I think Washington vs. Phoenix would be far worse.
Yes you have the Ovechkin pull but Washington in general
One of the lowest rated Super Bowls to date was the Redskins vs. Bills. And not because the Skins were expected to win ( it wasn't as lopsided pre-game as it turned out to be ).
Washington is a very neutral geographic zone. It's not quite Eastern or Mid-West.
If anyone knows the ratings for the Wings vs. Caps final in 98, that would be very helpful. If the ratings in that game were low then we can assume Washington vs. Phoenix would be the lowest rated of the remaining possibilities. That and Washington plays a more defensive game than Jersey as of now.
Yea the league has a fixed revenue stream from NBC regardless of viewers.
Btw, maybe I am a homer but the Devils seem like one of the most interesting teams atm. We are the most aggressive team left in the playoffs so defensive is no excuse and between the Kovalchuk fiasco, the failure last season, financial issues, and Parise as an upcoming UFA; I can't think of another team with so many story lines.
Forgot Brodeur; last chance to go out on top possibly.
for pennies on the dollar - 140M. Not sure exactly how it works or who/what incurs the team's debts. I just found the whole Kovalchuk thing a little strange with the team's financial crisis and impending UFA Parise
Pretty sure the debt was from the money they borrowed to build the arena. You never know though... could be mafia costs
If the Devils make the Final, you'd better believe NBC would be touting "Zach Parise, American Hero" as much as they can. And they might actually get some play with that.
That would be exactly what happens. I've already been calling him Captain America for awhile now, playing off the recent Avengers popularity.
I think Washington vs. Phoenix would be far worse.
Yes you have the Ovechkin pull but Washington in general
One of the lowest rated Super Bowls to date was the Redskins vs. Bills. And not because the Skins were expected to win ( it wasn't as lopsided pre-game as it turned out to be ).
Washington is a very neutral geographic zone. It's not quite Eastern or Mid-West.
If anyone knows the ratings for the Wings vs. Caps final in 98, that would be very helpful. If the ratings in that game were low then we can assume Washington vs. Phoenix would be the lowest rated of the remaining possibilities. That and Washington plays a more defensive game than Jersey as of now.
considering the geographic location of washington I dont see how it could be anything other than eastern.
It's not always ALL about the ratings. The NHL wants to grow the game in the States and both teams could benefit from a bump in fan support and buzz with their teams going to the SC final. Back in the early 00 era when the Devils won a couple cups, they had a damn good fan base. The team received a huge boost when the moved to the Prudential Centre, but have yet to enjoy any playoff success in the building until this season so it's a huge positive for them. Don't even have to really touch on Phoenix, just a dream season in every way. You're seeing at home games that there really is an interest for hockey in Arizona, they just need something to get behind....it's far from unconditional support and that shouldn't be surprising based on the climate and the pecking order of sports teams there. But now with the news that a sale is lined up to keep Phoenix around, they're doing well financially and getting good buzz around the league.
The hockey may not be the most exciting, and yes the ratings would suck, but it would be a very positive thing for the NHL if NJ/Phoenix ended up meeting in the SCF.
I'm a hockey fan. I'll watch any Stanley Cup Finals game regardless of who is playing. Not my job to worry about ratings, and the league already got their money from NBC, correct?
Why didn't Nashville win a Cup when they were in danger? Why isn't Columbus in the playoffs every year if the League fixes games so that clubs can become healthier? Florida has made the playoffs how many times since the lockout? How far did they go again? Atlanta moved after no success in the playoffs.
The NHL heads may hope that Phoenix wins so that another franchise becomes healthier (theoretically), but to turn that into a conspiracy theory is a HUGE leap.
Winning a Cup doesn't save a franchise. The risk the NHL would take to fix it so the Coyotes can win is not worth it. We're talking about a scandal that would effectively destroy the league if it ever came out, and everything comes out eventually.
It maybe be a potential disaster for TV ratings but it may also be good for the league in the grand scheme of things. While a lot of hardcore fans may not watch a lot of new fans will be tuning in and hopefully get attached.
While I can't stand the Devils it's the Stanley Cup Finals and I will enjoy it either way.
1996: Colorado vs Florida
1999: Dallas vs Buffalo
2003: Anaheim vs NJ
2006: Edmonton vs Carolina
2007: Anaheim vs Ottawa
So what if one or both finalists are small hockey markets, it's still a SCF and it's not going to destroy the NHL.
Nicely argued. I'm not an expert on the business aspect of the NHL, but it is my impression the League is healthier now than it has ever been (or close to it). Obviously those supposed less-than-favorable match ups haven't hurt anything.
New York-Los Angeles would shatter all NHL ratings records.
The matchup doesn't guarantee anything but it would definitely have a lot of potentional considering how large the populations of both areas are. That's a lot of local viewers that can be attracted.
In any case, NHL has their TV deal in place so I don't see any reason why any fan should care about the ratings of any particular match-up if not to take a shot at particular fanbases and their appeal. A Devils/Yotes final will not bankrupt the league nor will it to cause legal controversy that would jeopadrize any current contracts in place. So again, why do fans care? Just enjoy the hockey. It's not our job to worry about the business.
Due to the Devils-Flyers series being a division rivalry. And 90% of those in-market viewers were Philly fans and Rangers fans just watching and enjoying the teams hurting each other.
This. If anyone actually believes that was anything other than people wanting to see Philly go crazy again, they're being silly.
And no, I'm not a bitter NYR fan looking to insult NJ for fun. I'm one of the few who just doesn't give a damn about it either way. In fact, if they're in for the cup I'll be cheering them on.
