I was so tempted to call this article something with an implied scatological take on the hockey puck.  Like “Puck You TV!” or “What the Puck?”  Better judgement prevailed.

I am a lifelong hockey guy.  I’ve been playing since I was teeny tiny and have a closet full of jerseys and warm up jackets.  I coach youth hockey and hop in goal whenever I get the chance.  Hockey is the kind of sport that sticks with you forever and creates loyal and rabid fans that rival that of Twilight.  So, I will watch hockey on TV.  In fact, as I type this, I am even watching the practice sessions for the NHL’s now annual Winter Classic game and wishing I was skating in the snow!

But hockey fans are not created by television broadcasts.

 Hockey has long been knocked as the sport best seen live.  A funny criticism but entirely true.  Nothing I’ve experienced is as electric as a Stanley Cup playoff game.  I’ve had to wear ear plugs at times it gets so loud!  And all that might and power is a sure way to get a newbie hooked on pro sport’s fastest game.

And that’s the trick: the speed.  The game is basically too fast to be televised!  If you’re not used to the game of hockey and you’ve got camera operators not used to the game of hockey, it can be very frustrating and easy to give up on.  Everything moves, everything has a quick pace to it.  Even between plays there is a lot of “hurry up” mentality.  This isn’t the meandering tempo of baseball.

To find hockey’s TV “5 hole” let’s look at the most successful TV sport, football.  The NFL has one of the best overall business models in the world and broadcasting is a huge component.  The game itself allows for tons of replays, graphics, half time shows, pre-game shows, more analysis than your brain can process, and an overall visual spectacle that plays out over and over again every week.  Football was made for television.  Plenty of pauses and bathroom breaks and a league that allows and controls access to its players and staff like none other.  They just get it.

Hockey is not as slow as football, but we should try and learn from them none the less.  I don’t care about every face-off.  Take the risk of showing a replay while the action is happening to put emphasis on a play.  Do more pre-production interviews and analysis.  Call in the NFL’s P.R. firms to teach players how to handle the press.  Hell, call in the NASCAR guys!  No one is better in an interview than them and Reebok can sell a whole lot more jerseys with Sidney Crosby talking about how he “couldn’t have done it” without wearing one.   Most of all, be more critical!

I think the NHL’s biggest problem is their broadcasters.  There are exceptions, but especially on the national broadcasts the guys are just too much of an NHL “homer.”  I can picture the memo after the lockout a few years back that read “never say anything bad about the league!”  Guess what?  Fans like that.  Watch any other sports broadcast and half of what you hear is negative.  I want to know that the guys describing the game to me have the integrity to call out a player or a franchise or ref when they screw up.  Listen to fans, we complain and we want to find camaraderie with the so-called experts when we’re pissed off!

And that’s really the mindset needed for the NHL to do a better job of showcasing their sport.  Stop trying to attract new fans, and concentrate on the loyal masses you already have.  Hockey will never be a ratings juggernaut, so make it better instead of making it broader.  I don’t need you to tell me about the icing rule again.  I want to hear about the Flyer’s forechecking strategy and how they practice it in the morning skate.  I don’t watch Food Network to have Rachel Ray tell me what a spatula is, I want to learn how to cook a killer steak.

The NHL is on track with what they’re pulling off with the Winter Classic.   Watching hockey played in historic Fenway Park is quite a sight, but they’ve got a long way to go.  They need to work up more packages about their players, spend more time interviewing and analyzing the game not for the newbie, but for the fan like me.  I believe hockey can be a great show on TV but first the league needs to embrace its misfit status and let those who want to be there find their own way.

Thank you to the three of you who read this article.  Go Sharks!!