A note to Gary Bettman

Dear Mr. Bettman,

I know you are in the middle of the postseason but you may not have noticed that the NHL is still considered a niche sport by many people. I figured I would offer a few solutions to how you can become relevant again.

1. Eliminate at least 2 struggling teams- There are too many teams and not enough true talented players to keep things level. So eliminate a few of the struggling ones like Phoenix and Florida in order to save some money. This will allow for the the talent to be dispersed amongst the league which will result in more parity.

2. Move at least 2 more teams back to Canada- Hockey is a Canadian sport and the game is dominated by Canadians. So the more franchises in Canada the more successful the league will be. Lets say we move Tampa Bay and New York Islanders to Canada and instantly you have more rivalries between the Canadian teams. As well as a better chance of Canadian teams making the Stanley Cup Finals which the sport drastically means. Lets face it the Canadians are the most fanatic hockey fans so the more teams they can follow and get into the better. Ask yourself this would you rather see Carolina fan base or the fan base of a 2nd Toronto team in the finals?

3. Get the Playoffs on a Major Cable Network- There is no excuse for the NHL playoffs, arguably the most intense and grueling playoffs, not to be on a major network. I know its a money thing but for the good of the sport take a little less money and get the NHL playoffs on ESPN, ESPN2, NBC, etc. The sport is at an all time high and there is no reason for it be on channels that are triple digits. If ESPN can show the MLS and WNBA they can find room for playoff hockey games but you need to realize that a short term loss on TV money is worth the additional fans gained by being on national TV.

4. Versus- If Versus feels very strongly about having hockey then let them cover the regular season. They can have exclusive rights for the regular season for the next few years as the fan base grows. The regular season is not covered seriously anyway so any money you get for it is an added bonus.

5. Make the Center Ice Package significantly cheaper- I know this seems like a risk but trust me if you make it cheaper more and more puckheads like myself will order it. I know as much as I love hockey, I am not going to be willing to pay over 75 bucks for the season pass. If you make it $70, I promise there will be a dramatic increase in the sales.

I know these may be drastic measures for a Commissioner who seems to be determined to make this league fail but I have faith that you can pull your head out of the sand and make progress.

So please Gary take action and lets get the NHL back where it belongs as the 4th major sport. The talent in the league right now is too good and the games are too enjoyable to not cash in on this opportunity.

Sincerely,

The Book of Sports