The hockey season just ended. It was a later than usual ending - mainly because of a two-week break for "The Olympics", which ended up being for covid recuperation. It ended with a great final between two deserving teams, two great teams, with the more greater one pulling it out. In many ways this was about as good a hockey season as one can imagine. I don't want to go all "The NHL is Hot, The NBA is Not", because that is undoubtedly not true (the NBA quietly had a really great year ratings wise as well). But this was a triumphant year for the NHL, and in many ways was so needed.
It was needed mainly because this is a brave new world the NHL finds itself in - having just finished the first year of a new TV deal that saw it placed on ESPN for the first time in 17 years, and Turner for the first time ever. The post-lockout NHL was squired away on NBCSN (and rarely NBC) for so long, a damning look for a league to be shunted on one network.
Now it got to see what glorious times the NBA has been riding with the dual ESPN and Turner set-up. And much like with the NBA, Turner by and large did a better job, both in terms of announcers (admittedly, just scooping up a bunch of ex-NBCSN guys) and studio teams - creating something that at least tonally does well to be the NHL-version of Inside the NBA.
From the return of the great NHL on ESPN theme song, to the snappy graphics, to the just general sense that the sport finally mattered again, the first year in this TV deal was an undoubted success. But what also helped is the NHL gave their TV partners a great TV product as well.
Scoring was up to its highest level since 1995-96 - the season where the Florida Panthers trapped their way to an improbably Stanley Cup Final appearance (doing far, far, far more damage than the more maligned Devils did the year earlier by winning the Cup). The league is now spearheaded by young offensive superstars all playing at the height of their powers, with Connor McDavid having another remarkable season, and Auston Matthews getting 60 goals, and so many other insane performances. Offense had been trending up for years before a lull during the last two shortened seasons. This is in a way a return to norm, but it is pushing us back to before the "neutral zone trap" was a thing.
**before I dive into the playoffs - a quick thought to consider: should the NHL always schedule themselves to shoot for getting their season to end two weeks after the NBA's. There's some value in having their Stanley Cup Final not be against playoff basketball**
And the best is it absolutely continued in the playoffs. Since none of the last three series went 7 games I don't think you can say these were the best playoffs in memory, but they were, at least to me, the most competently, entertainingly and offensively-focused playoffs. The first round set records for scoring - along with having five Game 7s on one weekend which was about as perfect a hockey weekend as you can have.
We had the return of the Battle of Alberta. We had the rise of Prince Igor and the Rangers. We had the Avalanche finally matching their regular season brilliance with playoff success. And of course we had the perpetual story that is the Tampa Bay Lightning. These were a great playoffs, capping off a great season. The best part is the league is in such a healthy place to go forward with.
I truly believe this year is ushering in a new era for the league. The importance of the sport in the general consciousness, be it ratings or just cultural cache, will never be close to its other sport rivals. But the ratings are up, the interest is up. The league is, shockingly, more interesting to watch when more goals are scored. But the league needs to drive into this skid, resist all of its urges to try to roll back offense, and just go with it. This is an offensive league now, with an offense adn possession heavy team at its apex in Colorado. This is the NHL's time - and by God I just hope they don't screw it up.
