Comments on: NHL Stanley Cup Finals TV Ratings, 1995-2008

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:10:45 +0000

I agree about the sked. If the NHL would start their season 2 weeks earlier they would not be playing in June and competing with the NBA Conf finals & championship. Red Wings will be fine and win their 5th Cup in the last 12 years. Go Wings!!

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:07:21 +0000

E..you are correct. I think Stanley Cup should be during the month of May. Not sure why Bettman has NHL playoffs, Stanley Cup concurrent with NBA playoffs, Finals. To me, NHL coverage gets diluted because of this.

By: bob

bob — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:28:27 +0000

well, it seems like the ducks dont draw any fans at all, meanwhile detroit draws the most. also…. interesting to see that the devils draw in some fan support as well.

By: Sam B

Sam B — Sun, 24 May 2009 07:11:17 +0000

I’m not sure I understand the mentality of jumping ship just to get a cup. I mean, the Pens are (and were) clearly a good team – they made it to the finals! When Ray Borque ditched Boston (after all those years) to go to Colorado, that was a more obvious “I want the Cup” moment, since Boston was horrific back then. But since the Pens are a really good team themselves, I’m not sure how much sense it makes. Especially considering how, even as a Wings fan, I’m very nervous about Pittsburgh next round!.

If its any solace, he hasn’t been too productive lately for us =).

By: RJ

RJ — Sun, 24 May 2009 04:41:00 +0000

GO PENS!

By: clutz

clutz — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:58:58 +0000

I think you are absolutely right, Annie. Sweet revenge

By: Annie

Annie — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:23:51 +0000

Sam, he just REALLY wanted to play in Detroit because he wanted the Cup. We lost a fan favorite in a trade to get Hossa and then he jumps ship to another team (that we lost Lord Stanley to) just so he might have a better chance the next year. I agree, clutz, that it’d be sweet revenge if the Pens beat the Wings this year, not only just because of last year, but specifically because of Hossa.

By: Sam B

Sam B — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:08:47 +0000

Clutz – Hossa took a significant pay cut in order to play with the Wings. You might want to cut him some slack – apparently he just REALLY wants to play in Detroit =)

By: clutz

clutz — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:36:37 +0000

Julia, I must agree with Annie on this one. The Pens are outperforming themselves versus last year – Malkin is nothing short of amazing. My biggest fear is that the Pens get “lazy” with this Carolina series. So listen up, Penguins!!!! Stay on your toes! No slacking off! I also believe a Detroit- Pittsburgh matchup might swing Pittsburgh’s way due to pure karma, in the form of Marian Hossa. That’ll teach him for jumping ship to Detroit just to win a Cup

As for ratings, a Pens/Detroit final is likely to be a very good thing this time around. This “rematch” idea, when played out properly, is an outstanding marketing tool.

By: Boris

Boris — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:08:26 +0000

Oy, what I’d really like to see are the NHL Arbitron numbers.

By: Sam B

Sam B — Sat, 23 May 2009 06:09:13 +0000

“Detroit won’t win the cup this year though, they’re an inferior team to last year.”

I’m not sure how you can claim this. Sure, they have a few people (notably Datsyuk) going through a slump, but they have virtually the same team as last year, in addition to picking up Hossa. Also, Osgood is playing very well – I don’t think any of the goals this series were anything he could reasonably be expected to stop (redirects, rebounds, sloppy defensive play, etc.). Considering the team didn’t have Datsyuk tonight and lost Cromwall to that ludicrous bad call in the first period, and they still almost won, I’d say they’re doing just fine =).

By: Mumbo

Mumbo — Sat, 23 May 2009 04:59:49 +0000

My dear Canucks hit the second round glass ceiling again

It’s almost a shame that the Cup final last year got such high ratings when it was one of the most boring finals in the past decade.

Detroit won’t win the cup this year though, they’re an inferior team to last year. Though they will still likely be in the final so I guess that won’t affect the ratings at all.

Ratings for the 2004 – 2007 finals were higher in Canada, if only the League cared Canada has a few extremely lucrative untapped markets left for hockey teams, but Bettman will never recognize that. Gotta keep throwing money into that bottomless pit called the Phoenix Coyotes.

By: Jeff G

Jeff G — Sat, 23 May 2009 00:40:32 +0000

Blackhawks are flying tonight. At least in this 1st period. Great atmosphere in hockey arenas during playoffs.

By: ZebZ

ZebZ — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:50:23 +0000

Another season, another first round exit by my beloved Philadelphia Flyers.

By: Jeff G

Jeff G — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:26:25 +0000

Playoff hockey is great. It is good to see the Blackhawks back in action. Also was good to see Boston get some air time. Versus is doing a good job. Go Pens.

By: E

Fri, 22 May 2009 20:38:29 +0000

I believe the Stanley CUp finals should be played at the end of May. The ratings wuold be much better if they finished before June 1.
People have moved on in June, and do not want to watch hockey (even real fans). I hope the NHL realizes this.

By: Sam B

Sam B — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:25:30 +0000

Yeah, go Wings!

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:16:56 +0000

Tsani, Thanks for the catch. Interesting error from the Nielsen SS. Will correct.

By: Tsani

Tsani — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:07:59 +0000

Appreciated, but the Thrashers did not play Detroit for the Cup. That was the Carolina Hurricanes.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:48:43 +0000

Julia, of course there have to be 4 games. D’oh!

By: Julia

Julia — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:45:19 +0000

You keep dreaming, Annie.

Bill, there have to be at least four games a series, so 1995-1999 and 2002 must have had some games aired on cable. I believe Detroit swept at least one final between 1997 and 1998, though it might have been both. I can’t remember.

By: Annie

Annie — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:37:52 +0000

Hey now, Julia, don’t count out the Penguins so fast. They’re a better team, with a better coach, than last year. And even last year they put up a hell of a fight with Detroit. It went to a game six, and a lot of people assumed the Red Wings would sweep it.

I still hope Chicago comes back and beats Detroit though. Chicago’s my second favorite city even though I don’t have second favorite hockey teams.

The Pens game last night was such great hockey.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:35:05 +0000

Julia, that table is a direct copy/paste from the Nielsen SS, I have no other information. Since I my knowledge of the NHL could fit in a thimble, I assumed that there were no cable telecasts of the Stanley Cup finals before that year.

Correction: It was a copy/paste from the portion of the spreadsheet with *ratings*. I now see that ESPN telecast the games in 1992-1994, but the Nielsen SS has no ratings data for those years.

By: Julia

Julia — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:31:32 +0000

Other than 1998, the Red Wings have always put up better numbers (Hockey Town and all that), but this will be like 1998, since it will be the second year in a row that Detroit will win.

Do you not have the cable ratings for any year prior to 2003?

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:26:59 +0000

Doh! My bad. Will correct.

By: Jill

Jill — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:25:32 +0000

Er, Penguins vs. Red Wings isn’t “Original 6″.

But anyway.