[blueandwhite]

sad to hear. The early Saturday night game on CBC is down by 19%.
They say it's a combination of many things. the Leafs not making the playoffs last year made people turn away, having such lowered expectations.
Vancouver canucks didn't fare well either, and apparently they didn't have a Saturday night game this season until Nov 4. That's insane. saturday night in Canada is hockey night in Canada.
The third point I agree with - teams are playing the same teams too much. I am getting bored of the Boston-Toronto matchups, and there will be more to come. But funnily enough, the 3 Toronto-Montreal games so far have received the highest viewership. So go figure.
I want to see us playing more western division teams. I used to bark about the 9 o'clock games but now I'd take that over the seventh meeting between the Leafs and the Canadiens.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

sad to hear. The early Saturday night game on CBC is down by 19%.
They say it's a combination of many things. the Leafs not making the playoffs last year made people turn away, having such lowered expectations.
Vancouver canucks didn't fare well either, and apparently they didn't have a Saturday night game this season until Nov 4. That's insane. saturday night in Canada is hockey night in Canada.
The third point I agree with - teams are playing the same teams too much. I am getting bored of the Boston-Toronto matchups, and there will be more to come. But funnily enough, the 3 Toronto-Montreal games so far have received the highest viewership. So go figure.
I want to see us playing more western division teams. I used to bark about the 9 o'clock games but now I'd take that over the seventh meeting between the Leafs and the Canadiens.

So what are people doing up there with all that extra free time?

[soriano33]

People in Canada withdrawing from viewing hockey???What! Thats crazy. It really is the NHL's fault though. Where are the advertisements? The only one I can think of is the Sidney Crosby in the dudes bathroom one. Most people who see that commercial dont even know who he is which is a shame. I see enough Monday night football commercials to make me want to hurl, why cant the NHL throw out some TV ads? It makes me so mad, I wish the NHL could grab America like it has in Buffalo. I cant go to anybodys house on a game night and find the TV on anything but Sabres game night. Maybe the schedule is too repetitive?

[blueandwhite]

I think so, yeah - that seems the worst for me. I mean, I love Buffalo but come on - 8 times?
And Gotham - i think maybe we drink beer, eat and make babies instead.

[MJHMarc]

Oh Canada!

[ThePundit]

I'm watching more this year. I've pretty much seen at least some of every Islander game this year. Today they play the 1940 Rangers at 5PM at MSG. Which genius made the game at this time, overlapping the Giants-Cowboys game.

1940 Forever

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

I think so, yeah - that seems the worst for me. I mean, I love Buffalo but come on - 8 times?
And Gotham - i think maybe we drink beer, eat and make babies instead.

Oh. well...then its a competition thing...the NHL is just going up against some tough competition...maybe the games can be background noise during the baby making stage...just a thought...

[blueandwhite]

So while owners mull over the schedule problem, they say that NHL revenues are not "flatlining", they are at "medium growth".
The schedule thing seems to be the focus now. The west wants to see Crosby and Ovechkin and the like more. they see them so little or not at all now.
Same re us. I'd like to see more Selanne and Thornton, Smyth and Iginla.

Also to look at: bracketing (the NBA does it this way). this happens when the No. 8 team plays the No. 1 team; then, in the second round, the winner plays the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 positions. This happens regardless of team 4 or 5 winning. As it is now in the NHL, teams get reseeded after the first round finish based on regular season play.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

So while owners mull over the schedule problem, they say that NHL revenues are not "flatlining", they are at "medium growth".
The schedule thing seems to be the focus now. The west wants to see Crosby and Ovechkin and the like more. they see them so little or not at all now.
Same re us. I'd like to see more Selanne and Thornton, Smyth and Iginla.

Also to look at: bracketing (the NBA does it this way). this happens when the No. 8 team plays the No. 1 team; then, in the second round, the winner plays the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 positions. This happens regardless of team 4 or 5 winning. As it is now in the NHL, teams get reseeded after the first round finish based on regular season play.

Not so sure it would be wise to mess with the schedule...the NHL season is already the second longest in sports (NBA is first)...with the amount of games already schedule, the extra travel of teams going cross country would not yield good results...at some point, the players have to rest...

The NHL schedule is murder compared with Euro schedules where teams I think play about 44 game seasons...

No one is going to contract the playoff schedule either because of lost revenues...

bracketing would only reshuffle things a bit...but I don't think it would make much of an impact on the marketing issues that the NHL is having...

[blueandwhite]

Honestly Gotham - I know the schedule is a killer but in a most selfish way, I would really like to see the leafs play more Western teams. It would make it even more exciting, if you can imagine.
i want to know the western teams, not just hear about them.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

Honestly Gotham - I know the schedule is a killer but in a most selfish way, I would really like to see the leafs play more Western teams. It would make it even more exciting, if you can imagine.
i want to know the western teams, not just hear about them.

It would require a cut back in games, or a cut back on playoff rounds, neither of which they will do...

But now if they had a transporter like in Star Trek...then all bets are off on travel schedule...

The obly way to do it...is to schedule a group of games...sort like a two or three game series...where the team stays in town for a stretch...and then you repeat later in the year at the other teams venue.

[blueandwhite]

That's what they used to do, but no more. At least, though, they are discussing it - the owners, anyway.

[Kasey Kahne 9 fan]

You wanna know why Those TEAMS SUCK!!!!!! There is not one awsome Canadian team. Sabers aren't going down and for some reason Maple Leafs are Hmmm I wonder why?

[Kasey Kahne 9 fan]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

Not so sure it would be wise to mess with the schedule...the NHL season is already the second longest in sports (NBA is first)...with the amount of games already schedule, the extra travel of teams going cross country would not yield good results...at some point, the players have to rest...

The NHL schedule is murder compared with Euro schedules where teams I think play about 44 game seasons...

No one is going to contract the playoff schedule either because of lost revenues...

bracketing would only reshuffle things a bit...but I don't think it would make much of an impact on the marketing issues that the NHL is having...

I'm sorry but there tied for second with the NBA with 82 games MLB doubles that. Now about the playoff thing that is no offence the stupidest way to run a playoff the best should play the worst early thats why you want a number 1 spot to play a #8 team then at the very worst the #4 team . Oh and I'll say it again if a team SUCKS it will have less TV viewers and less people going to the game

[blueandwhite]

Originally Posted by Kasey Kahne 9 fan

You wanna know why Those TEAMS SUCK!!!!!! There is not one awsome Canadian team. Sabers aren't going down and for some reason Maple Leafs are Hmmm I wonder why?

canadian teams don't suck. As a matter of fact, painfully so, we are watching the Senators slowly pick up momentum-Montreal, too. We - the leafs, the senators, the canadiens - are in a hotly contested division always, and it is tough competition, they don't all just suck.
are the leafs sinking right now? am I frustrated? yeah and yeah. Are they all? nope. and it's early. never sell the oilers or the flames short - they will surprise.
and it never matters if the leafs do suck. fans will watch.