Should the NHL go to Versus and say put some junior hockey games on?

[Brad*]

Like ESPN did with Lebron James in high school? Maybe create some interest from seeing players like John Tavares and others.

No, unless Versus is a glutton for low ratings.

 

[Injektilo]

My attitude?

I am a hockey fan, a player, and a parent.
If I am not going to watch children play a game then why on earth would anybody who is not a fan of the sport watch it?

You are clueless.

A kids game? Junior hockey is quite often more exciting than the NHL version. If you don't wanna watch junior hockey, it's certainly your loss.

 

[hwkn]

They should pick up some USHL games if they don't get any canadian junior games.

 

[Jussi]

A kids game? Junior hockey is quite often more exciting than the NHL version. If you don't wanna watch junior hockey, it's certainly your loss.

He was replying to watching 10 year olds which is not something that should be broadcast on tv. Kids that young don't need the added pressure of televising.

 

[Alpine]

This is a just a one mans opinion kinda post, so it's value is worth exactly what you paid for it.
Junior and or College/University hockey is of local interest by it's nature. There are few examples of any of these teams being of national interest.
In Canada I'm sure ratings for Major Junior aren't great for regular season. This is why SNet doesn't have national games until the new calender year each season. RDS is starting to move (or maybe adding) some games to their digital channel RIS. But RDS/RIS only broadcast regular season Q games.
I think, and it's only my opinion, that SNet and RDS were forced to show regular season games as part of the contract they have with the CHL for the Mem Cup. The Memorial Cup must be a good draw for these channels.
Just as an example Friday night RDS had Halifax at Drummondville, this I recorded as I have interest in the Q. RIS had Québec at Chicoutimi last night. Because RDS had the Habs game. Sunday SNet has Guelph at Brampton. Well if I'm home and doing nothing I may watch the game.
I'm sure the lowest ratings SNet will have for CHL is when they broadcast their set of Q games because these games are of interest to the smallest English language market in the country.
So all I'm saying is unless American channels have to broadcast Junior games as part of an agreement to have access to national interest tournaments I don't see it working.
It seems to me that Junior and College/University leagues would be smarter ensuring broadband viewing is either free or very cheap and customers knew it was available. To promote their property.
This was a lot longer than my semi-original thought.

 

[Wooty]

I think there is a serious disconnect between Canadians and Americans, and also between older and young people on this board.

I think the Majority of the US has no snow or not enough snow to ever go ice skating in nature.

Canadians position themselves as the guardians of the sport and that Americans are some barbarians invading their sport. Americans have more interest and options then Canadians due to better weather.

I am not sure if it just youthful people or out of touch Canadians, but many think that if you just put Hockey on TV people will watch it. I am telling you that is BS. There will be at least 2 NHL games on TV today and 1 I can find on the internet. Nobody watches because it is not popular.

When you tell me I am not a hockey fan, that just points out how far out of touch you are. You are not even posting honestly at that point, you are just repeating ******** in hope of not losing an argument on a message board. If you can't participate in a conversation and gain knowledge stop posting.

Of all the potential people to watch it - I am that target person. I have a job, I have a kid, I have a HDTV, I paid for my car and my house. I LIKE HOCKEY and I play hockey. My son plays hockey as well. I have paid for NHL tickets. I buy hockey equipment. I pay for hockey channels. I am not going to spend time watching kids or juniors play hockey.

There is a lot of hockey on today and I won't watch all of that. I think I will watch a lot of Nascar and then check in on the NBC NHL game. I will record the Kings vs Ducks game but I am also going to watch Rome, the Simpsons etc. Hockey may get shuffled out.

Nobody on this message board will put their money where their mouth is. If you think there is money to be made showing junior or kids hockey, go buy the equipment and put the stuff on the internet. Get rich - you think this is some secret gold mine, go for it!

 

[Resolute]

He was replying to watching 10 year olds which is not something that should be broadcast on tv. Kids that young don't need the added pressure of televising.

Actually, his initial reply was to trash junior hockey, not minor hockey.

