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NHL News
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 05 June 2008 18:43 |
 The following are post-game commentary from Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, Conn Smythe trophy winner Henrick Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Osgood, Penguins coach Michel Therrien, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Ryan Whitney, and Evgeni Malkin following the decisive Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
COACH MIKE BABCOCKQ. What was harder, the last 30 seconds or the long wait before the game began?
COACH MIKE BABCOCK: You know, even in the last game, the last minute and stuff like that wasn't long or harder, it was just doing what you do.
The interesting thing is when you're playing in the Stanley Cup Final like this and it's a closeout game, the emotion on your bench is so much more than you've had to deal with. Getting guys on and off the ice is more difficult, and yet we have a real committed group.
Nicklas Lidstrom, in my opinion, is a phenomenal leader and captain. And with his poise and his skill. And then the support group in Chelios and Draper. And Datsyuk and Zetterberg, for their leadership. You know, we have a very special team, and we're thrilled to be in this situation, obviously.
Q. All season long you were so focused on the process. Now that you got to the end and your name is going to be on that Cup, what are your emotions?
COACH MIKE BABCOCK: Well, you know, I probably haven't come to grips with that. But to be able to share this journey with the guys and to be able to share it with the city of Detroit, and obviously my family, that's very emotional. And I'm sure I'm going to have some emotional moments in the next week just thinking about it.
But to have your name on the Stanley Cup, pretty special.
Q. How important was it to get that first power play goal tonight?
COACH MIKE BABCOCK: I think always scoring first is very important, if you possibly can. And it's not like they weren't given some opportunities on the power play tonight.
We had to do a good job on the penalty kill and we just found a way to win the game.
Q. Can you just talk about the effort that the Penguins gave you throughout this series?
COACH MIKE BABCOCK: Well, the news since the cap world, everybody's good. We played four tough series. I can't remember who we played last it seemed so long ago, but they're all good. The battle we got from Nashville, from Colorado, and Dallas to play a talented, talented group like this, I was very impressed with Michel Therrien's ability to run the bench.
He has a good feel to know who is playing the best, and he makes adjustments accordingly. I thought he made it hard for us as a team. And to me he's done a fantastic job with his team. They just keep getting better and better.
Mario and his ownership group here got a good thing going here. Obviously the city of Pittsburgh.
Q. Chris Osgood is usually a guy who flies under the radar. He probably had the best two games after losses; can you talk about his ability to play in those games?
COACH MIKE BABCOCK: I think Ozzie is a fantastic story. You talk about us, but when you pull your goalie in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, that usually means you're going fishing in about three days, and not 14 more wins or whatever we needed to get it done. You gotta give him a lot of credit. He sat in my office at my house three years ago or two years ago, I guess, after the season and talked about reinventing himself and finding a way, and he did.
He learned how to butterfly, and he's improved his game. And he's now back as one of the top goalies in the League because of his mental toughness and his stick‑to‑itiveness. And I think he showed that in bouncing back and winning tonight.
Q. In the past you've come within a game of winning the Cup. So from one coach to another, what would you say to Michel Therrien who is not feeling too good right now?
COACH MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I can tell him that he's won at the Junior level and Minor Pro level and now he's a winner at this level. He's going to get his opportunity. And coaches don't get here by accident. And you need good players, and he knows what he's doing. He's done a good job. In the time he's been here, he's made a huge difference. You don't get here without being a big believer in yourself, and he's obviously that. He did a heck of a job, and he should be proud of himself and his team.
Q. Can you talk about Zetterberg's performance in winning the Conn Smythe Trophy, the attention on both ends of the ice was something to see.
COACH MIKE BABCOCK: You know, I mean, someone said to me here earlier, you turned your best offensive players into checkers. I never did that. They're just very good both ways, and deliver offensively. And that's the philosophy I have, anyway. I believe if the people that are playing against the best people can score, they have to worry about them.
If you've got guys who don't score playing against those people, they can just let it go on offense all the time. Zetterberg and Pavel are two of the best players in the world. And when you put Rafalski and Nick on the ice with them, I mean, that's a pretty special group.
