In the final segment of his two-part "Free Style"
series on the state of the NHL, FSN's Keith Olbermann stated
that in the NHL, "there is the absence of stars and the
domination of internationals, who, through no fault of their
own, are inadequate marketers, marketing tools and spokesmen
for the sport. ... The NHL has had seven franchise moves,
plus one bankruptcy, and now [there is] the threat that all
the Canadian teams, except Montreal and Toronto, could
vanish within two seasons. ... While small market teams
continue to struggle financially, they dominate the
standings. ... The top nine franchises, in terms of market
size, have produced only nine of the thirty finalists. ...
What would happen to the NBA if the finals, every year, were
Sacramento versus Charlotte?" Olbermann: "While parts of
the core of the operation have approached meltdown, the NHL
has moved into dubious new locations and continues to
stretch itself thinner and thinner by expansion" (FSN, 2/9).
NO DRAFT? In Toronto, Hornby & Wharnsby write that the
Maple Leafs have applied to host the NHL Draft at Air Canada
Centre in either 2001 or 2002 (TORONTO SUN, 2/10).
