The NHL has many exciting narratives this season, as a rookie has arrived with expectations to be the next face of the game, and old superstars look to have their “last dance” moment.
But most sports fans probably haven’t heard those storylines.
There are many reasons for this, including hockey players’ personalities, the power of the NFL, and the ongoing MLB playoffs.
The NHL season just started and television ratings have been good for the NHL, but compared to the NFL and MLB ratings, they are subpar.
The NHL’s first three nationally televised games averaged 909,000 total viewers, peaking at 1.7 million.
But the NFL’s three premiere games averaged 17.8 million total viewers, peaking at 23.1 million viewers. The MLB’s divisional playoff series just finished at a total of 14 games, which averaged 2.8 million viewers.
The reason the NHL is not putting up these television ratings has to do with the players not being as marketable and the game not being as popular in the youth as other sports.
The NHL’s greatest players are some of the most humble people in the sports world.
Hockey players use the word “we” the most in interviews. When they are complimented on a goal, they will say “it was a great pass.” The only time hockey players generally use “I” is when they take accountability for a mistake in the game.
That makes the players mature and respectable, but it is just not what the public wants to hear.
Other sports have athletes with larger personalities. Fans think of athletes like “King James,” “The Greek Freak,” “Big Papi,” or “Mr. October.” These are some of the most recognized nicknames for sports players.
Another issue with hockey’s lack of popularity comes from the smaller number of young people who play the sport.
— Trevor Brain
The NHL does have a few nicknames for its stars, but they aren’t nearly as recognized. This stems from the players not expressing themselves like other players do in other sport leagues.
When there is a touchdown in the NFL, the celebrations get so intense that players get fined often. In the MLB, when players hit a home run, they flip their bat and dance around the bases.
However, in the NHL when a goal is scored, the players meet in a huddle to congratulate each other and move on.
Another issue with hockey’s lack of popularity comes from the smaller number of young people who play the sport. USA Hockey said around 548,000 kids were registered for ice hockey as of the 21-22 season.
Although that seems like a good number, around 3.4 million kids between the ages of 6-12 played baseball in 2019. In the 2021-22 season, youth football had around 974,000 participants in 11-player football.
Marketability and youth precipitation are huge factors in hockey’s lack of popularity.
