#8 isn’t a bad idea at all:

8. Each pick in the draft should be made by someone famous. Yes, scouting departments work all year long for this day. And yes, scouting is often a thankless job. However, the NHL is a league in need of growth, and star power goes a long way. The highlights of the draft were when Phoenix coach (and, you know, Great One) Wayne Gretzky and Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson (Lennon to Fisher’s McCartney) went on stage to make their teams’ first selections. Gretzky’s standing ovation lasted longer than Gary Bettman’s razzing—which, if you follow hockey you know, lasts forever. In 2007 Ovechkin announced Nicklas Backstrom as the Caps’ first pick and now they’re linemates. That’s cool, eh? Vincent Lecavalier should have been on hand to greet Stamkos. Let’s make this a requirement.

Posted by Mike from NYC on 06/25/08 at 09:45 AM ET

How about the cheers Yzerman got when he made the very last pick?  He was just impressed that everyone was still awaks by that time.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/25/08 at 09:51 AM ET

No one knows what ESPN is in Ottawa. We had to tell people we were “the TSN of America.”

Gee, ya think your decision to drop hockey had anything to do with that?

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 06/25/08 at 10:10 AM ET

I’m from Toroto and I live in New York and I read this story because I frequently read this blog and was really excited. Two reporters from ESPN going all the way to Ottawa for the draft, FINALLY. Maybe ESPN is paying attention. I thought some of the ideas were good (like #8, Mike) and the jokes were funny enough. So I googled the two ladies and found out that one was a pretty famous basketball writer, they both know a thing or two about the UFC and one is really hot and good at golf. Even better, ESPN is putting people that seem to matter at the network on the NHL.

And then I saw this.

http://www.sensnation.com/talk/index.php?topic=3139.msg235680;topicseen

That’s right. Senators fans are going after them. Nice work, Ottawa. They even said they would go back, I wouldn’t even go back to that city by choice. But no, Ottawa fans attack them for not knowing about hockey (they work for ESPN), being anti-Canada and basically everything else, especially trying to be fun with it. So thanks a lot, sensnation. Now they’ll probably never give a **** about the NHL again. Actually, I’m going to send that link to ESPN with an apology telling them that not all fans are like theirs and hopefully they will stick with the NHL and just boycott Ottawa. I’d love to see ESPN cover the Leafs. And I would love even more for the Senators players to know their loser fans are the reason a hot girl who is good at golf doesn’t cover the team.

SUCKAS!

Posted by DONTLEAVESUNDIN! from NEW YORK on 06/26/08 at 09:58 PM ET

I second (or third?) the motion that ESPN should cover much more hockey.  From my living room, I don’t get TSN (or even worse, TSN HD).

Posted by Ink Bottle from Los Angeles, CA on 10/28/08 at 02:30 PM ET