HAWKEY NIGHT IN AMERICA?

While sifting through this week’s installment of NHL rumors that never come true, Peter Forsberg’s potential NHL return certainly made for interesting fodder. But there was one rumor devoid of trades or players that made me do a complete double take.

The suggestion was that Chicago Blackhawks president John McDonough could conceivably try to enter a contract agreement with ESPN for one Blackhawks game to be televised nationally each week—a contract that would certainly make Comcast (owners of Versus and possibly NBC in the near future) and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman anxious to declare war on the United Center.

Since the NHL lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season ended, the relationship between the NHL and ESPN has been on thin ice…on Lake Michigan…in the middle of February.

Bettman turned down ESPN’s television offer– and the national publicity that accompanied it—for more money and a network nobody had heard of.

As a result, hockey lost mainstream status and ESPN discovered that their ratings dipped when hockey hit the screen. NHL-2-night went away and so did Gary Thorne with the best introduction to any sporting event on television.

ESPN, in turn, spent a few years only running hockey highlights under the following criteria: a) when a good boxing match breaks out, b) Sidney Crosby does something cool, c) Alex Ovechkin does something cool, d) the playoffs or e) a player takes a skate to the neck and bleeds all over profusely with a life threatening injury.
But let’s pretend for a minute that there is any truth to this rumor and McDonough was capable of such a drastic move. Could Bettman turn down the inevitable positive media and public relations that would accompany the beginning of a new era on ESPN?

I’m told McDonough’s research suggests the Blackhawks—with their history as an original 6 team and star-studded roster—could draw in the neighborhood of 10-14 million viewers more than they do on Versus.


If that’s remotely true—let’s say those numbers are even cut in half—could Bettman and the NHL resist the increase in exposure and the likelihood of a massive boom in merchandise sale not even a clearance sale on “Black Friday” could imagine?

While the Blackhawks might become the NHL’s “Team America,” with so much national exposure until more of the league shifts back to ESPN, they would bring with them a legitimate drawing card. Players like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa would be much more recognizable and fans in opposing cities will be more inclined to go see the hawks play when they’re in town.

The cash register bell must be ringing in Bettman’s head by now.

Should McDonough pull off this unprecedented move and essentially secede from the NHL’s current television contract, it would be like playing a big game of Russian roulette.

Would Comcast pull out of its current deal, thus leaving the NHL with zero television rights other than the hawks on ESPN? Not a chance.

The NHL is still the biggest draw on Versus—and it’s not even close. Filling the void with more rodeo events, sports from the Mountain Time zone and poker will surely lose ad revenue. Plus, once Notre Dame football is over NBC’s Saturday afternoons are wide open and in desperate need of a weekend sporting event to rival the NBA on ABC throughout the winter.

Chances are this is all speculation and the reality is McDonough will only explore the option as a mechanism to make Bettman realize it’s time to finally get the NHL back on ESPN—but a Blackhawks fan can dream, can’t he?

Hello out there! We’re on the air,
It’s Blackhawks Night tonight;
Excitement grows, the whistle blows,
And the Indian head sweaters speed down the ice.
The goalie stops, and Chelsea Dagger bumps,
And the Madhouse on Madison goes insane;
Someone roars, “Johnny Toews scores!”
At the good old Blackhawks game.
Oh! The good old hawks game, Is the best game you can name; And the best game you can name, Is the good old Hawks game!