The NHL is done marketing individual rivalries.
Speaking to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.ca, NHL Deputy Commissioner said the league is not marketing individual rivalries among players because “our sport is the ultimate team sport.”
Bill Daly says the NHL has learned about not marketing individual rivalry since Sid/Ovi: "Our sport is the ultimate team sport."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 14, 2016
That’s a crock of BS for multiple reasons.
First of all, rivalries drive ratings. Crosby vs Ovechkin in its early form was enthralling. Why wouldn’t you market McDavid/Laine/Matthews games? Selling individuals are incredibly important. Look at the NBA with LeBron or the MLB with Mike Trout, individuality should be a driving factor.
Conversely, the NHL needs to stop pretending like they’re better than everyone else and praise this “team sport” attitude. The NHL is no different than the NFL, NBA or MLB. The league should actively be praising its stars and key rivalries. Nobody says “my favorite player is the entire team.” You can promote both a team sport and the individuals who play it.
Hockey is fun! Rivalries are incredibly fun! Ignoring them is silly. Taking the high horse and refusing to promote them doesn’t make a lick of sense. McDavid vs Matthews sells itself. Saying the Edmonton Oilers are taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs is a wet fart in comparison. Smarten up NHL.
