Walker's Wait Almost Over
Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun writes today about
Nashville Predator forward Scott Walker, who has played the second-most games in NHL history without a playoff appearance (562). The Cambridge, Ontario native is in the midst of a career season, having scored 58 points (21-36) heading into tonight’s game against the Flames. Preds GM David Poile rewarded Walker’s All-Star performance in February, signing him to a three-year, $6 million contract extension.
Scott Walker has always been one of my favorite players. He caught my eye during the NHL strike season of 1994-95, a time when I spent many of my nights in Providence enjoying some minor-league puck. Walker was toiling
in Syracuse with the Canucks’ farm team, the Crunch. It was a club littered with aggressive players, such as Mike Peca and Alex Stojanov, but Walker always managed to steal the spotlight because his physical style was such a contrast to his diminutive frame.
Walker set a franchise record that season with 334 penalty minutes, a record which stood for the remainder of Vancouver’s affiliation tenure with Syracuse (six seasons). Crunch fans appropriately dubbed the winger “Wild Thing” during his time with the team, a nickname that perfectly reflected his reckless on-ice demeanor and his fearless attitude. The Canucks called up Walker the following season, hoping his rugged play would compliment that of established pugilists Gino Odjick and Tim Hunter.
After spending three years as a tough, fourth-line role player in British Columbia, Walker was selected by the Predators in the 1998 expansion draft. Rookie head coach Barry Trotz essentially doubled his ice-time, and as a result, Walker set career highs in every offensive category during his first season in Tennessee. At the same time, he was able to tame his penchant for engaging in fisticuffs. Realizing he had an opportunity to be more effective while on the ice, Walker set a career-low in penalty minutes with 103 in 98-99, and he has yet to surpass the 100-minute mark since.
Outside of Nashville, Walker seems to be making ink because of his lengthy playoff drought, as opposed to his fantastic season. Regardless, it’s nice to see the 30-year-old winger making quite a name for himself. Walker represents the epitome of a team player, and his recent signing of a contract extension indicates he truly enjoys playing for the Predator organization. Scott’s upbeat attitude regarding the team’s post-season chances bears a striking resemblance to that of a teenage boy, and his dedication to helping the Nashville club maintain long-term success is a breath of fresh air in an age of rampant free-agency.
Should the Predators make the playoffs, odds are the mainstream press will finally take some time to detail the inspiring evolution of Scott Walker as a hockey player. While the acknowledgement is long overdue,
it’s certainly better late than never.
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Teeing Off On Todd
Apparently,
I’m not the only one who is blown away by the less-than critical mainstream media bonanza that has engulfed Todd Bertuzzi this week.
Everyone from
Jim Armstrong to
Ian O'Connor has taken the Canucks winger to task for his brutal attack on Steven Moore this past Monday night, and while the popular media opinion is legitimate, its prevalence indicates you’re only getting one side of the story.
Brian Burke attempted to remind the media yesterday that Steve Moore isn’t the only victim in this equation. Again, by no means am I defending the sinister behavior of Todd Bertuzzi, but I truly believe his being nailed to the cross by the general public and the media is grossly unfair. Burke apparently agrees, as evidenced by
his comments to the press on Thursday:
"What (Bertuzzi) is, is a great hockey player and an excellent human being. Because he is not warm and fuzzy with you, you've taken this opportunity to kick the crap out of him and I think it's been just shameful.
"I don't think people have focused on everything he's done as a player, the excitement and success he's brought to the community and how involved he is in this community. I'm proud to have him on my team and I'm proud to call him my friend."
"You're talking about a quality hockey player who made a mistake."
There’s that word again – mistake. Every human being has the tendency to commit them. Although if you believe everything you read in the mainstream publications, you’d be inclined to think some reporters in this world are indeed holier than thou.
