If you take a look at the NHL playoff picture right now you will notice that “non-traditional” markets are dominating the division leads.
Turn on any nationally televised NHL game this season and you are likely to find an “Original Six” team taking on one of four NBC favorites – the Kings, Penguins, Flyers, or Capitals. All of these teams either have a rich history or the star power that make them a network favorite. They all also have another thing in common: none of them are leading one of the four NHL divisions at the All-Star break.
If you are a fan of abolishing the “NBC 10” then the current playoff picture is a dream come true for you. Leading the Atlantic Division by three points is the Tampa Bay Lightning – a Florida team, the most non-traditional of non-traditional hockey markets. The New York Islanders are three points ahead of the Penguins for first place in the Metropolitan Division – sure it’s New York and they are moving to Brooklyn next year, but the Rangers still carry all of the network weight in the Big Apple.
The Nashville Predators hold a four point lead over the Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division – this one probably has NBC worried the most. The Anaheim Ducks hold a commanding 12 point lead over the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division. Meanwhile the Los Angeles Kings (Dynasty!) are on the outside looking in – at the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets!
Five of the six “Original Six” teams are currently in some type of playoff position – only the Toronto Maple Leafs are currently out (what else is new?). The Penguins and Capitals are also in playoff positions as well – so there is some hope for NBC’s ratings if the playoffs started today.
However, all this goes to show that hockey is booming in the places that supposedly are not “real hockey markets”. The current list of division leaders sounds like a support group for victims of “empty seat pics“. None of those teams have ever been a candidate to host a Winter Classic – and only the Anaheim Ducks and the New York Islanders have taken part in an NHL outdoor game (the Ducks piggybacked with the Kings, and the Islanders with the Rangers). Three of the four play in areas that would not be considered cold weather climates.
All of this should feel like a breath of fresh air for NHL fans. I’m tired of flipping on the TV on a Saturday afternoon and seeing some combination of the Flyers and Rangers or Capitals and Bruins. I know these teams bring in the most ratings, but for hardcore hockey fans, these match-ups are largely overdone and boring. As new “non-traditional” teams start to take division leads and go on deep runs into the playoffs, perhaps we will start to see the national networks shuffle their lineups a little. It wasn’t that long ago that the Los Angeles Kings were a forgotten team in the NHL. Two Stanley Cups later and they are one of the marquee franchises for the NHL and NBC.
While I understand we must temper our expectations – I hardly believe the Nashville Predators will ever take the place of the Los Angeles Kings in NBC’s lineup, there is a chance that teams like the Islanders and the Lightning (and their considerable star power) can start getting some national attention.
Every season some non-traditional teams sneak into the playoffs and capture the hearts of NHL fans (see the Columbus Blue Jackets last season). If by some miracle this current playoff picture stands, the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs may see a handful of non-traditional teams making a run for the Stanley Cup.