When you are a league like the NHL, growing the game is of paramount importance. Doing anything to take away from it can not only damage the brand but can make the league look petty in the process. So what do we think the league did when the Tampa Bay Lightning tried to organize an outdoor watch party?
C’mon, you already know the answer.
Response from NHL on TBL watch party: "NHL has a longstanding policy on watch parties, one per round per team." Seems like TBL violated that
— Evan Axelbank Fox13 (@EvanAxelbank) May 26, 2016
On tomorrow's #PITvsTBL Game 7: pic.twitter.com/gsHKbgtV4A
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) May 25, 2016
Drawing the line on outdoor watch parties has to be the dumbest thing the league has done in recent memory. When I say recent I say in the past couple of months since they draw an archaic line that no one should cross every few months. What are they trying to accomplish with this? According to Deadspin, this new rule was implemented after NBC and the NHL were upset with this year’s ratings. While ratings are important, handling it this way is backwards at best. Don’t want to let fans watch their favorite team in a fun environment? Then don’t be surprised if enthusiasm for the sport dwindles. Taking away from the fan experience is one of the easiest ways to turn staunch supporters against you. This should be a time for Tampa Bay fans to be filled with fanatic pride. It’s a great opportunity to get casual fans caught up in the sport.
While trying to remedy both solutions at once, the league is now showing what they prioritize and it is an ugly look. After multiple lockouts and channel wrangling, one would think fan rehabilitation would be their number one priority particularly in a market which historically has needed all the help it can get.
Do the right thing. It is about time the NHL got something right.