I very much respect Brian Burke’s efforts to defend his player. And make no bones about it – he was defending Todd Bertuzzi as a
person, not his cowardly actions. Since he injured Steve Moore on Monday, Bert has done everything the media asked him to do in order to atone. He apologized publicly to Moore, his family, and the Canucks, while assuming complete responsibility for his behavior. Visibly shaken when he delivered his statement on Wednesday, Bertuzzi stood tall and faced the orchestral crescendo that had been playing in his head for two days, not to mention to flesh-hungry media horde.
Nevertheless, it’s wasn’t enough.
You’d have a difficult time convincing Jim Armstrong and Ian O'Connor that they are in the same league of life as Todd Bertuzzi. After all, these two writers are among the many that are depicting the Canucks power forward as nothing less than an animal, whose split-second bout with irrationality nearly cost a fellow player his life. Indeed, the latter argument cannot be disputed, but the initial charge is despicably unreasonable.
The reason I admire Brian Burke is because he provided Todd Bertuzzi with something all human beings need after they’ve made a mistake – comfort and support. Some would argue that Burke was simply towing the company line, but in my mind, the Canucks GM went well out of his way to lambaste the media for its daily chastising of Bertuzzi. Regardless of Burke’s confrontational tone, his intention was to remind the gathered press congregation about Todd’s status as a human being, and that, despite his poor judgment, he deserves to be treated like one.
Screwing up is part of daily life. It’s a risk we all take when we walk out the front door in the morning, whether we’re going to work, socialize, or dare I say, play sports. On a personal level, I can recall multiple occasions when I’ve made a faulty, spontaneous decision while in the midst of a clouded, emotional state of mind, and I’m willing to bet the farm you folks can second that emotion. Oftentimes, our rash decision-making has an adverse effect upon another party, be it psychological, financial, or even physical. For the most part, we have good intentions at heart, but that doesn’t prevent us from falling prey to our own humanity.
Todd Bertuzzi fell prey to his humanity Monday night. As a result, the saintly media will never let him live it down.
Amen.
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Editorializing Bertuzzi
As expected, Colin Campbell
has come down hard on Todd Bertuzzi, suspending him for the rest of the regular season and all Canuck playoff games. The rugged winger will not be eligible to return to the NHL until he meets with Gary Bettman sometime this summer.
Reaction has been pouring in since the Bertuzzi suspension was handed down this morning. Each commentary is worth reading, but clearly, some columnists are more sensible than others.
Woody Paige of the Denver Post:
If Moore can't return to play in the league, Bertuzzi must be banned from the league. And law enforcement officials in British Columbia, who have started an investigation of the incident, must charge Bertuzzi with assault. There were thousands of witnesses in the building and tens of thousands watching on TV and millions who have seen the constant replays.
A message must be sent to all of hockey. Criminal viciousness will not be tolerated in a civilized society and sports.
This is probably the most popular mainstream opinion. What Paige needs to realize, though, is that so-called ‘criminal viciousness’ is commonplace in many sports. What, pray tell, is so civilized about a linebacker hurling himself in the air to violently collide with an airborne receiver, in an attempt to make a game-saving tackle? What is civilized about a one-on-one boxing bout? How about brushing a batter off the plate with a head-high inside pitch?
Sports, by their very nature, are uncivilized. As a result, I don’t think you can place physical athletic competition in the same context as civil society. The human body is simply not designed to maneuver around an enclosed 200 by 85 box on skates, sometimes colliding with other players at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. The same can be said of the human anatomy regarding football, boxing, rugby, and other contact sports.
When you think about it, a body check
can be considered assault. Sure, it’s part of hockey, but it’s still a physical assault against another human being. Granted, Todd Bertuzzi’s actions went well beyond the bounds of what is considered clean hockey, but many athletes have overreacted in a similar fashion on past occasions.
More on that after we hear from
USA Today’s Christine Brennan:
Who among us would notice if, this autumn, we found ourselves surveying a sports landscape without major league hockey (because of a lockout)? And how many of us would complain?
