaden the target ages for the NHL. Start targeting teens with a super-sexy spokeswoman. Identify the demographics of your veiwership, reduce exposure to that market and pump it up in other 'gold-mines'. NBA has no problem with exposure because of the whole 'Gangsta' idealogy they promote. ESPN or some other sports analyst had this to say on that. Get AO to go AI. Sad but true. The NHL needs to have someone like Avery to go out to the media and flap his jaw. Create controversy. The biggest market is America, land of soap operas and scandals. NHL could publicize themselves with something like that. Another way is to expose the memorabilia to people. I've seen rappers wear LA Kings jerseys and a few wear Rangers jerseys and of course lil' John wears his Thrashers jerseys. Pay a rapper x amount of money a year to wear that jersey on a tour. Its the little stuff like that that can build up and go a long way. The problem is that today in Chicago, I have to go to the gift shop in the United Center to get anything Hawks. Go into sports authority and you got a choise of Khabibulin and Daze jerseys. Start getting the product to the people before the people come to you.

Why isn't Wirtz directing $ to marketing in Chicago? Doesn't need the NHL to do that.

2. Understand Bettman's flaws and work around them: Believe it or not the worst thing we could do now is fire him. That would cause pandimonium to fill his spot. Bettman is strong so the best thing we could do is work around his problems. We could leave it at that.

Nothing here, move on.

3. Pinpoint weak links in the 'chain' and work with them: Failing markets bring down the entire NHL. Send in a consultant to help identify problems. If it means lowering ticket prices or dumping prospects to get a big name player, do what ever it needs so that team can stay on the surface.

So exactly who should the NHL send in to fix Wirtz's problems?

 

[Jeffw-13]

1. Direct more funds to marketing:

To add to this...I would suggest airing the hockey commercials somewhere besides during hockey broadcasts, lol. The only time I EVER see hockey commercials is during hockey games.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

The problem is that today in Chicago, I have to go to the gift shop in the United Center to get anything Hawks. Go into sports authority and you got a choise of Khabibulin and Daze jerseys. Start getting the product to the people before the people come to you.

Being a life long Blackhawks fan i can tell you why it is like that. No Home games on TV, High Ticket prices and Wirtz's telling media and fans that they dont mean anything unless they are season ticket holders. That is why many games last year only had 3-3.5K people in the stands. (Not the 11K reported as attendance). Only way hockey ever recovers in Chicago is for Wirtz to be gone. Not much NHL can do to fix that.

 

[Debrincat93]

can i have those 30 seconds of my life back?

 

[Sens Rule]

To add to this...I would suggest airing the hockey commercials somewhere besides during hockey broadcasts, lol. The only time I EVER see hockey commercials is during hockey games.

Yeah. Maybe they should show them during WWE broadcasts, and during the Ultimate fighting shows on Spike. And during NFL games on Sunday mornings.

Listenign to radio ads for the NHL while I listen to a hockey game on the Team 1200 in Ottawa is Pejorative Slured. Like you need to advertise the entire league during a radio game broadcast in OTTAWA on a SPORTS RADIO station. You kinda have that market sewn up already.