Hockey is usually in the local daily news for all the wrong reasons – at least in the United States.

Here are the top 5 reasons hockey appears at the bottom of U.S. Sports daily news:

First, the National Hockey League has yet to attract a significant hardcore fan base in the United States. How can it expect to compete against the likes of the money-printing factory called the NFL? Not far behind in its popularity and stature is the no-longer fledgling UFC. Both of these sports have cemented themselves in the all important 18 to 35 year old male sports fan category and do not appear to be losing any ground.

The NHL is primarily a gate-driven revenue model, meaning, the majority of its dollars are earned via ticket sales, plus some merchandising revenue. However, both the NFL and UFC are merchandising behemoths. It seems at every restaurant or watering hole one goes to on a Friday night, the accepted dress code now includes an NFL jersey or a UFC shirt! The NHL just isn’t sexy enough. There aren’t as many beer commercials with Bud girls wearing hot pink pumps.

Second, the perception still persists among casual hockey fans that hockey is too violent. Canadian daily local news coverage of hockey spotlights goals and goalie saves more so than American media coverage. Hockey fighting is given a more negative tone by U.S. media. One could argue that the UFC is much more grotesque in its offering but the UFC has done a masterful job in portraying itself as the close hybrid cousin to martial arts, a disciplined and honourable pursuit by real athletes and not bullies and thugs – think Bruce Lee.

Perhaps the NHL should take a page out of the UFC’s marketing mantra and consistently educate its prospective fan base about the ‘code of honour’ that existed ever since hockey’s original six teams first played. Not unlike an incoming fast ball high and tight for some chin music, or, an errant elbow or push on a layup, hockey pugilism also has its place to maintain, ironically, integrity in its sport.

Third, concussions stymies hockey at every level so media coverage can’t help but be negative. Bigger, faster, and more agile players are launching themselves at each other with ever greater force and the results are devastating.
Intertwined with the concussion issue is the relationship hockey fights have on the mental health of players. Canada’s top junior hockey league is now discussing very seriously the possibility of removing certain fighting from its league. For example, ‘staged fighting’ where players invite one another to fight to motivate their respective teams, or create energy for the fans in attendance is on the chopping block. It did not help that the summer of 2011 saw the passing of three NHLers who were all recognized ‘enforcers’ for their teams.

Fourth, the regional nature of grassroots hockey in the U.S. is very distinct, resulting in limited regional, not national, media coverage. Southern California, Michigan, Maine and Ohio are the hockey hubs for youth hockey whereas almost every province of Canada has hockey at every level and age group. The NCAA’s hockey version of the Final Four, the Frozen Four, has proven itself to be a terrific marketing vehicle and though the NCAA provides a wealth of players to the pro ranks, they are often considered a lower tiered feeder system than Canada’s Canadian Hockey League (CHL). This regionalism pervades the big league as well. The financial failures of ‘Sunbelt’ NHL franchises like Phoenix and Atlanta along with tumbling attendance numbers in Dallas and Columbus reflect the Bettman-made Koolaid forced upon hockey fans for several years now.

Fifth, affordability remains the largest stumbling block for the development of youth hockey. It is much easier for kids to run on a field, or play on a court, than skate on a rink. Therefore, hockey lacks the national notoriety at the youth level like U.S. high school football and basketball have attained. However, In typical American style, money has been poured into hockey for the last 30 years and just like soccer in the U.S., hockey has developed relatively quickly. U.S.A. Hockey has championed the sport’s rapid rise to prominence in the past decade. The high school hockey scene is in fact larger in the U.S. than in Canada and this bodes well for future American hockey prospects.

For further information, please visit http://www.puckprospect.com
Media Contact
Stuart Eng
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