…there always has been room in the NHL for violence, and there always will be — unless the league decides it wants to suspend Bertuzzi for the rest of this season and the upcoming playoffs as well as all of next season (whenever next season is for the NHL). I'd say suspend him for the rest of his career, but only normal people lose their jobs over something like this, not professional athletes.
It’s always intriguing to me how professional hockey always takes the fall for its violent on-ice incidents, while other sports manage to get off scot-free in similar cases.
Shaquille O’Neal threw a sucker-shot at then-Chicago Bull Brad Miller a few years ago.
Roger Clemens struck Mike Piazza in the head with a pitch.
Boxer Ernest Mateen sucker-punched Rich LaMontagne after the referee had declared the fight was over.
But nobody seemed to care about the intent of those athletes. After all, no severe injuries resulted from either attack, so all is well.
I certainly didn’t hear Christine complaining.
The Globe and Mail’s
Eric Duhatschek:
Human behaviour, not just the behaviour of athletes, is unpredictable. Society imposes harsh penalties for the crime of murder, but the possibility of a life without parole still doesn't stop people from killing one another.
The length of Bertuzzi's sentence will unquestionably get the attention of NHL players, but then, there was supposed to be the message in the McSorley suspension. McSorley got what amounted to a lifetime ban and a criminal record as a result of his slash to Brashear's head. The McSorley-Brashear incident happened right under Bertuzzi's nose - in his home arena - but that didn't stop him from attacking Moore, even if he should have known better.
Duhatschek touches upon human psychology here, and his point is well taken. Studies have shown that the existence of deterrents, such as extended jail time and the death penalty, has not substantially lowered the crime rate in many North American cities. Similar deterrents in sports, like suspensions and fines, fail to prevent the recurrence of violent outbursts.
Many folks are of the belief that the banning of fisticuffs in professional hockey will effectively end the exhibition of senseless, violent conduct. In my mind, that opinion is foolish. While one-on-one punch-ups would be no more, dangerous stick work would likely rise significantly. Quite frankly, hockey players would have to compete without sticks in order for on-ice violence to be eliminated completely. Likewise, you’d have to prevent football players from hitting each other, boxers from punching each other, and pitchers from throwing at opposing batters.
More on the subject of deterrence from
Canadian National Post columnist Colby Cosh:
…there's no sense ending Bertuzzi's career over an injury he unquestionably inflicted but that was also a little fluky. Bert is one of the players we're going to be telling our grandkids we saw, and he didn't intend to break anyone's neck. There are many worse things he might have done--what McSorley did to Brashear was worse, of its own accord, though the injury consequences, by pure luck, weren't as bad. It's simply not true that implementing strict liability of this sort is going to end hot-headed, foolish actions, any more than the hanging of pig thieves in 18th-century England ended pig theft. Bert didn't possess the mens rea to be convicted of career murder.
Cosh makes a case for Bertuzzi, noting an excessive punishment against him is inappropriate because making an example out of the winger would not prevent similar attacks in the future. I’ll take it a step further by claiming sucker-punches and excessive violence will continue to perforate the sporting world, primarily because it is utterly impossible to put some sort of a deterrent leash on the emotional reactions of professional athletes.
Sporting competition that involves physicality encourages violence. As a result, emotions tend to run high, and rationality is often temporarily discarded. Bertuzzi, indisputably, had completely taken leave of his senses when he battered Moore, as do many athletes that allow their emotions to paralyze their thought processes. Deterrents are meaningless to an irrational athlete in the heat of battle, or any emotional human being, for that matter. To me, the only way to completely eradicate the combative nature of physical competition is to simply exterminate the practice of somatic sports.
Talk about a sucker-punch.
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Bertuzzi, Capital Fan Bashing, and the Deadline
Not surprisingly, each and every mainstream columnist from New York to British Columbia is lambasting Todd Bertuzzi for his cowardly attack on Steve Moore in Vancouver Monday night.
