Submitted by Ed, Nov 14, 2007 18:11

This is exactly what the NHL needs. I read a column some years ago about a possible divisional expansion into Europe, with maybe 5 teams in London, Prague, Stockholm, Petersburg, etc... I just think it would be a great idea to get hockey to the areas where people dig it. It enriches the whole sport, and right now, the NHL's uncoolness is tangible. Bill Simmons makes regular remarks about the lack of consequence of a league that carries its All-Star game on a channel called Versus (and it's freaking ridiculous). And I myself find myself turned off by matchups against non-teams like the Blue Jackets, whether they have players or not. It's the impression that no one is watching that makes it a non-event. And this has transcended the actual fact since the lockout.

A friend in Philly told me he went to a hat store recently and got into an argument with the cashier. He wanted a Flyers hat. They didn't carry them, by miracle, and the cashier said, "Well, maybe we'd have them in stock if they were winning." My friend said, "Are you kidding me?? They're in first place in the best division in hockey!!" But the newspapers don't write about them, they're never on the front page, and there you go.

Hockey is salvageable in Philly. Wait until the playoffs and see how many people jump on the bandwagon. But it was a Bettmanesque (my future adjective for pathetic shortsightedness) tide that brought weirdly-named teams like the Jackets, Preds + Thrashers into the league while killing tradition and fanbase in places like QC and the 'Peg. And it's just impossible to care about these young teams if you're not from the area. It's not the teams themselves, it's our lack of awareness about them. Move those teams to Canada though, and see how their coverage is affected.

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