How can the NHL make hockey more appealing and increase its fan base?

Question

The NHL is floundering. With the exception of a few bright stars ratings are not climbing. Hockey is a distant fifth in peoples minds for sports entertainment.

There are fights and highlights and a game speed second to only nascar.

Are the rules to complex? does the game have too many dimensions? What does the NHL need to do to win you over?

Answer 1

Really it is better then the begginning of the season here (St.Louis) it is no where near as popular a Baseball or Football but St. Louis does have a loyal fan base that sticks with it. as for how we can help the entire NHL from floundering more so then it already is there are a combination of things that could help... (A few of these the Blues recently started or have done for many years)

1. Get the players out in the community. Fans love to meet their favorite players or just a frendly face. Have them visit Hospitals (Exspecially children's Hospitals), pass out Tootsee rolls in on street Corners to help raise money for an organization. (Much like the Firemen and the KCs do) Host days where players visit local rinks and help kids learn about the game.

2. More Air time on T.V. and Radio. if you hear about it enough there is a chance you can get people interested. Billboards use the Media to it's peak... exspecially the internet.

3. Give Family discounts on specific games. Add "Rivalry" games in there to you can't just expect families to choose a game that might not be as exciting as a Rivalry game (Ex. Blues vs. Hawks, Blues vs. Wings) include concessions for this aswell.

4. Student discounts. Any one with a High School or College id can buy a certian area ticket for a reasonable price. (Ex. This week in St. Louis all High School or College kids can get a $100 seat for $20.)

really i think that if the NHL promotes to it's capasity and reaches out to the community (Exspecally kids) it can grow. there are a few things that might still need to be tweaked but i think that as long as it contiues to try and move foward and still stay true to the Sports traditions and roots it can prosper.

Answer 2

Very simply - by leaving it alone.

Mr. Bettman needs to be stopped. Before he turns the NHL into the NBA.

Even the bright spots in the league are obscured by horrible decisions made in the NHL office. The changes in the schedule, the moving of the All-Star game, the owner-initiated lockout...I think I'm starting to sound like a broken record...all were terrible decisions, all probably lost the sport some fans.

The rules aren't complex, they're just changed too often nowadays to keep up. The game isn't too dimensional, actually, we've lost the opportunity for more by not allowing all the teams to play each other every year.

I'm won over....I love this game. I'm not going anywhere, in spite of everything Mr. Bettman is doing to drive me away.

Answer 3

The #1 thing is get rid of Bettman. Then stop trying to push hockey down the throats of non-hockey cities and either delete a few or move them north. With the cap in place, hockey can thrive in a place like Winnepeg and they have a new arena. Then, somehow, someway, get a deal back in place with ESPN. Then stop changing the game, too much change in too short a period already.
Maybe the rules are too complex for non-hockey cities but let's face it, NFL rules are much more complex so that is not an issue.
Also, if hockey is a distant fifth, then what is fourth? Just out of curiousity. Of course you have NFL-MLB-NBA but what exactly do you have them a distant 5th behind?

Answer 4

i do not think the rules are to complex,i think it is one of the easiest games to learn the rules.they need more games on regular tv not just espn because not everyone has cable.have the commercials air on regular tv not just center ice or vs but cbs nbc or abc fox.i think the teams already do community service,but maybe they should try something like free food at one game(people love free stuff especially food).the local minor league team where i am from did things like people for habitat(it would always make front page news)they would have a skate with the kids after some of the games,they would skate with the kids(not only kids but mostly kids)after a practice,they had fan appreciation day where they would have a big picnic,they had a big party at a local wings place so the fans could meet the team all of this drew attention and in return more people came to the games

Answer 5

Of the 29 different communities interior the league i might might desire to fee Montreal and Philadelphia followers between the main stressful. Philadelphia followers particularly start to resemble the huge highway Bullies. Loud, obnoxious, and belligerent. yet surely maximum are hockey imbeciles. No information of the interest and a super wealthy proprietor who has been the greater proper situation interior the NHL for the previous 8 years. His contracts are why the NHL and NHLPA are battling this lockout. Montreal followers have lived a loophole in NHL rules to 24 Stanley Cups and faux that like quite a few Quebecois that the international owes all of them this and greater. with the aid of fact the outcomes of the Quebec exclusivity and the Sammy Pollock theft of draft possibilities has worn off Montreal has merely gained one cup. and that they gained that on a Gretzky extreme stick.

Answer 6

A primary component of getting fans is having people play the game.

All other more popular sports can be played outside at minimal cost but unless you live in the northern US or Canada this is not the case for hockey.

Hockey can be a profitable spectator sport in the majority of the US but cannot compete for fan base with the top four.

Sorry,

A realist who loves the game.
Go Flames!

Answer 7

the NHL needs to drop teams out of the league and bring it down to 24 teams league. you would have more super stars on each team then the 1 or 2 they have now just like back in the 80's they had 5 or more super stars per team and the teams where scoring over 300 goals a season compare to today's having a hard time cutting the 300 mark, we may not even see a team make the 300 mark this season. take 6 teams out that are losing money. Anaheim, you would have these guy's available Beauchemin, Giguere, Kunitz, Niedermayer, Pronger, Selanne. then San Jose you would have these guy's Carle, Cheechoo, Guerin, Marleau, Rivet, Thornton, Nabokov, Toskala, then Phoenix you would have Doan, Jovanovski, then Columbus you would have Fedorov, Hainsey, Foote, Nash, Vyborny, Zherdev, Fritsche, then Florida you would have Bouwmeester, Gelinas, Jokinen, Salei, Stumpel, then Atlanta you would have de Vries, Hossa, Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Lehtonen, Mellanby, Tkachuk, so there's to name a few and how many is that that are 37 free players that can go to any other team and help out offensively and make the scoring higher so that would be one be help.


GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Answer 8

I bet he's referring to NASCAR as top 4.

Basically, it just needs exposure. Currently there is next to none in America. The Vs. network tries, but it's the Vs. network for crying out loud. I don't think I've ever seen NBC advertise it's games during broadcasts that aren't hockey games, either. You don't see nearly as many commercials featuring hockey stars as you do for other sports, and in those other sports the stars are made out to be these really awesome guys whereas in hockey they are made out to be comedians or goofs.

Answer 9

How about spending some serious money on youth hockey programs? This would include arenas, lessons/camps, leagues and equipment with special funding for low-income families.

This move would break down socio-economic barriers and cause trans-generational interest in the sport.

Answer 10

they need to not just talk about this, and SAY that they are doing this, but actually DO this...be more strict on the groping and holding. a clean check is allowed, but contact away from the puck should be a minor. they're on the right track w/ the rules that they put in this year, but this is the final step. until they do this, it won't be exciting and attract a larger audience. the shootout to get out of a tie is a good idea. keep fighting. but keep the honor. dirty players should get penalized HARD. or else the league will turn into the thug leages NBA/NFL/MLB where there is little/no honor.