Ken Fidlin of the Toronto Sun likens the Canucks star to a common criminal, while providing a vivid, yet somewhat exaggerated account of the frightening incident.
Associated Press writer Mike Celizic claims Bertuzzi’s assault further emphasizes why professional hockey is unpopular in the United States.
MSNBC’s Tim Dahlberg gets into the act as well, saying it’s only a matter of time before someone gets killed during an NHL game.
Probably the most amusing piece of commentary comes from
Edmonton Sun columnist Robin Brownlee, who quotes Flames enforcer Krzysztof Oliwa:
"You just don't do things like that. It's just not right. It's not even hockey. It's being cheap. It's just not right.”
“Obviously, I've been there. There's many times you get so upset about things. I just never went after a guy, and every time I ever fought a guy, 99 percent of the time he had a fair chance to do his job."
I suppose that one percent accounts for Oliwa’s cross-checking Grant Marshall in the back of the head last season, which resulted in a post-game brawl and a five-game suspension for the Polish Hammer.
Way to prove your point, Robin. Next time, I’d advise you to speak to players that don’t live in glass hockey rinks.
• I wanted to comment on this yesterday, but didn’t have the chance. During Monday evening’s Ottawa/Washington telecast, Rogers Sportsnet color analyst Greg Millen had this to say about the poor turnout for Peter Bondra’s return to the nation’s capital:
“When you’ve done as much as Peter Bondra has done for (the Capitals) organization, you’d think… the place would be full. You’d think people would just at least acknowledge Peter Bondra for his tremendous accomplishments on his old team. They’ve tried that here, but there’s just nobody in the building.”
“The only people here tonight are Peter Bondra’s family, friends, and his fan club. That’s it. It’s kind of sad, when you think about it.”
For the record, over 17,000 people bought tickets for the game. Regardless, I think Millen’s comments are inappropriate and a bit pre-mature. When Bonzai retires, there is no doubt in my mind that the Capitals faithful will pack the MCI Center for Bondra’s retirement ceremony. As it stands right now, the locals are still trying to digest the fact that two of the Caps’ long-time stars have been dealt away, while the rest of the team has been torn limb from limb. Ted Leonsis’ organization is in financial ruins, and the fans are just starting to feel the repercussions.
Is it any wonder Washingtonians don’t want to pluck down $55 to see the Portland Pirates imitate an NHL team?
If Greg Millen would take some time to remove his rosy spectacles, he’d be able to figure it out.
• Obviously, I’m a bit wound up today, so I’ll leave the summarization of the trade deadline activities to some of my fellow hockey writers.
Perhaps the best general overview comes from
Lyle Richardson, while
Eric McErlain takes an extensive look at each notable transaction, including waiver pickups and free-agent signings.
Tom Benjamin analyzes the Canucks’ acquisitions.
Black, Red, Gold dissects Ottawa’s big trade.
The Hockey Rodent discusses what the future holds on Broadway. Lastly,
Chuq Von Rospach believes this year’s unusual trade deadline activity indicates GM’s are preparing for a lengthy lockout.
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Bertuzzi Must Atone
Prepare yourself, for the opinion I’m about to express is an unpopular one, and will likely not be found anywhere else. By no means am I about to condone
the actions of Todd Bertuzzi, but I am going to make somewhat of a mercy plea on his behalf. If you don’t subscribe to my school of thought, that’s perfectly fine. In fact, I will kindly ask that you not even ready this commentary. If you’re not open-minded enough to digest an alternative perspective, you’d best be advised to read the newspapers, and not frequent this site ever again.
As an aside, I actually found out about this incident in bizarre fashion. Having gone to bed at 10:30 p.m. Eastern, I wasn’t able to see the game live, but I did throw in a blank tape before hitting the sack, thinking the game would be a barn-burner. After waking up this morning, I turned on the television and rewound the tape slightly, just so I could catch the third-period score. As it turns out, I was treated to a scene of players milling about, catatonic fans, and confused officials. The Rogers Sportsnet broadcasters were dead silent, but nevertheless,
I already knew what had happened.