And Crosby and Hossa gave us all we could handle, and yet it was great to see us, obviously, get this done.
Q. Ken Holland said just a little while ago that you guys had to lose the Anaheim series to get back here. So when something like that happens and you go through a long road, how do you reset yourself for another long, not‑so‑guaranteed struggle to get back?
COACH MIKE BABCOCK: Well, it's difficult, obviously. But if you go through the last three years in the NHL and the amount of games we've won, I mean, we won 58, we won 50, and we won 54.
So do the math there. And then we flamed out. We went 2‑4 against the Oilers. And last year we got to the Final Four, won a lot of games. And this year it's been a process. It didn't happen overnight. We've been a good team, and I think elite, elite team for the last three years. And we were finally able to get it done.
HENRIK ZETTERBERGQ. What were your thoughts on killing the two‑minute penalty early, the two man advantage. How key was that to this game?
HENRIK ZETTERBERG: Well, of course it was huge. It's not the first time they had a two‑man advantage. Of course, it was a great opportunity for them to score. But we battled through it.
And we kept the puck outside the net.
Q. What are your emotions winning that award next to you there?
HENRIK ZETTERBERG: (Smiling) it feels pretty good. It's been a long way. And it's been a long season. Especially in the last few nights ago in Joe Louis Arena was devastating. And found a way to battle back. And it's just a great feeling right now.
Q. Can you talk about the play of the Penguins. A lot of people didn't think they had a chance in the series. They made it an interesting one. What are your thoughts on how they played?
HENRIK ZETTERBERG: Well, they battled really hard. They were down 3‑1 and came to our building, and I think their first period in our arena was unbelievable. They just came at us.
We really didn't have anything to answer it. But overall, I think they played really good. They had some really skilled players. It's a young team, and they're going to be a good team for many years to come.
Q. Your fellow Swede, Nicklas Lidstrom, became the first European captain to win a Cup. What does that mean to you for him to have that place in hockey history?
HENRIK ZETTERBERG: It's a great feeling. There's been a lot of talk about that throughout the years. It's great to see him lifting the Cup and with the C on his chest. It means so much for the team and the organization. He's bringing it every night. He's probably our best player every night.
And I'm really happy for him. And as I say, it was a great feeling seeing him lift that Cup.
Q. What was it about your team that made you guys be able to bounce back from that last loss, as you did in previous series, disappointing losses to come back and closeout series?
HENRIK ZETTERBERG: We've been there before. We knew that even if we lost Game 5, we play good on the road. And we just had a mind‑set, we're going to play a good game. And we had a great start, and we just kept going. Kind of what we did in Dallas. It's great to have that behind us, and we know we could pull it off. And we did.
Q. Historic night obviously with Lidstrom becoming the first European captain to win the Cup, but it's also the second time that a European has won the trophy sitting beside you there. Nicklas is the only other one who has won this. Can you talk about sharing your name with his on that trophy, I think with other 40 other Canadian players?
HENRIK ZETTERBERG: Well, it's some great names on there. I didn't know Nicklas was the only European. Of course, it's special to be on there. And especially to be among such great players, and especially with Nick. It's great to have that with him.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about, I know you were brought in 2002 during the Cup run, during the Colorado series. Can you talk a little bit about seeing that group, and obviously this is your first time since then, and what that put in your mind at an early age?
HENRIK ZETTERBERG: Well, it was a great experience. It was me and Niklas Kronwall. They brought us over here. We saw two games against the Avalanche, and it was real high, high speed in the game. And both me and Nick didn't realize that we were able to play there next year. We were really -- it was a little bit too fast for our game, but it was a great experience. We met all the guys.
And I remember I went down and met Steve and Nick and Draper and Holmer and a few others. So it was a great experience. It was good for me to have when I came for training camp.
Q. There in the last minute and a half when Hossa scored, and then they had that real frantic ending there where they almost scored there at the last second, was there any time you guys were thinking: My God, here we go again. This is just like Game 5?
HENRIK ZETTERBERG: Yeah, you know, we were happy we had the two‑goal lead. But when they scored the second one, we knew it was going to be tight all the way to the end.
