UPDATED 5/25 -Wayne Gretzky joining TNT’s NHL coverage after leaving Oilers post

[flying v 604]

Unfortunately, majority of players are terrible on camera. PK Subban seems to be the only one that is interesting on air and has a promising career after hanging up the skates.

I think Kevin Bieksa is excellent and not only has interesting stories but breaks down the game in a way that is easily understood and articulated well. Not sure of his contract but ESPN should target him.

 

[jkrdevil]

Hmmm....in America, I'm not too sure that Gretzky even resonates at all with younger sports fans who aren't hockey fans already.

So maybe no use for ESPN or TNT even having him in hopes of luring a young non-hockey audience, who likely doesn't even know who he is, especially in non NHL cities.

Remember....he hardly had any U.S. network or even ESPN games for much of his early career. When he arrived in LA, NHL was no longer on ESPN. Can't recall when it returned, but at least by 1994, the Rangers won the Cup on ESPN -- but still not network tv!

If one reads the Page Six gossip section in the NY Post, some or most younger people may think, "Oh, he's Paulina's father...right?"

NHL returned to ESPN for 92-93, so it carried the Kings-Habs final that year.

But I think hiring Gretzky is more let’s have a big name that appeal to youth. As you mentioned his career finished over 20 years ago. I’m going to be 34 next month and I don’t really remember the last time he was in the final in 1993.

 

[Marshmallow Man]

Hmmm....in America, I'm not too sure that Gretzky even resonates at all with younger sports fans who aren't hockey fans already.

So maybe no use for ESPN or TNT even having him in hopes of luring a young non-hockey audience, who likely doesn't even know who he is, especially in non NHL cities.

Remember....he hardly had any U.S. network or even ESPN games for much of his early career. When he arrived in LA, NHL was no longer on ESPN. Can't recall when it returned, but at least by 1994, the Rangers won the Cup on ESPN -- but still not network tv!

If one reads the Page Six gossip section in the NY Post, some or most younger people may think, "Oh, he's Paulina's father...right?"

Even in 2021, the name Gretzky would be the first name most Americans would answer if asked to name a NHL player. Nobody else would even be a remotely close second place.

 

[StreetHawk]

Even in 2021, the name Gretzky would be the first name most Americans would answer if asked to name a NHL player. Nobody else would even be a remotely close second place.

Sadly this is probably true.

 

[Bostonzamboni]

Sadly this is probably true.

Even in 2021, the name Gretzky would be the first name most Americans would answer if asked to name a NHL player. Nobody else would even be a remotely close second place.

I wonder if Gretzky had spent his whole career in Edmonton if he'd be much less recognizable to Americans nowadays.

At least he eventually made it to LA, NY and St. Louis. Never was able to win a cup with an American team -- but I guess that didn't hinder his popularity too, too much in the long run. It likely helped he married an actress and hosted an SNL show after arriving in LA.

Now, if Auston Matthews and Conor McDavid never leave a Canadian franchise, will they remain relatively anonymous to sports fans in parts or most of America their entire career? Yes, Toronto is a huge city, of course, but still doesn't resonate with some or most Americans; I feel most couldn't locate it on a US-Canada map despite plenty of internet and social media versus a generation ago. Ask an average American which time zone or which major American city is near it...probably doesn't know or care. Some may confuse Torino with Toronto? (I'm American-born with Canadian roots, but never lived in Canada, but have visited relatives many times, so I think I have a good sense of many Americans awareness of Canada. We don't even have full knowledge of America in some cases. Tom Brady didn't know where New England was when drafted. I feel many Americans can't name the six New England states and/or maybe can't locate it on a map?).

And Conor McDavid sounds too much like Conner (?) McGregor...very hard to market someone in Canada with such a similar last name to a world-famous fighter.

If McDavid and Matthews had a recognizable nickname by now, or distinctive first name like Kyrie, LeBron, Zion, etc., then we could casually refer to them by that one name for marketing purposes. I'm not even sure how to spell McDavid's first name without looking it up, as Conor can have various spellings; same with McDavid vs. a MacDavid. (At least I realize by now that Auston Matthews is not spelled like Austin, Texas.)

...

Hmmm...okay, I just found out it's spelled "Connor" McDavid.

 

[jkrdevil]

It is a different media environment now than in the 80’s. Things are more national/international expanding a player’s reach even if they aren’t in a big market. When Gretzky was in Edmonton you were basically confined to your local team and that was it. You only saw him when he came to town. League wide coverage was cable based, which was in far far fewer homes than now (I believe cable penetration overall then is less then what NHL Network alone is now). There are no internet, and there were hardly any international tournaments.

