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While several moves have been made, Steve Yzerman has managed to keep a minimal amount of long term deals. The flexibility this brings in each of the next couple off seasons may prove to be invaluable. Teams still have to shed dollars (TB has 3 million in cap space and only 18 players signed with a stud Dman in need of a raise) and more moves before the coming season are inevitable.
post season ratings have been a subject I’ve spoken about several times. My guesstimate stands that the NHL lost somewhere around 250 million this offseason between having no ticket sales and added expenses. Today it was announced that ratings were down “as much as” 60%. To quote Jack Sparrow, “that’s more than less than unhelpful”. The language is intentionally confusing. It’s clear there is enough information to say what the average loss of viewership was (which I’ll guess is darn close to that 60%) but this language makes it sound like this was the “extreme” low as opposed to the average.
The theories from player agent Allan Walsh? We need more focus on the players. Not a shocking suggestion from someone whose job is to promote players. If we would only focus on them more it would have brought back the fans that dropped off. That number suggests that more than the casual post season fan decided not to watch. On a topic I try fervently to avoid, there was a definite impact on viewership that revolved around some of the political moves made by players and teams. It’s the elephant on the ice, and gets little to no attention.
Yes, players have the right to express themselves and what is important. The in game and on ice participation is what turns fans away. The Dallas Stars saw a “wave” of season tickets being cancelled, and I’ve heard from many fans who just stopped watching. The “core” fan loves the game. Yes, players drive the machine (especially with fantasy hockey) but when the hostile world of the political seeps in, lifelong fans walk away. The games are a break, an escape. I’ve heard from some who feel that the game will never come back for them. The praise of hockey players has been the selfless commitment (always we, never me was an actual commercial spot) to the sport and each other. The NBA actually announced that there won’t be any more “on the court” political demonstrations after a more than 70% drop in viewership. North American Pro sports stand on a razor’s edge that saw people leave and admit they didn’t really miss it. If the teams and players don’t take a look at trying to get those fans back, I’m not sure what the future holds.
If ticket sales comprise 50% of revenue (and there were none) and Television the other major component, the total number could be more than a 70% drop in post season revenues. That is not good. The current plans include exploring a “temporary bubble” system where teams will stay for around 12 days and then return home. Temporary realignment is being seriously considered. There’s almost no way to balance out those revenues. The west coast US viewership during the regular season don’t touch the north east and Canadian markets. A Canada only league will be the stud of the group. Original six teams will probably carry whatever division they fall in for the US group. Falloff is unavoidable.
Enter the ECHL. This league is pushing forward and it seems to be the “guinea pig” for other leagues. The salaries are lower, and so it is a fraction of the cost to test the current theories. An adjustment is being made that only NHL players on their ELC would be eligible to play in the “low minors”. This seems like a push to protect some young prospects. Injuries overseas have already become an issue, and young (inexpensive) talent is the current golden goose for GMs.
I find myself a bit wide-eyed at the whole situation. A bubble situation essentially wipes out season ticket revenues for whatever clubs aren’t “hosting”. It’s a complete wash if there are no fans in the seats at all. TV deals will fade drastically, as will local advertising. At this point, any season at all still feels a bit “pie in the sky”. Empty arenas can’t pay their bills, and some teams have much smaller pockets than others. No matter how many times I throw the numbers at the wall I can’t get them to stick. It feels like major changes that aren’t being addressed are still coming.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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