The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

The NHL needs to do things that people like, and stop doing things people don't like. Easy, right? No one wants teams in Phoenix and Nashville. People want teams in Winnipeg and Quebec City. There is an appetite for pro hockey in Europe that should be explored. I would have no idea how the logistics would work, but there seems to be a strong fanbase in certain European countries such as Sweden and the Czech Republic so making an effort to play some games there or create a division of some kind might be a good option. Why there's more of a likelihood to see a team in Las Vegas or Kansas City it a question only Gary Bettman can answer.

So today, the NHL winter classic was played between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins in front of 71,000+ fans in the same stadium occupied by the Buffalo Bills. Tickets were sold at a rapid pace and, much like the Heritage Classic hosted by Edmonton when they played the Montreal Canadiens, it was an astounding success.

I only caught the latter part of the third period onward but it looked like it was a lot of fun and the atmosphere electric. Some on-ice repairs had to take place during the game, but this is beyond anyone's control and it's certainly better than not having a game at all. It was pretty neat to see the players skating while it snowed down, many of the cameras having droplets of water on the lenses which added to the effect. So why not make this an annual event? Hands down every Canadian team would love to host a game. And you can pick one of many northern American cities, like Detroit or New York, who might be able to host an outdoor game as well. Events like these make the game better.

This is what the NHL needs to do. Just give what the fans want, and quit trying to cram hockey in places where there's just no interest.