Look who’s talking: ESPN, NHL

This could be HUGE.

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It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a goddamn shame.

http://www.TheCommittedIndian.com/

It might happen sooner than you think Stink. With the NBA ref debacle going on ESPN2 would be fools to let the NHL just sit and rot on VS. I think the NHL is in a great spot to grab some viewers in wake of this NBA crap.

I know we are in the minorty but the NHL is a far better product than the NBA has been in the past 2 years and it bums me out we have mornos like Bettmen running it but now is the time to cash in when the NBA has a mess on their hands.

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"You can't put a bounty on a man's head"!

They couldn't cash in during what many argue was the sport's zenith, the 1994 Rangers winning the cup, so I hold very little optimism that Bettman will be able to do so now.

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It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a goddamn shame.

http://www.TheCommittedIndian.com/

good, vs. sucks and half the people dont have it on cable

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whitesoxwire.com
whitesoxwire.blogspot.com

I created it, you follow it.

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but the NHL just re-upped its U.S. TV deal with Versus, which is DIRECTV 603. They're not going back to ESPN anytime soon, and with Barry Melrose back in coaching, who's going to analyze the games? Barry was a fixture in Bristol, CT since the Los Angeles Kings sent him packing about a decade ago.

fixed...and SHARK, someone needs to let you in on the spammers on this board...

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

City, I never referred to Barry Melrose as a moron. Factually speaking, the Blackhawks had a chance to hire him as head coach many years ago before he stayed at ESPN. I believe he recently landed in Tampa Bay or with Florida as the team's new head coach.

Barry Melrose. Great analyst. Not so great coach.

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+1 Hoffy.

Kinda the reverse Mike Keenan.

I doubt that the NHL could ever return to ESPN if the NHL still has a deal with NBC. So aint nothing going to happen until that deal expires.

and Melrose isn't a great analyst, but he's a very entertaining one, and he is one of the few hockey "experts" out their with a normal head of hair. (Note that I use the term "normal" lightly)

Barnaby is a tool and needs to jump in front of traffic.

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Yeah, but this thread is 2 years old. I wanted to bump it because I miss hockey night and Gary Thorne.

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Well, the NHL drops the puck on the 2009-10 season officially tomorrow, and as it stands now, DIRECTV continues to play hardball with VERSUS. Unless you wish to pay extra $$$$ for the "Centre Ice" package, VERSUS is no longer an option for hardcore hockey fans. Not to say many even knew VERSUS even existed to begin with...

I think the NHL not being on ESPN was a bigger factor than the Hawks sucking for me losing interest in hockey. I loved watching the 9-10 PM west coast games on ESPN. There'd always be a Mogilny, Kariya, Bure, Selanne, etc.. on the ice and it was just fun to watch.

I think the real reason why ESPN decided to drop "National Hockey Night" in the U.S. is simple. Ratings were abysmal and it didn't look like the owners & players were all that interested in getting a collective bargaining agreement done the year there was a lockout that cancelled everything NHL-related. That's why they took their pucks and their sticks over to a little-known network now called VERSUS, the former Outdoor Life Network, about 3 years or so ago.