Are the Stanley cup finals a good investment?

Every hockey child dreams of one day hoisting the Stanley Cup over there head, it is the ultimate prize for one whose whole life has been devoted to playing a sport that they love. Unfortunately for the N.H.L it looks as though they have run into a bit of difficulty. The main problem is attracting American fans to watch the sport. It has also hit home with the recent Stanley Cup finals played between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings. The N.H.L has no problem attracting fans from Canada to watch the sport but have found it more difficult to bring fans from the United States to watch the game.

There was recently some controversy regarding the N.H.L and the brodcasting station involved with the Stanley cup finals in the United States. NBC, the station who owned the rights to the Stanley cup finals asked the NHL to scheduale the second game of the Stanley Cup finals the day after the first game had been played. This was the first time such a thing had happened since 1954. But NBC did have a reason for such schedualing, they did not want to interfear with there primetime week night schedual, WHAT?! Yes thats right Conan O'Brian new weeknight show "The tonight show" had its first offical episode run that Monday night and NBC felt that Conan's show would be in higher demand than game 2 of the Stanley cup finals. They also had games 3 and 4 moved to another broadcaster as they felt the same of these games as well. So what is the logic behind this. Well it seems that hockey has just not caught on in America and the big broadcasters feel that it is not a good investment for them to move, or cancel shows to broadcast the finals of what is considered the biggest sport in Canada.

So how will the NHL deal with this? Well they could find another broadcaster in the States for there Stanley cup finals so that they do not have to base there scheduals around the scheduals of the broadcaster. If they also find a way to grow in the United States they could have more of a voice when they create there scheduals and hopefully will not be pushed aside for a 2 bit comedian whos been 10 years past his prime.