2013-2014 Blues (Hockey) Season

[thrill]

NY vs LA.

This is as good as it gets for TV networks and the NHL.

The Kings got terrible local ratings during their last Stanley Cup run. The NHL would've preferred NY-Chicago.

[jim]

Does anyone really watch the Stanley Cup? I know it's a big deal in Chicago, I have a hard time imagining it's a big deal anywhere else in the world. Not that I'm all that thrilled with another SA/MIA final for the NBA, I'll watch every game of that. Last night with the Hawks I turned to the game before I went to bed to see who won, saw they were in OT, and said "huh tied ... think I'll go to bed now".

[slide_into_first]

Hockey fans watch

[StL Dan]

It's a big deal, jim.

You can't even imagine how hard core hockey fans are. Cards and Blues are 1 and 1A for me. Grew up with both of them.

[pioneer98]

Hockey fans amaze me, and I'm not talking about the bandwagon fans in Chicago or L.A. I'm talking about people who get season tickets simply because it's hockey. There are transplants here who get season tickets to our low-level minor pro team. They don't care if its juniors or minors or even what the team is, they will try to be at every game. I don't see that kind of support to that extent in other sports. Other sports have fans who will go check out a game just because "it's baseball" or "it's football", but you won't see them at EVERY game for that reason. I think it's because hockey is harder to find that the fans gravitate to whatever they can get. I also think it's because hockey is a much better live sport than it is on TV.

[cardinalkarp]

Playoff hockey trumps the intensity of pretty much every sport out there. Don't get me wrong, baseball is my number one love, but the Stanley Cup playoffs are really the only sport where I will watch games even when the team I root for isn't involved....hell, even the World Series bores me a bit when the Cards aren't in it.

[Sutter'sBeard]

Hockey fans amaze me, and I'm not talking about the bandwagon fans in Chicago or L.A. I'm talking about people who get season tickets simply because it's hockey. There are transplants here who get season tickets to our low-level minor pro team. They don't care if its juniors or minors or even what the team is, they will try to be at every game. I don't see that kind of support to that extent in other sports. Other sports have fans who will go check out a game just because "it's baseball" or "it's football", but you won't see them at EVERY game for that reason. I think it's because hockey is harder to find that the fans gravitate to whatever they can get. I also think it's because hockey is a much better live sport than it is on TV.

Stop with the "bandwagon" fan talk. Other than not being able to afford going to games as often because of the skyrocketing price of Hawks tickets, I have no problem with and welcome every fan to the Hawks and to the NHL, regardless of whether or not they are new to the sport or team.

I've been a Blackhawks fan every since I can remember and I can tell you from first hand experience, that there is nothing more unwatchable in the sports world than bad hockey. I lived through a decade of it under the Bill Wirtz regime. That dumbass did everything he could do to alienate fans and keep good players away. I went to games in the late 90's and could buy $18 tickets in "C" section and end up three rows from the ice because there were only 4,000 fans in the house. The idiot would not allow television for home games (including some playoff games) because he had the arse backwards notion that it hurt ticket sales. He hired GM's that were yes men and only signed players when the were 5 years past their prime. Most Hawks fans, including me, celebrated his death in '07. His son has become the best owner in the NHL by doing exactly the opposite of what his father did.

I know you were just generalizing, but I challenge you to go through 10 years of 60-75 point seasons and see how many fans show up in St. Louis. When they get good again and fill the house, will you call them "bandwagon fans"?

[lukethedrifter]

Hockey fans watch

Not the hockey fans I know. Most have tuned out by now

[Freed Roger]

Does anyone really watch the Stanley Cup?

Canadiens.

There is that sports dead zone in February, which is when NHL would be smart to conclude.

[StL Dan]

I'm used to Kansas Citians making these kind of comments about hockey. Not St. Louisans. Weirdness.