Canucks Op Ed and
Tom Benjamin have offered their input on the situation. They’ve done a fine job of expressing the disgust of Canuck fans, while at the same time condemning Bertuzzi for the brutal sucker-punch that landed Steven Moore in the hospital. Benjamin, in fact, goes as far as to say Bertuzzi’s act
warrants criminal investigation, a la Marty McSorley’s slash to the head of Donald Brashear four years ago.
As hockey fans, we seem to forget how dangerous the game is, and the potential consequences of the physicality that makes hockey so appealing. A player can be injured at any particular moment on the ice, often when he is least expecting. Indeed, in most instances, injuries are accidental. Many of them occur because of a faulty split-second decision by an aggressive player who is unable to comprehend the severity of his actions in time to prevent the execution of the action.
Whether it’s the result of a borderline check from behind, a reckless high-stick, a careless board, or a mindless spear, the direct cause of the injury is irrelevant. What is relevant is that in each of these scenarios, the player who caused the injury is usually dealt with in a swift, but sympathetic manner by the league. Oftentimes, we, as fans, feel the NHL’s disciplinary committee is too lenient with players. Many people tend to believe the league fails to justifiably punish guys whose bone-headed cheap shots have resulted in an injury to an opponent.
I don’t know this for sure, but the reason why Colin Campbell is hesitant to lay the hammer down on players that have caused injuries might be because most injuries are not deliberately inflicted. Take Bryan Allen, for example, who, despite breaking Henrik Zetterberg’s leg with a slash in November, was handed a mere two game suspension by the league. The Swedish Red Wings star ended up missing six weeks of action, while Allen sat out for a weekend. Campbell’s reasoning was that Allen’s slash was no more than a ‘love tap’, and was by no means vicious in nature. After all, such subtle stick whacks are part of the game. Therefore, no hefty suspension was warranted.
But what happens when an injury
is deliberately inflicted?
In 1998, veteran defenseman Jeff Beukeboom was knocked unconscious by aspiring tough guy Matt Johnson late in the 3rd period of a Ranger rout in Los Angeles. Johnson was being used sparingly by head coach Larry Robinson, so he decided to make his presence felt on one of his only shifts of the game by cold-cocking Beukeboom in the back of the head behind the Ranger net. The hulking defenseman collapsed, and had to leave the ice on a stretcher 15 minutes later. Beukeboom was forced to retire at the end of the season, unable to continue his playing career because of serious post-concussion syndrome side-effects.
What was Johnson’s punishment for ending an opponent's career?
12 freaking games.
I have absolutely no respect for Matt Johnson, but it has nothing to do with the fact he drilled Beukeboom with a sucker-shot. Rather, Johnson’s refusal to apologize to his victim in the years that followed has earned him my eternal resentment. Beukeboom suffered from constant headaches and was unable to engage in strenuous physical activity for well over a year, and his subsequent irritability and hot temperament caused a temporary rift in his marriage. Johnson, however, was unremorseful, and has not personally apologized to Beukeboom to this day.
When it really comes down to it, it doesn’t matter how long the league elects to suspend Todd Bertuzzi. 10 games, 20 games – it’s all a matter of discretion. There’s no sense in trying to figure out Colin Campbell’s banning criteria, as there seems to be no rhyme or reason to his disciplinary decisions. In reality, Bertuzzi only has one concern right now, and that’s apologizing to Steve Moore. Some would argue he owes an apology to the Canucks organization, its fans, and the league, but in my mind, the folks expressing that opinion are letting their emotions get the best of them. Bertuzzi owes nothing to anybody except the recipient of his gutless deed.
