Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 11, 1993 TAG: 9307110119
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CAMBRIDGE, MASS. LENGTH: Medium
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall set out their blueprints Saturday for taking the league into the 21st century, focusing on TV and marketing as the keys to growth.
Bettman and McNall, chairman of the NHL Board of Governors, spoke on the final day of the three-day World Hockey Summit in which North American and international hockey officials examined the state of the sport and its future.
Both said the league is on the verge of a boom period if it can:
Do a better job of marketing superstars such as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Brett Hull.
Build fan interest in North America and aggressively promote its merchandise overseas, especially in countries such as Sweden, Finland and Russia that send players to the NHL.
Maximize coverage through television, cable and other emerging media.
Strengthen the relationship with its players, to avoid another strike such as the one that occurred in 1992.
"The future of any sports league is going to depend on how well you can market your players and what kind of economic stability you can engender as a sports league," Bettman said. "Building the NHL's fan base is not enough; we need to build the worldwide fan base."
Bettman said the presence of NHL players in the Olympics, which many league officials hope will become a reality by 1998, would help spread the popularity of hockey in North America and globally.
Though the Stanley Cup playoffs received low ratings on U.S. network television this spring, Bettman said the demographics of the audience were good - many viewers in the 18- to 35-year-old group among men and women. With the fragmentation of the TV sports market, he said the NHL has a big opportunity.
"We're now in a position where we can carve a little niche for ourselves," Bettman said.
The commissioner said the league may consider rules changes - such as eliminating the red line or making icing automatic - to increase its marketability, but rejected more radical suggestions.
"I'm never going to advocate orange pucks or other crazy ideas," he said.
McNall said the league, which will grow to 26 teams next season with the addition of Florida and Anaheim, should not rule out further expansion before 2000 and said youngsters should be marketed before they reach the NHL.
by CNB