I must admit I don't watch many non red wings games (not that I can because they aren't on TV anyway)...but how can you have an all star game not be on ESPN or local TV? That's crazy. The all star game tomorrow is on CBC and Versus. There's more WNBA games on TV than NHL. This is really sad IMO. I can understand not having a lot of regular season games on because the popularity has slipped, but no all star game? So ESPN would rather show Depaul and Georgetown basketball? Huh?

I used to really enjoy the skills competition when Federov was in the hardest shot and speed competition, Yzerman was involved in the target contest (as a passer), etc. The NHL isn't doing itself any favors by not having this thing on NBC or something.

Agreed. In my opinion, they should have just given the tv rights to ESPN after the lockout for 2 or 3 years. They got 200 million over three years from VS. That sounds like alot but really it's only like 2.5 million a year per team. That's peanuts in this day and age. That's a third line winger.

They should of just given it to ESPN to try and re-grow the game. The game right now with all the rule changes is as exciting as it's been since the 80s but nobody sees it because it's on the godamned fishing channel.

Please change the thread title, though, because they're not getting shafted -- they brought this upon themselves....

i changed it to the fans getting shafted.

Apparently ESPN is in no rush to carry the NHL. I heard that at best they only wanted to show a few games, and on ESPN2 to boot!

Also, the NHL feels a certain sense of loyalty to Versus for stepping up and basically being the only real television partner south of the border for hockey.

the problem is that versus is only on the top package of dish network. I'm not sure whether comcast or wow carries them either.

IBTNHLGU

In Before The NHL Goes Under?

That was too easy.

I should have went with IBTNHLGUAWHTDSDWTF

Apparently ESPN is in no rush to carry the NHL. I heard that at best they only wanted to show a few games, and on ESPN2 to boot!

Also, the NHL feels a certain sense of loyalty to Versus for stepping up and basically being the only real television partner south of the border for hockey.

Yeah, I've heard the whole NHL company line about how versus is going to market them better, etc, but when the hell is that going to happen? They only have games on Mondays (which up till now was going up against MNF) and occasional Tuesdays. How about a "hockey tonight" highlight show every night? Heck, how about a game every night? It's not like the BBQ cookoff or whatever the hell they're showing instead can't be postponed.

The key to me is, VS is great for the hardcore hockey fans, but they're going to watch hockey no matter what channel it's on. VS kills them by completely eliminating the casual fans from the equation. I don't know about the rest of you but when I turn on the TV for some casual "channel-flipping", I check out FOX, HBO, TNT, TBS, ESPN, ESPN2 and the like. I never randomly go, "Hey, let's see what's on VS". If the NHL ever wants to grow the fanbase, they need to get the product back into the consumers' eyes, and I just don't see that happening on VS.

NHL Fans Getting Shafted:
It probably costs $200.00 to take a family of four to a hockey game, and you guys are worried about TV?
To the NHL fan getting shafted: Take a number behind the fan of every other sport, and, you can always say "No".

Holy shit I actually get VS and didnt even know it. Guess I will be watching the game. Ive probably missed a few Wings games by now eh? At least for future reference I can check the channel. Im sick of 800 channels though, I dont even know what I have.

That was too easy.

I should have went with IBTNHLGUAWHTDSDWTF
In before the NHL goes under and we have to do some destruction with tortured fans? [smilie=amish.gif]

In before the NHL goes under and we have to do some destruction with tortured fans? [smilie=amish.gif]

...something different with this forum.

I watched sports center this morning and they spent about 5 seconds on the All Star game, and it was about half way thru the broadcast too. They didn't even show who scored, just the total. No highlights either. It's amazing.

There are reports that the ratings on CBC in Canada are even suffering.

If that is not a sign of trouble, then I don't know what is.

Hockey ratings in Canada is almost as disastrous as Porn ratings in America being down.
The NHL is in trouble.

I didn't even realize it was last night until I saw a 2 second highlight on Around The Horn.

I didn't realize it was wednesday until I the day before, and I watch the Wings a couple times a week. They don't promote it at all. I heard Idol got 3 million viewers that night, anyone hear what the NHL All Star game got?

Far be from me to suggest there wasn't a shred of defense played in the NHL All-Star Game - West 12, East 9 - but I sensed more physical contact in the Kidd household.