As much as hockey fans, analysts, and the like spout about how sucker-punches are not part of the game, the fact of the matter is they occur more frequently than we’d care to admit. Sure, it’s dishonorable and spineless, but that doesn’t deter most players from trying to send a message via a gloved head shot when the official is not looking. Consider how many times we’ve seen a player deliver a gloved punch to the back of an opponent’s head with enough force to cause an injury. The fact is what Todd Bertuzzi did last night is frighteningly commonplace in today’s NHL. It is the result that is so shocking.
My disdain for Dale Purinton
has been well-documented on this site. My feelings about Dale are similar to those of Johnson in the sense that he doesn’t express responsibility or remorse for his dangerous actions. Dale has been taking cheap shots against opponents since his junior days, completely disregarding the possible consequences. Last month, for example, Dale blindsided the Islanders’ Eric Cairns with a brutal sucker-punch, flooring the former Ranger. The act was vile, cowardly, and could have resulted in a serious injury. Yet, Purinton was unwilling to assume responsibility for what he did, let alone apologize. Dale’s refusal to vindicate himself is not only unbecoming of a hockey player, but unbecoming of a human being.
Funny enough, I didn’t hear many folks chastising Purinton in the days following
his act of thuggery. The fact Cairns wasn’t badly hurt more than likely explains the lack of public outrage, but I would argue that Dale was indeed trying to injure his fallen foe, as evidenced by his continuing to pummel Cairns when he was down on the ice. I was the only one to vehemently speak out against Dale, citing his repeated offenses over the years, which is clearly indicative of his refusal to redress his reckless on-ice behavior.
Sometimes, the hardest thing for a man to do is apologize. The reason apologetic men, particularly athletes, are so revered in our society is because they are somewhat of a rare breed. Hockey players spend much of their time in a war zone on the ice, and the guys who play with a physical edge and a burning desire to win have a tendency to overstep their bounds on occasion. Todd Bertuzzi is one of those guys. While his actions are defenseless considering the unfortunate result, his intention was no different than hundreds of other hockey players that have suckered an opponent. Bertuzzi wasn’t planning on sending Moore off the ice in a body bag - he was trying to avenge a questionable hit on his captain. Regardless, he made a mistake. Whether it was pre-meditated is not pertinent. He screwed up. Bad.
I am not surprised a lot of people in the hockey world
are calling for Bertuzzi’s head on a platter. I respect the viewpoint and appreciate the
angry feelings this incident has provoked. Unfortunately, the growing anti-Bertuzzi sentiment is completely unwarranted at the moment. A number of Canuck players alluded to his being regretful after the game, and while the apparent remorse by no means justifies or lessens the detrimental impact of Todd's actions, it’s the first step towards his salvaging some semblance of respectability, not just as a hockey player, but as a man.
Matt Johnson and Dale Purinton sacrificed their respectability long ago. It is my hope that Todd Bertuzzi doesn’t suffer the same fate.
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The NHL's Eternal Quest For Inclusion
This morning,
Canucks Op Ed touched upon the NHL’s attempts to capitalize on the invention of high-definition television. According to the Associated Press, a few hundred league games have been broadcast in high-definition during the course of the season, and that number is expected to significantly balloon next year. Indeed, the new technology presents the game in a manner that makes the viewer feel as if he’s at the rink. The sound of skate blades cutting into the ice is emphasized via surround sound, and developing plays are better anticipated as a result of the wide-screen feature.
It’s difficult to dispute NHL senior vice-president Doug Perlman, who astutely notes that HDTV makes the hockey television experience
much better than it’s ever been before. In fact, Detroit-based audio video consultant Kenny Holsgrove claims the new technology will not only satisfy hordes of dedicated hockey fans, but it will also cater to the casual puck follower. Holsgrove is not alone in this belief, as the NHL is evidently looking at HDTV as a way to help create a new generation of hockey nuts.
Keep dreaming, Doug.
