Comments on: Stanley Cup Nielsen Ratings: Redwings and Penguins Reverse Trend

By: Rachel P

Rachel P — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:06:45 +0000

Yeah, go Wings!!!

By: Danny Boy

Danny Boy — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:50:10 +0000

Redwings totally rock! I don’t know what you babies are crying about! Hockey is the greatest sport – American, Canadian, Sweeden it does not matter, open your eyes my friend, the Detroit Redwings have done more for this sport in the last ten years, than any other orginization!

By: londonknights33

londonknights33 — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:48:20 +0000

seeing the ratings boost by having two american teams playing for the cup.. don't you think the league office or brass, will "MAKE SURE" this trend continues?

sports are a dirty business and hockey being the meek game in the eyes of american views, needs the NBC brand name making money so it continues its coverage.

Never trust gary bettman nor anyone at the new york offices

By: londonknights33

londonknights33 — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:48:20 +0000

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:27:54 +0000

Please don't remind me, Zedman2. The rapid decline of Les Canadiens was painful enough to watch…

By: Zedman2

Zedman2 — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:39:31 +0000

There is no Canadian team in the finals this year and therefore the ratings have an artificial boost. Hockey will remain the lowest tv rated sport.

By: Carla

Carla — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:15:00 +0000

It is about time people start to realize hockey is a GREAT sport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been watching hockey since the 70′s. When I met my husband he could not believe I loved hockey just as much as he did. We get the NHL Center Ice package from our cable company and we get to watch games directly from Canada.
They really love their hockey. Most of the time the games are sold out. The younger generations only care about football. baseball & basketball. People in the United States need to start watching this great sport more.

By: Carla

Carla — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:15:00 +0000

By: Carla

Carla — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:15:00 +0000

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:12:00 +0000

As a Detroit fan, finals should trump semi-finals, and for my dad they definitely do, but for me, the Pistons series is just more exciting. I love hockey, and I love watching my team win, which is more guaranteed with the Red Wings, but I just love the Pistons too much to forsake them for hockey.

But I really don’t understand why the Stanley Cup finals aren’t on NBC. Hell, why weren’t the semi-finals? There were nights when all NBC was airing repeats, and even hockey could have beat those ratings.

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:12:00 +0000

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:12:00 +0000

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:07:00 +0000

I agree Doug. It doesn’t look poised to go seven games at this point, but I’m very interested to see how the first game in Pittsburgh performs on NBC on Wednesday night. as it’s in “primetime” we should see the ratings fairly quickly. the Detroit fans will again have both the Pistons vs. Celtics and Redwings/Penguins to choose from (hockey starts at 8pm ET, b-ball @ 8:30p on ESPN)

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:07:00 +0000

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:07:00 +0000

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 27 May 2008 02:37:00 +0000

Hockey has also been hurt by having non-tradition US hockey markets in the playoffs for the past few years. Being Canadian, I love seeing Canadian teams in the playoffs, but it does nothing for the US ratings. Last year it was Anaheim and Ottawa, and the audience yawned (for obvious reasons – Anaheim is not a strong hockey market and Ottawa doesn’t even register). But with Pittsburgh and Detroit, both strong hockey markets, if the game goes 7, I could see the final going for at least a 30 share in both cities. That alone is 2 million viewers, plus whomever else is watching around the country. The SC finals are never going to be the World Series, nor even the NBA finals, but if they could get the ratings back up to where they were even a few years ago, it would be mission accomplished.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 27 May 2008 02:37:00 +0000

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 27 May 2008 02:37:00 +0000

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:56:29 +0000

I agree. I think recent NHL ratings have been “artificially” depressed by a few factors, the season killing strike of a few years ago, lots of network hopping, and lack of focus by whatever network was doing the telecasts.

If NBC puts the level of commitment behind it like ESPN does behind new properties it picks up [like NASCAR], they should definitely be able to improve.