NOT A BAD THING
The league could benefit from a budding Penguins dynasty.
Take that, Gary Bettman. Take that parity or, in the NHL commissioner’s vernacular, “competitive balance.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins, the first team to appear in back-toback Stanley Cup Finals since they and the Detroit Red Wings swapped titles in 2008 and 2009, became the first repeat champion since the Red Wings won in 1997 and 1998, meaning they are the first repeat Cup champion in the salary cap era.
The Penguins’ two-season run of excellence is a good thing for the NHL and bodes well for the league, even if this week’s expansion draft, age, and an expected flat salary cap for next season will meld to guarantee this particular group of Penguins has a shelf life.
Since an owners’ lockout led to the cancellation of the 2004-05 season and the NHL Players Association’s capitulation to a hard salary cap, Bettman — commissioner since 1993 — has touted an even-playing surface allowing for any team to potentially win the Cup.
With the league promoting — some might say force-feeding — non-traditional hockey markets such as Florida, Arizona, Las Vegas (next season) and, yes, Nashville, which proved during this Cup Final just how great the home fans are, Bettman’s vision has to include parity in order to maintain a higher level of interest.
Frankly, there’s nothing wrong with a good portion of the league’s fan base believing their team has a chance to at least make the playoffs.
Yet, for overall interest in the league, it’s good to have a superstar, or a superstar team to better attract the more casual fan.
Look no further than the NBA playoffs. There’s no question that, on a whole, the NHL playoffs were light years ahead of the NBA version in terms of competitiveness and intrigue.
Everyone knew LeBron James’ Cavaliers would meet Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and the rest of the Warriors in the NBA Finals.
Yet the airwaves have been dominated by talk of the, so-far, one-sided series between the teams. Who’s better, LeBron or Michael Jordan? Who’s better, Durant or Curry? Was Durant brave or cowardly to join the Warriors? Etc., etc., etc. The point is, people have an opinion on LeBron or Durant or Curry. And thus a heightened interest.
The NHL, which has always needed to do a better job of promoting its players (again, another side story in the continuing tension between the league and the NHLPA that will, most likely, end with another owners’ lockout following the 2019-20 season) has players on that level.
For instance, would you take Sidney Crosby or Mario Lemieux in their prime?
Speaking about Sid The Kid (now a misnomer as he turns 30 on Aug. 7), Crosby never has been more marketable in his storied career.
In addition to back-to-back Cups and back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP, Crosby led Team Canada to the championship in the preseason World Cup of Hockey and is a Hart Trophy finalist for the regular-season MVP.
Looking at the NHL’s recent history, there have been what could be considered other dynastic teams besides the Penguins. The Blackhawks won the Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The Kings beat the Devils in the 2012 Cup Final and the Rangers in the 2014 Cup Final. Who’s next? Start with Connor McDavid and the Oilers. The NHL certainly didn’t suffer when Edmonton won five Cups from 1984-90, playing a blindingly exciting brand of hockey led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. In just two seasons in the NHL, McDavid has showed he has Crosby-like potential.
That’s something the NHL could promote, for sure.
Yes, perennially strong teams, even ones who defy the NHL’s vision of parity by winning back-toback Cups, are great for the NHL
The league shouldn’t be reluctant to embrace that view.