Kings-Avalanche least-watched NHL outdoor game on NBC ever

[Coinneach]

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[Spartachat]

Outdoor games are getting boring. Yawn.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Shit views and one really shitty team in the middle of February. Big surprise.

 

[Babel Salamander]

The outdoor games are a gimmick in the worst sense of the word. It's a gimmick that has worked, granted, as they are always well attended and probably got good TV ratings for a while. But ultimately it's a poor way to showcase the sport. The in person crowd is further away from the ice. The television audience gets a flattened perspective because the camera is further away and zoomed into the action. Something about it seems to neutralize the skill of the players (I have no idea if it's the ice or the open air or what).

 

[Brodeur]

Putting it up against the NBA Skills Competition probably didn't help; My friends who are hockey fans were talking more in our group chat about the NBA than the outdoor game. In previous years, the NHL typically waited until a week after the NBA All Star weekend to stage another outdoor game.

 

[LeftWingLocked]

Just a money grab, that's all. People don't care.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Shit views and one really shitty team in the middle of February. Big surprise.

I get that outdoor games are going to have wonky camera angles, but that one looked like they were filming it off a nearby mountain with a super-zoom lens. Finding the puck was incredibly difficult and identifying anyone was near impossible. Even when they tried to use a drone it was shooting at some weird angle and you wanted to tip your head to the side to get it to look right. I finally gave up somewhere in the 2nd period.

I think the pre-game was pretty good by and large, but it went to hell after that.

 

[mouser]

I don’t think the outdoor “stadium series” games were designed with tv ratings as a top priority.

The New Years Winter Classic, yes those tv eyes matter. The other stadium games are primarily to promote local interests.

 

[rfournier103]

Stick to the Winter Classic in the US and the Heritage Classic in Canada.

Two games are PLENTY.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Stick to the Winter Classic in the US and the Heritage Classic in Canada.

Two games are PLENTY.

Unlike the Winter Classic the Heritage Classic doesn't happen every year. They have taken place in 2003, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2019.

That's not including the Centennial Classic played in Toronto on January 1, 2017 or the NHL 100 Classic that was played in Ottawa on December 16, 2017.

 

[rfournier103]

Unlike the Winter Classic the Heritage Classic doesn't happen every year. They have taken place in 2003, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2019.

That's not including the Centennial Classic played in Toronto on January 1, 2017 or the NHL 100 Classic that was played in Ottawa on December 16, 2017.

I’m saying they should have the Heritage Classic yearly.

Two outdoor games. Ditch the stupid stadium series.

 

[SupremeNachos]

8/10 LA fans are watching the Lakers.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I’m saying they should have the Heritage Classic yearly.

Two outdoor games. Ditch the stupid stadium series.

Honestly I'm surprised that Rogers due to the TV rights in Canada has not asked the NHL to have Toronto vs Montreal or Toronto vs Ottawa in a Heritage Classic. Now part of that is where would the games be played, although in Toronto they can always go back to BMO Field since they hosted the Centennial Classic. The Rogers Centre can not open their roof during the colder months if they wanted to play it in November, December or January as an example. Although in October 2016 when the Toronto Blue Jays hosted the American League Wild Card Game, the roof was open and I guess that could work if it was played in that month.

Plus among the outdoor games Toronto's already played a Winter Classic in 2014 , Centennial Classic in 2017 and Stadium Series in 2018 and it's weird how they have not played in a Heritage Classic.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Somebody has to be last. I wouldn’t be too worried about this.

 

[powerstuck]

I mean, I personnally discovered the game was outdoors while looking to watch something else between two periods of another game.

Not sure many people outside of Avs and LAK fans knew the game was even outdoors.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

Horrific idea to have it up against NBA All-Star Night and it was also up against Boxing on FOX which got higher ratings as well. Luckily, the one in Carolina next season is a week after the NBA All-Star Weekend.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Two terrible hockey markets. Two teams without a household name. Plus the novelty factor of these outdoor games ended about ten years ago. Not a surprising number.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Two terrible hockey markets. Two teams without a household name. Plus the novelty factor of these outdoor games ended about ten years ago. Not a surprising number.

Terrible hockey markets? Are you serious?


But yea, outdoor games been overdone.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Two terrible hockey markets.

Colorado's not a terrible hockey market.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Two terrible hockey markets. Two teams without a household name. Plus the novelty factor of these outdoor games ended about ten years ago. Not a surprising number.

You either have absolutely no idea what you're talking about or you're trolling. Either way, it's sad.

Los Angeles is the 6th highest NHL team in terms of value as well as operating income. California is barely out of the Top 5 in USA Hockey registration numbers, beating out many traditional hockey markets. It's taken a while of them being one of the worst teams in the league for attendance to be below Staples Center's capacity. That's a good hockey market.

Colorado still holds the NHL record for longest sellout streak, which lasted longer than a decade. Attendance is regularly Top 10 and occasionally Top 5 in the league. Denver also has University of Denver, one of the most successful programs in the history of NCAA D1 with one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in college hockey. Not far away, they also have two very well followed NCAA D1 programs in Colorado College and the Air Force Academy. Youth participation is just barely out of the Top 10, and that's despite the team only being in existence for less than 30 years and being in a state already known for outdoor sports. Colorado is an excellent hockey market.

They both sure beat the heck out of New Orleans, Halifax, and whatever other puerile suggestions that some people have put forward.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Colorado's not a terrible hockey market.

It's absolutely a terrible hockey market. Can't sellout for a cup caliber team. Terrible t.v. ratings.

 

[DREGER21]

Didn't even know that game was happening.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Stick to the Winter Classic in the US and the Heritage Classic in Canada.

Two games are PLENTY.

Heritage Classic is every other year. I'd like to see a US team as the visitor one year. There's been Canadian teams in the Winter Classic.

I think the Stadium Series shouldn't be every season but it gives nontraditional markets the opportunity to host a game and it isn't for big TV ratings.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

Terrible t.v. ratings.

Well someone sure has a finger on the pulse of Colorado




So ignorant.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

This was destined to be the worst as soon as they made the foolish decision to pick the Kings. Everyone knew they were rebuilding, and there's zero meaningful history between the two teams.