Hockey's Dilemma - By Moses (a.k.a Stacey Goldman)

Ever since the game of Hockey was organized into the original N.H.A (National Hockey Association) and W.C.H.L (Western Canadian Hockey League), Hockey flourished. In the N.H.A we saw teams such as; Montreal A.A.A (Amateur Athletic Association)-Shamrocks-Wanderers-Canadians, Ottawa Silver Sevens-Senators, Toronto St. Pats-Blueshirts-Arenas-Maple Leafs and the Quebec Bulldogs. In the W.C.H.L the teams included; Victoria Cougars, Vancouver Millionaires, Winnipeg A.A.A, and the Seattle Metropolitans. It was during these years 1897-1917 that we saw the winner of the N.H.A, playoff against the winner of the W.C.H.L for the prized Stanley Cup. The League became Professional in 1918 (becoming the National Hockey League), and so began, as a five team League - Montreal Canadians, Montreal Wanderers, Toronto Arenas, Quebec Bulldogs, and the Ottawa Senators. The League evolved, and in 1930/31the N.H.L had an Eastern Division and a Western Division. In the East the teams were; Montreal Canadians, Montreal Maroons, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Ottawa Senators. In the Western Division; Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Black Hawks, New York Americans-Rangers, Detroit Falcons-Cougars-Red Wings (just prior to 1930 there was actually a team called the Hamilton Tigers - 1925). Eventually the Pirates became the Philadelphia Quakers, before folding. The New York Americans became the Rangers, while the Falcons became the Cougars and finally the Detroit Red Wings. The League dwindled and eventually by 1937 became known as the Original Six; Montreal Canadians, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks.
The Original Six Canadian organizations, the Canadians and the Maple Leafs won the prized Stanley Cup most years (1937-1967). The player base in the N.H.L was almost exclusively Canadaian. Radio broadcast the games on AM and Shortwave, and had an enormous fan base on both sides of the border. When television became a mainstay in 1947, Canada broadcast games on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation across Canada. The U.S.A broadcast networks abstained as the C.B.C used tape delay on their feeds (similar to the movie 'The Sting' that followed this premise, shown across America in 1972).
In 1967/68 the N.H.L went into expansion and added six new franchises (California Seals - later the Oakland Seals - and then the California Golden Seals, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota North Stars, and the Los Angeles Kings). The League still flourished financially, although there was the question as to whether or not these new markets would be able to support an N.H.L franchise. John Ziegler, the N.H.L Commissioner at the time, entered into these new markets, hoping to sell the game of Hockey to the average American.
This began the dilemma. Sure enough, the Seals were short lived, and the North Stars ended up re-locating. This begged the question as to why there wasn't a U.S Television contract with the N.H.L.
In 1970/71, the N.H.L again decided to add new franchises in another expansion, to compete with the new rival League the W.H.A (World Hockey Association). Into the League came the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks.
The qustion as to why there wasn't a National U.S Television contract for the game was still being asked. In 1972, again Ziegler brought in expansion to the League, and we saw the Atlanta Flames and the New York Islanders. The problem of low fan base in these new markets became more obvious, and at this time the N.H.L entered into the quagmire of diseconomies of scale (probably due to the advent of a new rival League). Of the ten organizations that came into the League at this time, only seven survived (Buffalo, Vancouver, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and the Islanders) to our present day (albeit most are pretty good Hockey Towns to date).
The only solution, it would stand to reason, would be to reach the average American through a National U.S Television contract. Major League Baseball had one, as did the N.F.L, the N.B.A. Pro Wrestling and even Golf Tournaments were broadcast across the U.S.A.
The C.B.C dutifully broadcast games across Canada, and it was seemingly obvious that in the right markets a Television contract in the U.S would be highly profitable. Cities like Detroit, Chicago, Boston, New York, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, L.A and St. Louis among others are sports magnets, and friends to the game of Hockey. Still, the N.H.L was reserved in pushing for a U.S television contract, and its' passivity was noticeable. It was 1974 when two more teams were introduced into the League; the Washington Capitals and the Kansas City Scouts. The Scouts became the Colorado Rockies, and eventually they folded.
As the W.H.A folded in 1979, the N.H.L once again took in franchises in expansion. Former W.H.A franchises; the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and the Winnipeg Jets (the Flames organization re-located to Calgary the following year). At this point the N.H.L caught a huge break. Marquee players started to enter the N.H.L, in droves. Prior to this expansion there had been greats such as Bobby Orr, Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Terry Sawchuck, and Jacques Plante. In one year however (1979) Gordie Howe came back to the N.H.L, Wayne Gretzky entered the League, as did Peter Stasney, Mark Messier, and Kent Nilsson. With this influx of talent from the W.H.A pool, the time was right to broadcast the N.H.L across the States.
Gretzky and Messier led their Oilers to Cup after Cup just after the Montreal Canadians and New York Islanders dynasty's, and Americans coast to coast took notice. Then, as if to re-affirm the greatness of the game, Mario Lemieux (1983) joined the Leaugue as the next 'Great' one, and a souring market in Colorado as well as Hockey crazy New Jersey entered the N.H.L. At this time U.S and European players started to enter the League in great numbers, yet Ziegal still didn't capatalize. (The first Soviets to enter the N.H.L were Victor Krutov, Igor Larionov, and Vladimir Fetisov. Prior, Stan Makita (born in Czechoslovakia) and Borje Salming (from Sweden) were the first Europeans to join the N.H.L)
In this period of history, Gretzky was suddenly dealt to the Los Angeles Kings, and he took them to the Cup finals in 1993. At this point the U.S.A loved Hockey to the level they did in 1980 when they brought the 'Miracle on Ice' to Lake Placid in 1980, winning their first Gold Medal in Ice Hockey. Salaries soared, as attendance was up, and because there was no seconday income from a U.S Television contract, ticket prices went up enormously.
The sad thing about it is that it's the fans of Hockey that suffer.
As a Torontonian, I can't even afford the cheap seats of a Leaf game, as a ticket at bare minimum is around $70.
Over the past seventeen years the League has gone into expansion four times, and has added another seven teams (Anahein Mighty Ducks-Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild, and the Columbus Blue Jackets). Many would say that the current Commissioner Gary Betteman has entered into some questionable markets. There have been four re-locations in the past fifteen years, and these misguided judgements from the Ziegler years have led to the rising cost of the average N.H.L game ticket. We now see teams in Carolina, Florida, Nashville, Columbus, Phoenix, San Jose, Dallas, Anaheim, and the re-emergence of Atlanta, markets that are currently struggling or adequate at best.
Should the owners think that it is wise inflating the cost of going to a Hockey game, they are dead wrong. Gary Betteman had better take a realistic look at the game today, and increase revenue to bring down the cost of tickets, otherwise he'll start losing real Hockey fans, fans that are paying $100+/ticket.

Words of advice to Gary Betteman;

1) Downsize the League - lose markets that don't have fan base to support their
franchise.
2) Get a television contract with a MAJOR U.S.A NETWORK.
3) Bring down the ticket prices.

The current crop of N.H.L'ers are pooled roughly 40-50% European. This means that the quality of Hockey overseas is at roughly the same level as here. A European N.H.L would probably flourish, and serve as an excellent example of globalization of sport. With roughly 50% North American Hockey players' playing overseas, and 50% European players' playing here, a summit of Leagues is encouraged. This, in its' own right is a fair measurement of trade between North America and Europe. Let's enter market places where the demand of that sport is high, and not try and create this parity of demand.