Paul, I like this scenario.  You give VERSUS an extra SCF game as a reward for letting ESPN into the picture.  ESPN gets to turn 100% of their attention to hockey, since the NBA Finals have moved to ABC at this point, and NBC gets a series with fully developed storylines and Games 6 & 7, likely on a Saturday and a Monday night, where hockey would thrive.

I think it’s very important that you keep VERSUS and NBC in the picture.  The NHL needs SOME form of network exposure, and if NBC can make a profit off the game of the week, and get a NY or a Detroit team in the finals, they will see the benefit.  Networks will air ANYTHING in June that can get a 6 or 7 share.  A big market Stanley Cup Finals would produce that.

NBC cares less about the finals ratings this season because they’ve got the Olympics in August, which garantees them a large victory over the other networks in the Summer ratings.  If the NHL were to have a small-market final, this would be a good year.

Posted by Steve from New Jersey on 12/26/07 at 10:19 PM ET

I agree that the scenario you’ve portrayed is an ideal one. The only problem is that NBC will likely not cooperate by keeping the NHL.

Fortunately, I don’t think the NHL needs network exposure. Let’s face it, the networks are becoming more and more irrelevant when it comes to sports programming. Sports ratings for all sports (excluding, possibly, football) have been declining seriously. Football, basketball, and hockey each have their own channel. ESPN rules the sports “agenda setting function” (usually to the detriment of hockey), and no one pays attention to the networks when they want sports information or news.

The Internet, especially YouTube, is taking over much of the highlights function that everyone was forced to use the networks for 20 years ago.

And, hockey on NBC was always buried in an early afternoon timeslot when absolutely no one was watching. “Why give the pundits more chances to say, did you hear about the hockey ratings on NBC for last night’s Stanley Cup Playoffs game?” insert chuckles.

I think the NHL can do just fine by getting back on ESPN (which may or may not increse the amount of SportsCenter coverage it receives) and we can hope diminishes the amount of scorn heaped on the sport by its talking heads (who did this well before dropping the sport).

The most important thing is to continue to try and build Versus into a legitimate competitor to ESPN.

Posted by Jim from Idaho on 12/27/07 at 11:59 PM ET