NHL PARITY
It’s been a long time since the NHL and parity have been linked together in the same sentence. After a year’s labor forced hiatus the league returned with a whole set of new “let’s open up play” rules with the hope that the fans would hurry back to have a look at the new and improved product. Mix in two of the more exciting rookies to come into the league in a long time and the recipe seemed to be there to have success after the teams reorganized themselves during a frantic free agency. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are playing on losing squads and it’s unfortunate that fans won’t get a chance to see these guys operate in pressure packed playoff games.
The play seems faster and the rule changes have created a lot more open ice, it’s not pond hockey that we are seeing, but it definitely is a more entertaining product to watch. But has it created parity?
PARTIAL PARITY?
Currently the Wings lead the Western Conference with 102 points, the same as the Eastern Division leaders the Senators. The last place teams in each division; the Crosby led (he who whines,) Penguins have 48 in the cellar, and the beleaguered and newly sold Blues only have 51 points. I did enjoy watching the movie The March of the Penguins, and there are some experts who feel that the Pittsburgh brand of Penguins may also soon be on a march… out of town.
When you get to the middle of the pack, that’s where the competition heats up. In the east the spread between the sixth place Lightning and Devils and the twelfth spot held by the Islanders is 10 points. Only the Bean Town Bruins, the Caps and previously mentioned Pengys seem out of it. So, if being able to still compete for a playoff spot this late in the season indicates some parity or balance, then, excluding the points leaders, maybe this is a sign of partial parity in the Eastern Division?
In the West a similar situation prevails with 14 points separating the surging fifth place Ducks and Gretzky’s Coyotes in twelfth. This makes a total of eight teams that may have a shot at making it to post season play. Again the middle placed teams seem to show some semblance of parity similar to the east. The balance of power still seems to be in the hands of a few teams that have been at the top for most of the year, but as in any sport, it “aint over………”
DOES ANYBODY REALLY CARE?
Unfortunately, because of a lack of a TV contract of any size with a major network in the USA, only the fans in localized areas where teams are situated seem to be the ones following the league closely. In fact, if you look at the attendance figures, even in some of the US NHL cities the interest level is not that great.
I am a hockey fan and I feel that the NHL has made some really good moves towards making it a better game, but if you believe in “location, location, location” as a one of the keys to marketing, then they have to look closer at some of the present franchises and consider other spots where hockey will draw. Or maybe fewer teams would help to create parity?
In this case maybe smaller would be better.
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