So this weekend was NHL All-Star Weekend. It was hosted by Tampa Bay, which was a nice location with Gasparilla happening at the same time, which led to Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman dressing like pirates. I also enjoy the current 3-on-3 tournament setup. However, I think the weekend could be improved in a few ways.
The first is bringing back some form of the All-Star Draft that the NHL tried out several years ago. The NHLPA eventually asked this to stop, but it made for a unique viewing experience and was something different. Right now the captain of each division's team is voted on by fans while the coach is whichever coach is coaching the team highest in the standings at a chosen date. Why not have the captain and coach pick the rest of the roster with some set guidelines (one player from every team being mandatory)? To spice it up, allow the captain to invite someone to help him pick. It could be a celebrity or someone chosen from an organization like Make-a -Wish.
However, my bigger idea is taking All-Star Weekend to non-NHL cities.
I tweeted this out and got some positive feedback, so I figured I'd expand on my thinking.
This idea would give the league and NHLPA a tremendous opportunity to grow the game. The NHL still struggles to make an imprint in most of the United States. I grew up in metro-Detroit where hockey was pretty big, though often the last topic on sports talk radio. However now that I live and teach in West Michigan near Grand Rapids - which is home to a really successful AHL team in the Grand Rapids Griffins and a nearby USHL team in the Muskegon Lumberjacks - hockey is definitely a niche sport. Hockey struggles for a variety of reasons, primarily in my mind because it's so expensive to play. But if the NHL could showcase itself live to more people, I have to believe it would do better.
So where should the NHL consider taking its All-Star Weekend? Here's some options:
Houston, Texas
So the new owner of the Houston Rockets has made some noise about being interested in getting an NHL team. Houston has some hockey history with the Houston Aeros. They are also the 8th largest TV market in the United States. It would make a lot of sense to try out the market with an All-Star Weekend.
Quebec City, Quebec
Quebec City once had an NHL team - the Nordiques. They became the Colorado Avalanche. A group applied for an expansion team for Quebec City during the same time Vegas did but wasn't awarded one. This would be a nice thing to do in response since I believe the group paid a non-refundable $10 million dollar fee. In addition, the amount of NHL players coming from the province of Quebec has been dropping, so while most of Canada is a known hockey market, there may be an opportunity to grow the game a bit here.
Hartford, Conneticut
This is similar to Quebec City - Hartford once had a team, the almost mythic Whalers. This is a strong hockey market still, and I'm sure the city would go crazy over the opportunity to host an NHL All-Star Weekend.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City has an arena that is suitable for NHL hockey and for a little bit was a popular option when considering a relocation locale. They currently have an NFL team and an MLB team, but no NBA team. So a winter appearance by the NHL All-Stars would likely be a big deal.
San Diego, California
San Diego is a major market and currently hosts an AHL (minor league hockey) team. I don't believe there's any professional sports around the city during the winter time, so once again this could be big.
Those are just four options. Others include:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Portland, Oregon
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Charlotte, North Carolina
Hamilton, Ontario
Orlando, Florida
New Orleans, Louisiana
Baltimore, Maryland
Atlanta, Georgia
Indianapolis, Indiana
Cleveland, Ohio
Memphis, Tennessee
Eventually, the NHL could even take it internationally. I get that the NHL likes to award their owners with an All-Star Weekend, but this seems like a great opportunity to grow the game.
No comments:
Post a Comment