The Fan

The football season has ended. Baseball is still a couple of months away and basketball's regular season seems like one long exhibition match. One would think this situation presents a golden opportunity for the NHL to gain fan support. For New Yorkers in particular, "the coolest game on earth" has not been this exciting in six years. The Rangers, with the help of a recent seven game winning streak, are attempting to secure a playoff spot as well as the support of their fans.

Tragically, throughout the United States, hockey continues to drown in the wake of the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball. There exist a number of causes for this. The first dates back to 1967, when the NHL expanded to more than double its original size. Yes, the move generated increased revenue for the league as well gain fan interest in the new cities. However, at the same time, fans now watched a diluted version of the greatness that once was. Imagine if today's NHL, that of 28 teams, disbanded. Then suppose a new six-team league would take its place. A draft would be held in order to secure the rights of the former NHLers. A typical front line would consist of high caliber players such as Jaromir Jagr, Mats Sundin and Paul Kariya. Rangers winger Theoren Fleury would be a second liner at best and Vancouver center Mark Messier might not even be drafted. In other words, the skill level in the league would drastically improve.

There is no way to turn back the clock to 1967. In order to help the problem though, the NHL should stop expanding. Apparently the league doesn't feel this way as for the 2000-01 season, two more teams are slated to join the league. Minnesota will be the recipient of one of the franchises, despite the city's inability to keep the North Stars from moving south a few years ago.

The North Stars' move to Dallas brings to mind another problem that the NHL currently faces. In recent years we have seen a trend of Canadian teams heading south of the border. The Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques have become the Phoenix Coyotes and the Colorado Avalanche. The owners' decision to move came as a result of financial hardships in Canada. Not only is the Canadian economy weaker than that of the U.S. but taxes in Canada are astronomical in comparison with what the American owners have to pay. The Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Ottawa Senators, and Edmonton Oilers may soon be forced to make the move southward or risk folding. The teams' owners have appealed to the Canadian government for tax relief. Their argument is that because of the positive effect hockey has on the Canadian economy and because large corporations in Canada receive tax help from the Government, the hockey teams should earn the same privileges. The Government believes that the taxpayer's money should be spent on more worthwhile causes such as education and health care. Most of Canada's taxpayers agree with the government.

The owner of the Ottawa Senators claims to have devised a plan to save the Canadian teams but as of yet, it has not been made public. The best way to help out these small market teams would be to institute a policy of revenue sharing by teams. The NFL has revenue sharing and the fact that teams like the Rams and Titans could surpass the gigantic markets of Dallas and San Francisco proves that the system works. Of course asking the owners of teams like the Rangers or Toronto Maple Leafs to take a large cut in revenue to help out the Canadian teams seems a bit unlikely.

Financial problems aside, the NHL has also taken some hard blows to its image this season. A number of weeks ago, Ottawa Senators forward Vachslav Prospal referred to Canadiens' defenseman Patrice Brisbois as a "frog." For those who are unaware, "frog" is a derogatory term for a French-Canadian. As we have seen recently with the John Rocker incident in baseball, racism in today's society continues to be a problem and the problem certainly does not stop at the locker room door. The only way to keep players' comments to themselves is the threat of suspension. Prospal received a two game suspension and by doing this the NHL has sent a message to the players that even one word said to a fellow player on the ice will not be tolerated. Major League Baseball has gone even further and as of now, Rocker will not be playing before May 1^st.

An incident perhaps more damaging to the league's image involved Rangers' winger Kevin Stevens. The one time 50 goal scorer and NHL all-star was charged with cocaine possession and is now entering into a drug rehabilitation program. Due to the attention that the NHL receives, drug problems in the past have not been publicized. Unfortunately, the fact that Stevens plays for NY means that his every move is covered by the country's toughest media and thus made national headlines. Most people know of the drug problems of Dwight Gooden or Darryl Strawberry but does anyone remember when Chicago Blackhawk Bob Probert was suspended for a season for drug use? Or when goaltender Grant Fuhr admitted he had a drug problem? Maybe us hockey fans should consider the lack of NHL coverage in this country a blessing in disguise.