I am utterly dumbfounded by folks who continually try to pinpoint the specific reasons why hockey hasn’t caught on in the United States. Some of the more popular excuses include the NHL’s failure to properly market marquee talent, a lack of goal-scoring, physicality, and free-flowing action, and, of course, hockey’s inability to appeal to passive television viewers. While there may be some credence to each of these hypotheses, the true reason why the league has failed to capture the imagination of the American public is much less complicated.
Quite simply, most Americans aren’t exposed to hockey.
I’m willing to bet part of the reason hockey is so popular in Canada is because most youngsters north of the border are raised around the game. Some kids play competitive hockey. Others play weekly shinny. Even if a Canadian citizen didn’t skate as a youngster (and pigs fly), odds are he’s been privy enough to grow up in an environment that holds hockey in high regard. The game is a very important part of Canada’s rich culture, as evidenced by the recent Hockey Day in Canada festivities in Saskatchewan last month. The same cannot be said of hockey in regards to its status in the United States.
I live in a state that, despite its tiny size, is considered a hockey hotbed.
17 Rhode Islanders have played in the NHL, which is on par with some of the smaller Canadian provinces. The game is extremely popular in my town, in particular, even though the closest rink to Westerly is more than 15 miles away. Indeed, hockey flourishes in many small towns across the country, from Mechanic Falls, Maine to Rib Mountain, Wisconsin. However, while the regional appeal of the game in this country is comparable to any major sport, hockey has never captured the national spotlight because the game itself is absent from the lives of most Americans.
Nielsen numbers indicate the NHL is experiencing the worst national rating figures for a single season in its history. The league’s viewership has deteriorated to the point where ABC/ESPN executives are seriously pondering abandoning their networks’ exclusive right to broadcast games, as the five-year, $600 million contract ABC/ESPN signed in 1999 is due to expire at season’s end. Disney television sports president George Bodenheimer recently told the Sports Business Journal “We don’t need hockey,” noting most of the networks’ revenues are generated by the other three major sports.
When you really think about it,
the NHL has absolutely no leverage when negotiating a new television contract. Bodenheimer has stated ABC/ESPN will likely maintain a working relationship with the league, but not at the current price. The latest offer from Disney for NHL broadcast rights is about half the value of the present contract - $60 million a season for two years. The league is hesitant to accept that bid, especially considering the fact NHL teams would stand to lose about $2 million each in national U.S. television revenues annually (they currently make about $4 million a piece). If you consider the possibility that $2 million discrepancy could cost some clubs a highly-paid superstar, it’s easy to see why the league is balking.
Unfortunately, Gary Bettman may not have a choice in the matter. According to financial adviser
Morgan Stanley, major U.S. networks stand to lose a total of $400 million between 2001 and 2006 because of NHL television coverage. As a result, the league will find it extremely difficult to command a broadcast contract similar to its current pact. The league simply can’t justify such an extravagant demand, especially considering its plummeting network ratings. Bettman is not likely to play hardball with Disney, as the last time the league disputed the terms of a contract renewal (1991 with SportsChannel), the NHL ended up losing $10 million after signing a one-year contract on the eve of the 91-92 season that was 1/3 the amount of the previous three-year, $51 million agreement.
The impending labor impasse further complicating matters for the league. By publicly admitting the game and its teams
are in dire financial straights, Gary Bettman is submitting an indirect plea to television executives, letting them know how important their continued support is to the overall health of the NHL. Unfortunately, the big whigs at Disney are not worried about the league’s bottom line, as they are primarily concerned with how their own balance is effected by spending millions of dollars on an unpopular product. Regardless, when all is said and done, American hockey fans are going to have even fewer national games to choose from next season – assuming there is one.
Don’t fret, though, fellow puck devotees. Even if a lockout does occur, I’m sure the folks at ESPN will not object to broadcasting the weekly labor negotiations on HDTV in exchange for a reasonable fee.
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