Gary Bettman and the NHL cancel top event due to lack of excitement
PUBLICATION
TJ Tucker
October 21, 2024 (8:39)
A major NHL event will no longer be televised as NHL commissioner Gary Bettman realized hockey fans just aren't all that interested in it.
If it's not working, it's time for a change. It looks like the NHL has finally realized that when it comes to one of its major events, and it will likely look much different this time around.
On "Saturday's Headlines," Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said NHL awards presentation will be different this year. It looks like an actual show for the awards is being shown the door.
"What the league is looking at in combination with the Players' Association, is what else can they do that's interesting, what else can they do that will make the awards special," Friedman said. "A couple of things have been thrown out. One of the ideas is doing it the way the NBA does it.
The NBA, during the first week of the playoffs, will honour the winners at their home arenas.
These are the kind of things that are being considered because it's not expected this year that there will be an awards show as we've seen it in the past."
There have been many calls for changes over the years, including the latest where fans ask that the NHL rename the Lady Bing trophy in honour of Johnny Gaudreau. He and his brother Matthew were recently killed while riding their bikes in New Jersey. One of the main issues in getting eyes on the event is that the winners of many of the bigger NHL awards are already known long before the show begins. These include the Art Ross trophy for most points, the Maurice «Rocket» Richard Trophy for most goals, and the Conn Smythe trophy, given to the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The NHL is also known for getting celebrities on the show that are far from A-list.
According to Friedman, another advantage of axing the NHL awards show is limiting the number of events at the end of the season. Friedman called it "too much, too quickly."
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