This just in: The Winter Classic drew the largest television audience for an NHL regular-season game since 1975, according to ratings released today by NBC.
It's big news for a sport lagging behind others on a national level and hoping to land a major broadcast deal perhaps in the next few years with national sports leader ESPN.
The stat also speaks volumes of the resurgence of hockey in the city of Chicago. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Kris Versteeg and other sharp-shooting youngsters have brought star power to the Windy City. Goaltending has been solid, the defense has contributed offensively, and head coach Joel Quenneville has done the rest since taking over Denis Savard.
And who says the sport is dead in the United States? Approximately 4.4 million viewers tuned in, per NBC, the largest total since a New York Rangers-Philadelphia Flyers regular season match-up on Feb. 23, 1975.
Hockey has gotten a bad wrap in the U.S. in recent memory between the Jarko Ruutu-Andrew Peters biting incident in Buffalo and the dispicable tactics of Sean Avery. An event as magical as Jan. 1's contest at Wrigley Field helped a little, and news of these ratings will help a lot more, especially on the business table as the NHL negotiates sponsorships for Jan. 1, 2010 and future television deals.
The sport has a ways to go, most worrisome is the increasing trend of low-scoring games (Americans like points, hence the fantasy crazy), but it is making positive strides and this is another one.
Hawks' Notes: Chicago bounced back from two consecutive losses with a 3-1 win at the United Center Sunday night. They're back in action Wednesday at 7:30 when they'll host my hometown team the Buffalo Sabres, who have won four of their last five. I'll be attending that game and will try to get some video and photos to post later. Early indications are the goaltenders will be Cristobal Huet for the Hawks and former Blackhawk Patrick Lalime for the Sabres, though that could change. It will also be defenseman Brian Campbell's first game against his old team.
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Craig Kanalley
Craig is a native of Buffalo, N.Y., home of the chicken wing, frigid winters, the Sabres and the Bills. He is a major league sports fan and most closely follows hockey. More
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While the NHL is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance in some areas, it's withering in many, especially across the Southern US.
One big problem is that Bettman has overexpanded the league, in order to secure franchise fees. Another is that he's never understood the importance of proper television exposure, as evidenced by the current contract with Versus.
Still, it's nice that at least we have the Hawks back on the hockey radar.
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