There will always be hockey, and there will always be hockey betting.
Sure, they might eventually have to contract a team here and there, or move them from the Sun Belt back to smaller Canadian markets. But the NHL has entrenched its place among North America’s four major pro sports leagues. The Winter Classic has been an absolute success, labor costs are down after the 2004-05 lockout, and league attendance last year was virtually identical to the NBA.
If the Stanley Cup playoffs don’t really get started until one of the favorites gets bounced, then consider the NHL postseason off and running. The eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks stunned the San Jose Sharks in six games in the first round behind goaltender Jonas Hiller, and now face the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinal.
It’s no accident that the NHL All-Star Game is this Sunday – our first Sunday in a long time without football. The league’s annual showcase marks the unofficial halfway point of the hockey season, and it’s been a banner year for the league despite the economic downturn.
The NHL returns to North America with a televised doubleheader for puck fans anxious to wager and watch.
While the NHL opened with four games in Europe last weekend, the big celebrations were saved for Thursday as the season starts with the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins visiting the Colorado Avalanche. Both games can be seen on Versus, with the Leafs and Wings starting the action at 7 pm ET.
