The Fastest Game on Earth is Back

The new NHL season has begun, and their are many questions to start the new year. Unfortunately none of them are hockey related.

Like why is the NHL starting the season in London when they have enough trouble getting people to show up to games in the States. And why would you have the opening game be the Los Angeles Kings versus the Anaheim Ducks. There is a reason why the NBA, NFL and MLB send out two of the best teams in the league to open their season. Not the defending Stanley Cup Champion versus a team that is rebuilding. There is also a reason to why these leagues advertise their openers like crazy. I didn't know the season began until hours after the opener was over. Not only were the teams a poor choice, and the advertising dismal, but a noon (Eastern Time) game on a Saturday, are you serious?

While each night of the week will have MLB playoff games, through the first week in November. Saturday's are for College Football, Sunday and Monday night are for the NFL, Tuesday and Wednesday night have nothing, Thursday and Friday are College Football Night games. Rather than start the season on one specific night, why not start with a week of the NHL's best match ups at night? And the rest of the league will begin their game the next week. I don't care that the idea and match up is extremely gimmicky, the NHL needs to in order to get their ratings up.

Night #1 (NY Game)
San Jose vs NY Rangers
In order for hockey to be popular in the states it starts and stops in New York. Just like everything else, so why not give the people a possible Stanley Cup Preview.

Night #2 (Canada's Opener)
Edmonton vs Calgary
Toronto vs Montreal
Ottawa vs Vancouver
Though Canada is already on board with the NHL, why not give them a gift of seeing all their teams play on one night.

Night #3 (Future's Game)
Pittsburgh vs Washington
Let people get the chance to see the future of the league in Sidney Crosby vs Alexander Ovechkin.

Night #4 (Stanley Cup Rematch)
Ottawa vs Anaheim
Nothing to say here.

Night #5 (Original Six)
Detroit vs NY Rangers
Boston vs Toronto
Montreal vs Chicago
Nothing to say here either.

Night #6 (Eastern Confrence)
Buffalo vs New Jersey
Or here.

Night #7 (Western Rivalry)
Anaheim vs San Jose
Or even here.

And why is the NHL making their fans pay an additional fee for center ice online, even when they already get it for their television.

I almost feel its not that people do not like hockey, but they do not know about hockey. The NHL has done a great job of squashing any progress it was making after the lockout. The league needs to stop worrying so much about making their older fans happy, and doing things in the traditional sense, and start making the league more hip. Now the Chris Drury is playing with the New York Rangers he needs to be the face of the league, even though he is not the best player. He is American and is the closest thing in the NHL to Derek Jeter. He has the intangibles, he works hard, a team first player, and knows how to win. Though he does not have the Captaincy yet, because he just signed with the Rangers. If the league wants growth, than it needs to start changing its way of going about doing things.