And when they had a chance, I don't know how many seconds was left, but when I saw the puck behind the net, and I looked up and it was 00:00 on the game clock, I was a pretty happy man.
NICKLAS LIDSTROMQ. Nick, how much thought did you give to who would get the Cup, when did you start thinking about it, and why Dallas Drake?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I started thinking about it actually in the first round. I didn't tell anyone about it. But I started thinking about if we were to go the whole way, who should be the guy I gave it to first.
And looking at all the players on our team, Dallas is one of the first ones I played with. He came in the year after I did. He's been in the League for 16 years.
He had a long, good career. And he had never been to the Final before. So it felt natural to me to give it to him for all the effort and hours and everything he's put into the game, and not having a chance to hoist a Cup yet.
Q. What does this mean to you? Is it any different being the captain of the team that wins? Is there any different significance to this, how that felt being the first guy to get the Cup?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: It felt great being the first guy to touch the Cup on our team. Otherwise it felt the same as winning the previous ones, where you're so happy with the end result. You start training camp with a goal, and that is to win the Stanley Cup.
You talk about it throughout the season and the way you have to play to be able to be successful in the playoffs. And we had a good regular season, and we were able to carry that into the playoffs, too, and so that's something I'm more proud the way the team played in the playoffs, too.
It was a tough loss last year against Anaheim in the conference finals, but most of the guys were on that team last year. And this time around, I thought the team really responded well to some of the adversity we faced throughout the run.
Q. I know you didn't want to talk about it too much until you got it, but now that you are the first European born captain to lift this trophy, what does that mean to you?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: It's something I'm very proud of. I've been over here for a long time. And I watched Steve Yzerman hoist it for three times in the past, and I'm very proud of being the first European. I'm very proud of being a captain of the Red Wings. So much history with the team and great tradition and we see some of the older players coming through, so I'm very proud to be the captain. And I'm very proud to finally be able to win the Stanley Cup, too.
Q. Can you just talk about the effort the Penguins gave you guys tonight and throughout the series?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: They earned the spot to be in the Stanley Cup Final. We watched them throughout the playoffs. They've been playing real well. And one of the things we said going into facing them, that we have to shut down their offense. Try to eliminate their scoring chances, and cut down on their scoring chances, especially the top two lines that they had.
They've been so good offensively, that if we can play tight defensively, we have to get our chances on the offense end. Tonight I thought was a great example of playing real strong defensively, but we took the play to them, too. We tried to be on the offense more than sitting back and playing defense. And tonight I thought it worked well for us.
Q. What does it say that this team in the last 11 seasons under two completely different economic systems has won four Stanley Cups?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: We've proven that under the new system where it's more of an even playing field, that the team has really responded well. We've had the same core group of guys, four, five, six guys for a lot of years. And I think that's been very helpful to keep that core group and add a few players every year.
But it shows that we're still able to play well with the new system. And people probably thought we were going to drop off a little bit going into that first season after the lockout, and the team didn't lose a beat. I thought we played well in the first year after that. And I think we've just been getting better and better under Mike Babcock.
Our system has been working real well for us. But I think as a team we've really beared down and are playing in the system well.
Q. What was it about this team that enabled you to bounce back after losing such a crushing game in Game 5? You had done it in the previous series as well, what was the quality of this team that allowed you to do that?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I think experience has a lot to do with that. We have some young players, but when you have some players that have been through it before, they know what to expect.
And I think that gives the whole team some calmness, too, that we're not going to panic. We're going to go out there and try to play our system and play, stick to our game plan. But the main thing is that we didn't get rattled. I thought we looked a little tentative in Game 5, in that first period in Game 5. You talk about not thinking ahead and kind of put all the distractions away, but it's in the back of your mind, they're still there a little bit.
I think that showed in Game 5, in the first period. Once we got going, we played a lot better in that game. But losing that in triple overtime, I thought the team did a good job of putting that behind us. Coming here yesterday on the plane everybody was relaxed. We felt confident as a group. And I felt like that showed in that first period, too, the way we played in the first period tonight.
