2004-03-20T09:43:00.000-08:00

Bob Johnson was known for his trademark phrase, “It’s a Great Day For Hockey,” it is arguable whether or not he would be able to utter that phrase if he were around today. The National Hockey League is in a time of crisis and it has nothing to do with the Todd Bertuzzi incident. The NHL is also at a time of great opportunity however. The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire after the World Cup of Hockey this summer. While it is important that the necessary parties come to the bargaining table it is also important that the voice of the fans is heard. This is what this letter is setting out to do.

The fans of the NHL and every other sport are vital. They are the ones paying the ticket prices, buying the jerseys and wondering what they are going to do if their favorite sport closes their doors for next season. The fans are also concerned however that the NHL is rapidly becoming dominated by the teams who can spend the most money. This situation may be great in Detroit and Toronto, however, the NHL can not survive on the success of a few teams alone.

Along with the decreasing competitive balance there has been a sharp increase in costs for the fans to attend games and follow their favorite teams. The average NHL ticket price this season was $44.22, up 3.3% from last year. This cost increase has also come about with a stunningly low amount of revenue sharing between NHL teams. According to Forbes magazine only 12% of revenues are shared in the NHL compared to the NFL which shares 67% of their revenue.

The NHL has great room for improvement obviously and they have a chance to do something about it. As stated earlier the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement initially seems like a potential disaster for the NHL. However if all the parties involved come together and work together for the best interests of the game the NHL can and will improve tremendously.

The NHL has to have a form of cost certainty and this will most likely come in the form of a salary cap and consistent revenue sharing. The merits of a salary cap can be debated back and forth but when the situations of the NFL, a salary cap league, and Major League Baseball, a non salary cap league, are considered it is quite obvious which situation works for the better. The owners also have to make concessions as well. This may come in the form of offering players an earlier chance at free agency or the continuance of guaranteed contracts unlike that of the NFL system.

However, concessions must be made for the fans as well. The increase in competitive balance and cost certainty for the NHL will improve the game and its popularity. This should also result in more affordable ticket prices for the average person to attend an NHL game. The NHL and NHLPA need fans to survive and it is time the owners and the players come to the bargaining table with the best interests of the game and its fans in mind.

Not to be forgotten in all of the off ice discussion however is the product on the ice. Hockey is the fastest game in the world although one could easily be confused by watching the current NHL product. Various factors have slowed the game down and they include, but are not limited to, the elimination of delayed off sides, the style of play that teams employ and the current state of officiating in the league. The decrease in flow of the game has led to a defensive dominated league and a sharp decline in scoring, a drop from 7.2 goals per game in 1992-1993 to an average of 5.19 this season.

The on and off ice issues while initially appearing separate are without question intertwined. The idea of cost certainty would create a balance of power in the NHL and result in a more even distribution of talent around the league. This could then result in a shift away from the defense first strategy that many teams have to employ to compete. This simple strategy shift would without a doubt open up the game and cause the emphasis to be put back on the beautiful parts of the game, like the skating, the tape to tape passes and the best athletes in the world scoring beautiful goals.

This letter has pointed out various shortcomings of the current NHL however as has been stated there is a huge opportunity for the NHL to fix their problems. The new collective bargaining agreement is vital for the future of the NHL and as fans we ask that the players and the owners work in the best interests of the game. It is not long ago that the NHL was all about the beautiful parts of the game and it would be very wise for the NHL to return to their not so distant past.

A Letter for the NHL and NHLPA