Wednesday News

Have I mentioned recently what a coup this Stephen Colbert-Saginaw Spirit relationship has been? I have? Oh, nevermind then. I'll just mention that someone agrees with me, and thinks the NHL should put Colbert on the payroll. I don't talk NHL much, there's plenty of other blogs that do that (I've got links to some of my favorites over on the right), but I'll go on the record as saying the NHL-YouTube deal is a great move to give the game more exposure - especially considering YouTube's younger demographic. I'll also mention that Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage has been contacted by a headhunter on behalf of the NHL to gauge his interest in joining the league in a yet-to-be-determined executive position. I do not, however, agree with writer Jennifer Floyd Engel's mentioning that the NHL is where NASCAR was in 1997. More like 1977. The NHL could only WISH to be where NASCAR was ten years ago. Of course, this is the same writer who not even two weeks ago called the game irrelevant (no, that's not a quote). New deal would send IceDogs to Niagara Falls... Could Rick Brodsky pull an Al Davis and move the Cougars back to Victoria? Maybe... The city of Moose Jaw has committed to meet WHL facility standards by the 2009-10 season. Unfortunately, the Regina Leader-Post article is trapped behind a paid subscription, so I can't tell you anything else... Someone might want to tell this Yale reporter that Junior A hockey is not "semi-professional"... Hey, did I mention... Oh, alright. I'll make a better point of it this time. The NHL used to have a great relationship with celebrities (mostly Canadian). This episode with Colbert and the Spirit has shown that celebrity patronage gets a ton of positive media attention, something you can't get enough of. If done correctly, you can target key demographic groups (example, don't bother with someone like Wilford Brimley). Saginaw has proven it can be done on a small market scale as well. All Star weeks are a common time for reflection, and the USHL is no different...