 

[Wooty]

Actually, his initial reply was to trash junior hockey, not minor hockey.

No I wasn't. I was actually replying to you about teenagers.

I agree with you fully but then this is the internet so that means you must fight against me so... rock on internet buddy errr enemy

HURRRRRRR

 

[Injektilo]

I think there is a serious disconnect between Canadians and Americans, and also between older and young people on this board.

I think the Majority of the US has no snow or not enough snow to ever go ice skating in nature.

Canadians position themselves as the guardians of the sport and that Americans are some barbarians invading their sport. Americans have more interest and options then Canadians due to better weather.

I am not sure if it just youthful people or out of touch Canadians, but many think that if you just put Hockey on TV people will watch it. I am telling you that is BS. There will be at least 2 NHL games on TV today and 1 I can find on the internet. Nobody watches because it is not popular.

When you tell me I am not a hockey fan, that just points out how far out of touch you are. You are not even posting honestly at that point, you are just repeating ******** in hope of not losing an argument on a message board. If you can't participate in a conversation and gain knowledge stop posting.

Of all the potential people to watch it - I am that target person. I have a job, I have a kid, I have a HDTV, I paid for my car and my house. I LIKE HOCKEY and I play hockey. My son plays hockey as well. I have paid for NHL tickets. I buy hockey equipment. I pay for hockey channels. I am not going to spend time watching kids or juniors play hockey.

There is a lot of hockey on today and I won't watch all of that. I think I will watch a lot of Nascar and then check in on the NBC NHL game. I will record the Kings vs Ducks game but I am also going to watch Rome, the Simpsons etc. Hockey may get shuffled out.

Nobody on this message board will put their money where their mouth is. If you think there is money to be made showing junior or kids hockey, go buy the equipment and put the stuff on the internet. Get rich - you think this is some secret gold mine, go for it!

I'm not talking about how well junior games would sell on TV, I'm talking about people who consider themselves huge hockey fans willfully ignoring Major Junior hockey for some strange reason. It's great hockey, period. I realize no one who doesn't care about hockey would ever watch it, that's not what I'm talking about though.

 

[Resolute]

No I wasn't. I was actually replying to you about teenagers.

I agree with you fully but then this is the internet so that means you must fight against me so... rock on internet buddy errr enemy

HURRRRRRR

teenagers = junior hockey.

Junior hockey =/= "kids" hockey

The other poster was right, you are an "NHL fan", not a "hockey fan"

 

[dafranchz]

Ok...so anyways. Back to the topic.

For what it's worth (I didn't see it mentioned or I'm blind) ESPNU is testing the waters with some USHL/Omaha Lancers' games. Mind you the USHL is not what the CHL is at the moment, but it has been noticed and at least attempted to be applied. Don't know what the numbers are like. Can't imagine that they're too high.

http://www.ushl.com/news/story.cfm?id=36

 

[Dolemite]

Junior regular season hockey does not draw TV numbers in Canada, it won't in the USA either.

The Memorial Cup would.

 

[Epsilon]

The Memorial Cup would.

The only way the Memorial Cup would draw anything in the way of US television viewers is if Saginaw made it there and Stephen Colbert hyped the crap out of it on his show.

 

[Brad*]

The Memorial Cup would.

No, it wouldn't, considering very few Americans actually know what it is.

 

[Trizent]

The Memorial Cup would.

If NHL hockey involving 2 large American markets draw a few hundred thousand viewers on VS., Memorial Cup involving smaller Canadian cities certainly won't draw.

I am not saying it is a bad idea, but people can't dog on VS. for not adding properties amateur hockey games that would draw flies.

 

[Sotnos]

It seems to me that Junior and College/University leagues would be smarter ensuring broadband viewing is either free or very cheap and customers knew it was available. To promote their property.

During the lockout, I watched several Q games for free online on Eastlink. Got to see Crosby several times, and the quality was pretty good for a free broadcast of junior hockey. It's a good service, maybe not widely advertised so people don't overload their servers, but I thought it was a good way to present junior hockey.