The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs begin tonight with eight
games, and in Philadelphia, Ray Parrillo writes that "if
ever the NHL needed an exciting and memorable postseason to
boost its game, this is the year" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER,
4/22). USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand previews the Stanley
Cup's TV coverage and asks, "Can the league finally become a
big enough draw to keep its presence on broadcast TV?"
Noting the sport's low ratings, Hiestand writes, "Why hockey
remains stuck on the TV launch pad is hard to explain. Fox
gave the league a broad platform, ESPN has given it more
exposure on its spinoff channels and both have made TV
hockey production more zippy. ... But its audiences are so
small you have to wonder if it will ever make it on a
broadcast network, perhaps the most important factor in a
league's national potential." He concludes that if the NHL
"isn't a big enough draw to warrant broadcast network
coverage, the sport will be dealt about as big a blow as it
could get" (Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY, 4/22).
GO CUP CRAZY, GO CUP NUTS: The league continues its
"Cup Crazy" marketing campaign around the playoffs for the
third straight year. As part of the promo, an expanded, 16-
page special section appears in this morning's USA Today and
the paper will also partner with the league with a playoff
point-of-sale program at more than 4,000 retail outlets from
mid-May through June. Around the Cup Finals, Sports
Illustrated will produce a special section on the Stanley
Cup and its history. NHL marketing partners Coca-Cola,
through its Surge brand, MasterCard, and IBM will also run
"Cup Crazy" initiatives. JCPenney will once again feature
its "Bring The Cup Home" program where a sweeps allows one
fan to host the Cup at their home over the summer (NHL).
SKILLS: BRANDWEEK's Terry Lefton writes that the NHL is
exploring a youth skills competition, "tentatively called
Junior Super Skills." The league "hopes to test the program
in as many as four markets next season" (BRANDWEEK, 4/20).
WWW.HISTICK.COM: The NHL Fans' Association has launched
www.NHLFA.com, which will allow fans to comment on the
league (NHLFA). The site was created so fans could voice
"questions and concerns" about the NHL. Group co-Founder
Jim Boone: "We're shooting for at least 10,000 members."
Boone and co-Founder Jim Spendlove are also searching for a
corporate sponsor for the site (OTTAWA SUN, 4/22).
