HockeyGuideí99: Extending The Crease

With participation numbers on the rise while the number of rinks around the country continues to surge, the NHL says hockey is ready to breakout out of its shell in the U.S.
At the start of the 1997-í98 season, the National Hockey League seemed poised to gain some ground in viewership and overall popularity. With NHL stars participating in the Olympics for the first time, the leagueís profile was higher than ever. New fans were flocking to rinks to watch games and joining ice and roller hockey leagues across the country.
But in the last few years, the ice under the ìCoolest Game On Earthî has gotten a little soft, and the NHL finds itself skating harder than ever. And considering the gameís lackluster television numbers and the spring retirement of Wayne Gretzky, the gameís greatest player and ambassador, youíd think it would be pretty gloomy around NHL headquarters.
But it isnít. In fact, with its new licensing and television agreements ready to kick in at the start of this season, a new team in Atlanta, and a marketing summit scheduled for October, the NHL seems as re-energized as a team that has just scored a shorthand goal.
ìLook at the footprint of where we are today as opposed to six or seven years ago,î says Ed Horne, the NHLís group vice president of marketing. ìWe are absolutely excited and positive about hockey.î
Horne and others at the NHL acknowledge the league is fast approaching a crossroad. They know that television ratings havenít met expectations and that the common perception is that hockey had its 15 minutes in the spotlight a few years ago.
ìThere is no one at the league who said two or three years ago that we were where we needed to be and you wonít hear that today,î Horne says. ìThis is a long road and weíre not yet at the end of that road. We try to meet our primary goals, to drive viewership, attendance and participation, through a variety of different fronts.î
SCORING CHANCES
Like a good powerplay strategy, different fronts have been designed to set up a variety of scoring chances for the league going forward. In addition to a new licensing agreement with CCM and Pro Player and a national television contract with ABC-ESPN, the league has also placed a renewed emphasis on kids.
The best way to grow hockey, says Horne, is by making it accessible to kids. That the league believes kids are the key to the NHLís success is made clear with programs like NHL Breakout and Nikeís Street Hockey, which reaches one million kids. The leagueís two-year-old youth marketing group works on getting kids interested in hockey and with child-oriented media outlets like Nickelodeon and Fox Kids.
To make sure kids have a place to play ice hockey, the NHL is working with its teams and private developers to build 50 to 100 new ice rinks across America over the next five to seven years.
ìWe want kids to play the game and pick up a stick like their parents used to do with a football or basketball,î Horne says.
Based on sports participation numbers, the plan seems to be working. According to the NSGA, the number of people playing ice hockey grew 10.7 percent in 1998 and roller hockey participation grew 1.9 percent compared to a 4.1 percent decline in basketball.
ìWe need to provide every opportunity for exposure to the game at the same time weíre bringing new fans into the game,î Horne says.
The league hopes the national exposure it has craved for years will come with its new television contract with ABC-ESPN.
ìThat, we believe, is going to be an important step in making the game available to a broader audience,î Horne says.
For years the common complaint has been that hockey simply isnít television friendly. But donít expect ABC-ESPN to try another experiment like Foxís glowing puck. Instead look for more and better camera angles. Referees, coaches and sometimes players will wear microphones to bring fans closer to the action. The league will also make sure that its star players are promoted in a consistent and positive way.
ìThe reality is that we must continue to make sure we drive our ratings in the United States,î Horne says. ìWe can attract fans even if they canít sit in the buildings.î
Licensed To Skate
The long-term success of any team depends on all parts working in concert. For the NHL to be successful, its licensing agreements must be profitable. Thatís why the NHL chose CCM and Pro Player as its licensing partners. The CCM brand name is steeped in hockey tradition while Pro Player understands the licensing business better than anyone. Each company will concentrate on 15 markets in Canada and the United States. CCM will continue providing team game jerseys along with practice jerseys, warm up suits and polo shirts and other off-ice clothing. The league has also switched its black and orange logo to platinum.
ìWe found that not a lot of people understood that it was the leagueís authorized apparel and equipment line and weíre trying to get our licensing partners to get that message out as well,î says Brian Jennings, the NHLís vice president of consumer products.
League research also revealed that women make up 46 percent of the ticket holders. Consequently, the NHL plans to launch a new line of womenís sports apparel with ads appearing in magazines like Cosmopolitan.
ìWe canít sit back and not address that,î Jennings says.
The league has also struck a deal with toymaker Hasbro. Look for an NHL edition of Monopoly this year as well as action figures.
In October the NHL will host a licensing summit in Florida to discuss how the league can bring new products to market. ìNHL 2000óSkating into the Millenium,î will focus on emerging channels of distribution, new technology and the role of minorities in the 21st century.
ìHockey is certainly not complacent,î Jennings says. ìIn the competitive sports environment hockey is going to fight for recognition at every opportunity we have. There is a lot of activity going on and more energy and resources are being put behind the sport than ever before.î (Ice Hockey)