CHRIS OSGOODQ. Can you take us through those final seconds, things looked a little anxious there.
CHRIS OSGOOD: Yeah, I mean first of all, it's never easy. They came at us. I mean, of course we had to make it. We were a two‑goal lead with a 1:50 left and we take a penalty.
It was chaotic the last 40 seconds. We had it out of the zone with 10 seconds left, and they made a great play. They have a really good team. Crosby was flying. I knew it was a good backhander. I tried to get as far out as I could, and it ended up hitting my arm. I think time had ran out before it started rolling over the side of the net. I was happy to see the ref yell time was up when I looked up.
Q. You've said you were one of those guys that flies under the radar, and you've been through a lot in the last few years, what does this moment mean to you right now?
CHRIS OSGOOD: It's special, because coming back here, I always wanted to play in Detroit. And just kept fighting, never gave up.
Worked on my game and did the right things I needed to do to get to this moment. I never ever doubted myself. I just needed the opportunity.
Q. You pretty much shut down one of the most explosive teams in hockey. Can you talk about the effort the Penguins gave you this series and especially tonight?
CHRIS OSGOOD: It was tough. I mean everybody says we dominated the first two games. We shoot a lot.
We shoot from the outside for rebounds. We score goals like tonight. But the first game was 2‑0 with four minutes left, the same with the second game. The other four were all one‑goal games played to the last second. They had a very good young team.
It was tough. They're a quick fast team that's big, and we had to battle every single game to get out of the series.
Q. I know there were a couple of late goals in the last two games, but beyond that I think that the stats were pretty one‑sided in your favor in the third period. Seemed like a lot of teams sit back in the third, you pressed, and that seemed to be your best period in the series?
CHRIS OSGOOD: I think that's from being here before. I know the last two games, last minute, we weren't very good. We were just hanging on. But we always say we want to take the initiative and go after teams.
We've done that before. We've sat back and ended up losing games. We believe we've just got to keep playing and forechecking and doing our thing, and we'll be successful more times than not.
Select Read More to see comments from the Penguins, including coach Michel Therrien, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Ryan Whitney, and Evgeni Malkin |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 05 June 2008 15:02 |
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Henrik Zetterberg had an assist and scored a goal as the Detroit Red Wings held off a late charging Pittsburgh Penguins to claim their fourth Stanley Cup championship in 11 seasons last night, taking the series 4-2. For his contributions over the series, Zetterberg was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy. Red Wings players, coaches and staff will participate in a parade to celebrate the 2008 Stanley Cup Championship on Friday, June 6, 2008, starting at 11:00 a.m. The parade will end with a celebration rally at Hart Plaza. Details of the parade route will be released later today. The series was deemed a “dream match-up†due to the talent laden teams, including having Sidney Crosby on the ice, which impacted viewership. It also highlighted US markets with a strong history in the NHL, pitting Hockeytown against Pittsburgh. Ratings for the playoffs and the Stanley Cup were all up from last year’s figures, a possible sign that the game is holding interest with more casual fans. Game 6 ratings figures have not yet been released, but NBC earned a 3.8 overnight rating and a 7 share for Game 5, the best overnight rating for a Stanley Cup Final Game 5 in six years, and the best for an NHL game on NBC since NBC reacquired the NHL in 2004. The average of 6.2 million viewers made it the most-watched Stanley Cup Final game since Game 5 in 2002 between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Red Wings (6.8 million). NBC also saw a 2.8/5 overnight Nielsen rating compared to 1.5/3 for last year's Game 3, an increase of 86.7%. from the year prior. Games 1 and 2 were aired on Comcast’s VERSUS garnering high marks for the cable network. Game 1 drew a 1.8 rating in the U.S. with over 2.3 million viewers according to Nielsen Media Research. The game also marked the highest rated NHL broadcast ever for the VERSUS channel, surpassing the Penguins’ 4-2 victory in Game 2 of this year’s Eastern Conference finals. VERSUS also garnered a 1.9 national rating and 2,537,560 total viewers for its Game 2 telecast of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final Monday, making it the most-watched program in network history. The increased interest has allowed for deals to be brokered that bode well for the NHL as the 2007-2008 season draws to a close. The six-year broadcast and digital-rights deal with TSN, and renewal of the pouring rights deal with Anheuser-Busch for Bud Light as the Official Beer of the NHL are but two deals that occurred over the last few days. Questions remain about the future with some franchises. Jim Balsillie continues to explore possible options for purchasing a team and moving them to Hamilton, Ontario. There have also been questions regarding the ownership structure of Predators and the impending launch of the Continental Hockey League; all questions for the off-season. But, for now, the NHL will surely be happy about how the past season transpired. Eyes can now be focused on where the next Outdoor Winter Classic will be held and riding the wave that was the 2007-2008 NHL season.
OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Wednesday, 04 June 2008 21:59 |
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 The National Hockey League (NHL) announced today it has reached an agreement with Anheuser-Busch, Inc. for Bud Light to remain the Official Beer of the NHL through the 2010-11 season.
Simultaneous renewals with Anheuser-Busch and Labatt, which markets and distributes Bud Light in Canada, gives the brand category exclusivity and a brand presence in-game and at retail across North America.
Bud Light has been the Official Beer Sponsor of the NHL since 1998 and, at the local level, sponsors 21 of the League’s 24 U.S. teams. In addition to remaining the official and exclusive beer sponsor of the NHL All-Star Game, Bud Light gains the same distinction for the NHL Winter Classic, as well as the opportunity to offer a consumer promotion involving the Stanley Cup.
The combination of local support with activation across the NHL’s comprehensive portfolio of marketing and media assets creates great opportunities for both brands.
“The NHL’s expanded partnership with Bud Light validates our strategy to successfully activate avid fans across a portfolio of media and marketing assets,†said John Collins, the NHL’s Senior Executive Vice President of Business and Media. “Renewing and expanding our relationship with Bud Light aligns us with a premier North American brand in a key sports marketing category.â€
“The NHL continues to put out a great product year after year and is doing a fine job of using new marketing platforms to connect with its fans,†said Tony Ponturo, Vice President of Global Media and Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “This is especially true of the digital space, which is a shared point of emphasis for Bud Light.â€
Source: The National Hockey League
OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. |
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Written by Michael J. Senno
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Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:54 |
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 The good news keeps coming for the NHL. On the heels of the best postseason television ratings in years, and a regular season with record-setting attendance and improved television ratings, league revenue reached an all-time high of $2.56 billion. As reported by Terry Lefton in Sports Business Journal:
It has its best U.S. postseason ratings story in years and record regular-season attendance has been followed by an unprecedented sellout of every playoff game. Revenue at NHL Enterprises, the league’s business arm, is up 40 percent, licensed merchandise sales have increased 15 percent. Overall, total league revenue is at a high of $2.56 billion, and three years after a lockout, there’s optimism at a league where that has been in short supply. “We’re bullish on growth and I’m not sure you had anyone say that here for a while,†said John Collins, NHL senior executive vice president of business and media.
Revenue has increased approximately 25% in the post-lockout era. Though revenue and ratings still lag behind the three major sports leagues, the NHL still made significant strides this season. Earlier this season, the New Years Day outdoor game in Buffalo was a major success, and has created buzz about an annual outdoor game, and NBC decided to continue NHL coverage for the 2008-2009 season.
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Michael J. Senno is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Sunday, 25 May 2008 14:46 |
Sidney Crosby wearing the new 9k Pump Skate by Reebok
(Reebok) |
On Sunday June 1st, Reebok Hockey will be unveiling its newly re-designed 9K Pump skate.
Following the initial success of the first generation of the 9K pump skate launched in 2005, Reebok Hockey has taken skate design to the next level with this year's model. The Developed in collaboration with NHL players, the new Reebok 9K pump enhances the efficiency of energy transfer to the ice through its stability and structural support while being one of the lightest skates in the market. The 9K Pump skate guarantees heel lock, ankle support, and enhanced forward flex.