 

[Yukon Joe]

It is a different media environment now than in the 80’s. Things are more national/international expanding a player’s reach even if they aren’t in a big market. When Gretzky was in Edmonton you were basically confined to your local team and that was it. You only saw him when he came to town. League wide coverage was cable based, which was in far far fewer homes than now (I believe cable penetration overall then is less then what NHL Network alone is now). There are no internet, and there were hardly any international tournaments.

While true, but it misses how very differently we consumed sports back then. Watching games on tv (regular season) was more rare, so instead you'd read about the game the next day in the newspaper.

 

[Yukon Joe]

I wonder if Gretzky had spent his whole career in Edmonton if he'd be much less recognizable to Americans nowadays.

At least he eventually made it to LA, NY and St. Louis. Never was able to win a cup with an American team -- but I guess that didn't hinder his popularity too, too much in the long run. It likely helped he married an actress and hosted an SNL show after arriving in LA.

Wayne Gretzky was already a huge international star before he went to LA (he also married Janet earlier the same summer he was traded).

It wasn't that LA made Gretzky a star - but rather that Gretzky suddenly made the Kings popular.

To go back an earlier generation, vanishingly few north americans would have ever watched Pele play soccer - but everyone knew he was the greatest to play the game at the time.

 

[WeaponOfChoice]

He's a heck of a hockey player, hehehehe

 

[jkrdevil]

Ryan Callahan to ESPN in a dual studio/game role...

 

[edog37]

Hmmm....in America, I'm not too sure that Gretzky even resonates at all with younger sports fans who aren't hockey fans already.

So maybe no use for ESPN or TNT even having him in hopes of luring a young non-hockey audience, who likely doesn't even know who he is, especially in non NHL cities.

Remember....he hardly had any U.S. network or even ESPN games for much of his early career. When he arrived in LA, NHL was no longer on ESPN. Can't recall when it returned, but at least by 1994, the Rangers won the Cup on ESPN -- but still not network tv!

If one reads the Page Six gossip section in the NY Post, some or most younger people may think, "Oh, he's Paulina's father...right?"

all the more reason to grow the bench rather than just recycle.

 

[Habsfan18]

Gretzky exits Oilers; TV job up next, sources say

 

[Fenway]

Wayne Gretzky joining TNT's NHL coverage

The Great One is headed to TNT, The Post has learned.

Wayne Gretzky will be a lead analyst on Turner’s premier studio show after agreeing to a contract that will pay him in the neighborhood of $3 million per season, according to sources.

 

[The Best Leafs Ever]

Good for him to rid himself off that trainwreck before it was too late.

 

[DuckyGirard]

PK is perfect for a "First Take" like shows,




Yeah agreed - he really needs to bring it from an analtical side definitely not personality.

As someone who hates nearly every bobble head I really like PK.

Him being Canadian makes him easy to sell on both sides of the border.

I went through a brief period of time where I thought he got lazy and was calling it in, until I realized the guys a good bit older than I remembered.

 

[DuckyGirard]

You make it look like his decision to step aside. If he does decide to do it, I think it will end up being a 1 year and done. I can’t see Gretzky being critical of anyone, and if you aren’t then you can’t really do the job.

This is why you need a don cherry type to be his hyperbolic counterpoint.

It's such an obvious set up, his positive relaxed personality would feed off the tension created by a less knowledgeable more negative/emotional type.

 

[LadyStanley]

Eddie Olczyk on NHL Now (NHLN- US) today. He's the TNT "lead analyst" with Eddie Albert .

 

[He Lied to Mario]

Eddie Olczyk on NHL Now (NHLN- US) today. He's the TNT "lead analyst" with Eddie Albert .

But where is Eva Gabor going to end up?

 

[Jetsfan79]

3mill a year to work part time to talk about hockey is sweet deal for the Great One

 

[BigZ65]

It is a different media environment now than in the 80’s. Things are more national/international expanding a player’s reach even if they aren’t in a big market. When Gretzky was in Edmonton you were basically confined to your local team and that was it. You only saw him when he came to town. League wide coverage was cable based, which was in far far fewer homes than now (I believe cable penetration overall then is less then what NHL Network alone is now). There are no internet, and there were hardly any international tournaments.

To add, ESPN taking over is huge. Read today that they will likely cover the NHL Draft. If it's even 75% of the hype they give NFL/NBA drafts that's where those stars in the US market are born. Plus the highlights play constantly everywhere, ESPN is the go-to background viewing so if they actually give the NHL lots of attention and analysis the NHL stars will just become stars in general