Outdoor game is a power play
TV and the NHL love it (so does Babcock)
There’s a feeling with some in the hockey community that the NHL’s outdoor games have passed their best-before dates, or that there are too many of them, that they are meaningless.
While those statements might ring true for some, they don’t ring true for the city hosting the outdoor game, and they don’t ring true for the fans attending, and they don’t ring true for the teams or players involved who seem to welcome the spotlight.
“There are two points on the line, but it’s a special event and you should embrace that and enjoy it as much as you can,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock told reporters in Annapolis. Md., after a Leafs practice.
“The way our schedule is it’s set up perfect for us. We looked forward to it.”
The Leafs and Capitals practised indoors after high winds forced the league to cancel a practice at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, where the final outdoor game of the NHL season will be played.
Capitals forward Tom Wilson is among the players looking forward to Saturday.
“One of the big things is it gives you a little bit of a mental break from the rest of the season,” Wilson told the Washington Times.
“It’s different. You’re outside your comfort zone. It’s fun to play outdoors. There’s a lot of attention. You get family and stuff in.”
The big thing, however, is that television — American television, to be precise — loves these events.
Outdoor games, including the Winter Classic and the Stadium Series, account for nine of NBC’s 10 most-watched regular-season NHL games to date.
If TV loves it, so do the powers that be in the NHL.
“We continue to schedule them because there continues to be a strong appetite for them both from our clubs and fans alike,” said NBC deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
You might think having a Canadian team — in this case, the Maple Leafs — involved would not be an ideal choice for NBC. But that’s not the case.
“It’s always good to have an Original Six team play in a highprofile game, such as Saturday night’s primetime game on NBC,” said NBC spokesperson Christopher McCloskey.
“Although we lose one local market rating in the U.S., the Maple Leafs have demonstrated in the past that they are capable of defying ratings logic.”
To that end, the Maple LeafsRed Wings 2014 Winter Classic is NBC’s highest-rated NHL regular-season game on record.
The NHL has long craved television ratings success in the United States, and the outdoor game helps in that regard.
Even in Canada though, where strong ratings are virtually guaranteed with or without gimmicks, TV still loves the outdoor game.
“There’s still an allure to an outdoor game,” Rob Corte, vicepresident of Sportsnet and NHL Production, said in an interview.
“This one in particular, at the Annapolis Naval Academy, is not a traditional NHL market. It will have a different audience. And that military feel brings a mystique to it.
“We see a (ratings) bump. Having the Leafs in the game helps. Then you add one of the NHL’s premier players in Alex Ovechkin.
“I think there’s a lot of intrigue and excitement.”
Sportsnet’s production crew needs a longer set-up time, learning to deal with a new venue, different camera angles, and technical issues of that ilk.
“It’s a different environment than we’re used to, and it provides some different challenges,” said Corte.
“But it’s exciting ...
“Part of the cool part is the crowd itself.
“And how are people dealing with the elements. How are they reacting to the game. That’s something that’s a little different than the controlled environment of the arena.”
The different way to tell stories, makes it worth it, says Corte.
One of the big things is it gives you a little bit of a mental break from the rest of the season. It’s different. You’re outside your comfort zone.” TOM WILSON Capitals player