Featuring Pump Technology, the 9K also includes Pro Armour III R-Core Outer shell, a lightweight core that provides structural support and superior stability for the skater. Additional features such as Dri-Lex liner with Aegis Micro Shield, Griptonite Footbed, and Lightweight Low Profile Carbon Outsole reinforce comfort and stability for the skater.
The 9K Pump has been used by several players during the past NHL season. Among others, Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf, Pavel Datsyuk, Patrice Bergeron, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Nik Antropov wear the 9K Pump skate.
Post-season, the new 9K Pump Hockey Skate has been worn by Sidney Crosby and Pavel Datsyuk. After the first three rounds of the playoffs, Crosby is tied for # 1 and Datsyuk is tied for # 3 in playoff scoring.
The 9K Pump skate is available in Youth ($149.99), Junior ($329.99) and Senior ($549.99) sizing and is available in key sporting goods stores across America. For more details: http://www.rbkhockey.com Source: Reebok
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Written by Maury Brown
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Saturday, 24 May 2008 05:07 |
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 Any Red Wing fans looking to throw octopus on the ice after a goal by Detroit during Stanley Cup Finals games in Pittsburgh better not be looking to make purchases at Wholey’s Fish Market in the Motor City as the market has said, “No†to any fans wearing Red Wing jerseys or have an accent that might tip them off that you’re possibly from the Detroit area. As reported by the Detroit Free Press:
Dan Wholey, owner of Wholey’s Fish Market in Pittsburgh’s warehouse section known as the Strip District, said he’ll decline the sale of octopus to anyone in Red Wings gear next week. He’ll also listen for Midwestern accents and maybe check identification "I have the utmost respect for all the people of Detroit,†Wholey said today. “They are great citizens and great hockey fans, just like I am. But I’m a Penguins fan first and foremost and I want to see the Penguins win, period.â€
The tradition of Red Wings fans throwing octopus on the ice after Red Wings goals was started in 1952 when a local fish merchant threw an octopus on the ice to symbolize the eight victories needed back then to win the Stanley Cup.
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Written by Peter Morrison
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Friday, 23 May 2008 04:22 |
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 As we looked at on Thursday morning (A Look at the NHL Coaching Openings), there are plenty of coaching vacancies for a number of teams, but one has already dropped off the list.
The Colorado Avalanche have chosen a familiar face for their Head Coach position with Tony Granato taking the reins for his second stint as the head man in Denver. Granato also was the team’s head coach from December 2002 until the end of the 2004 season.  He was then demoted to an Assistants role when the club brought in Joel Quenneville for the 2005-06 season. Quenneville left the team following a second round playoff loss to the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado GM Francois Giguere decided to stay in house for a new coach, As reported by The AP: “Tony has gained tremendous coaching experience over the last five seasons behind the Avalanche bench. He has great knowledge of our depth chart, a strong admiration for our players and really enjoys working with the organization's young and talented group of athletes.â€
Granato, who played 13 seasons in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks, said “I'm excited about this challenge.  I know this team has a great mix of youth, experience, skill and speed."
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Written by Maury Brown
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Monday, 19 May 2008 12:45 |
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 The International Ice Hockey Federation has announced that Team USA’s “Miracle On Ice†win over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics as the top hockey story of the past 100 years. As reported by The AP:
Speaking at a special dinner which was hosted by the IIHF to honour the moment, former USA national team member Mark Johnson said Saturday that he never imagined at the time what their victory would mean to his country and international hockey. "You couldn't fantasize us beating the Russians and then 48 hours later we were at the White House having lunch with the president," said Johnson, who scored two goals against the Russians. […] "This game was and remains the greatest moment in international hockey because of its impact at the time and its continued impact over time," the IIHF wrote on its website. "For 20 college players to defeat a team that trained year round and won virtually every game it played before and after truly is, in a sporting sense, a miracle. There is no other word for it."
Johnson was asked why very few American journalists traveled to Halifax or Quebec City for the Worlds and why the games aren't available on network television. "The trouble with hockey is it is not friendly for TV," Johnson said.
OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORKÂ
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. |
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NHL News
