Skip to main content

And the fans have spoken...

The results of the yearly NHLFA (NHL Fans Association) poll are in, and here's a recap of some of the more notable results:

  • Although it's a poll of diehard NHL fans, a full 36% fail to attend more than one NHL game per season. Perhaps this is another argument that ticket prices remain too high.
  • Favorite rule changes? The Tag-Up Offsides, elimination of the two-line pass, not allowing teams to change players after an icing, and assessment of fines upon video review for diving.
  • The least favorite rule changes? The final-five minute instigator penalty, and the dreaded Trapezoid of Doom, beyond which puckhandling goaltenders dare not tread.
  • Most fans (59%) view the new CBA as a positive force for change within the league, but it wasn't worth the loss of the 2004-5 season.
  • The division-heavy schedule was taken to the woodshed, with 60% of fans indicating it is "a bad idea."

My favorite item within the poll was the question, "Should the NHL and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) work together to bring Saturday "Hockey Night in Canada" to all American fans via a national public U.S. broadcaster?" A resounding 86% "YES" vote makes one wonder why the NHL has failed to even broach this issue in recent years.

There are 59 questions in full over at the NHLFA, and it's well worth taking some time to go through. And while you're there, sign up to join the NHLFA - it's free and your membership helps to make the voice of the fan that much louder within the NHL offices.

Popular posts from this blog

My goals for 2011: Make sports blogging pay off

In my never-ending quest to figure out a model for making what is currently my hobby & passion into something bringing in at least a side income, I've decided to set a couple goals for myself to complete during the rest of 2011. Simply put, I plan to publish two products over the next few months, which I hope will provide real value to hockey fans, and that they'll be willing to pay for. Will it succeed? Will it fail? The only way to know is to put my nose to the grindstone and get these two things done (I'll keep the details under my hat for now). The important thing to note is that these efforts are in addition to anything I'm doing over at OTF . Taking away what we're doing over there and asking people to pay for it is a surefire lose-lose all the way around, because if there's anything we've learned over the last few years, it's that people love to read about sports, but only for free. I'm also optimistic about Hockey Gea...
Read more

Social Media, Internet Marketing, and Real, Paying Customers - it really works!

Applying the basic tenets of internet marketing (SEO best practices and social media network building) have helped me grow the readership and engagement over at On The Forecheck tremendously in recent years, but lately I've been wondering if those same techniques could be applied to small- or medium-sized local businesses, to help them drive real, tangible business results. I'm talking about not just drawing idle hockey fans looking to a blog so they can muse over line combinations, but helping businesses connect with potential customers in ways that otherwise wouldn't occur. Recently, I was able to help make just such a thing happen, and it shows just how great the opportunities are for small, local businesses which may not have the resources or skills available to extend their brand effectively on the internet.
Read more

Celebrating a milestone month

I've been remiss in providing regular updates on my quest to turn this whole sports-blogging hobby into at least something of a significant side income, if not a career, but good news has a way of prompting action. That, and I've been heads-down busy working on a few different fronts to push things forward...
Read more