In The Crease

No blackout for NY

OLN does not have the contractual right to blackout Cablevision customers in New York, according to the New York Post. Last week, I blogged that subscribers could be blacked out in areas where OLN is on a digital tier. OLN would have been the exclusive rights-carrier, while the local broadcast would be blacked out. NY Post:

"According to sources with access to the contract between OLN and the NHL, the specific language granting the right to black out games that do not appear on basic extended cable applies only "on a going-forward basis."

This is terminology in the cable business legally understood to mean any future agreements that might be struck between OLN and new cable system carriers.

Beyond that, the contract explicitly gives the NHL the right to approve the telecast of any game over any cable system.

That's regardless of whether the game would or would not appear on a subscription sports tier package.

"Unless the NHL otherwise approves, rights to exhibit OLN games . . . may not be granted on a going-forward basis by OLN/Comcast to any . . . distributor [that carries the games] . . . on a sports-tier . . ." the contract reads."

There is still no official statement from the league or OLN that they won't be blacked out. Still, this is good news for hockey fans not only in the NY area, but also Buffalo, Phoenix and Dallas who would have faced similar blackouts.

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Emerick joins OLN: Phil over at The NHL Is Back reported that OLN has added a big name, Mike (Doc) Emerick, to be the network's lead play-by-play announcer. Emerick will also share broadcasting duties with John Davidson at NBC. Davidson is reportedly negotiating with OLN, per The New York Post. (Note: In the article, The NY Post referred to Emerick as a "play-by-player." Sounds funny, doesn't it?)

It's great to see OLN signing veteran hockey talent to its broadcasting crew; it adds instant credibility. But personalities alone won't sell the broadcast. OLN/Comcast must search out the best cameramen and crew to give great angles of the game. No more goals missed because of a long commercial or poor angles cutting the view, which was commonplace on ABC and ESPN, and still is on some of the Fox Sports Networks.

Sabres sign Lydman

Buffalo acquired defenseman Toni Lydman from the Calgary Flames yesterday for a third-round draft pick in 2006, giving the Sabres much-needed help on the back end. Lydman has one year left on a three-year contract, paying him $1.9 million next season. More from The Buffalo News:

"Lydman had four goals, 16 assists, 30 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating in 2003-04, a season cut short by a concussion. He missed the last 10 regular-season games but recovered to play in the Stanley Cup finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also skated for Finland last summer in the World Cup.

His best campaign was in 2001-02, when he notched career highs with six goals and 22 assists to lead all Flames blue-liners in scoring. He repeated as the top defensive scorer the next season with six goals and 20 assists.

Lydman can be a workhorse. He led the 2002-03 Flames in ice time, averaging 25 minutes, 46 seconds a game. His ice time dipped to 21:12 the following season.

"He can certainly log the ice time, but we're not looking for him to come in and play 25 minutes a game," [Darcy] Regier said. "We just want him to fit in and play with our other guys as a puck-moving defenseman."

Two of Lydman's recommendations came from [Teppo] Numminen and Sabres center Chris Drury, a former Flames teammate. Lydman and Sabres goalie Mika Noronen played two seasons together with Tappara Tampere of the Finnish League.

"I spoke to Chris, and I spoke to Teppo, and they were both excited," Regier said. "He's a good player, a good teammate. For us, the dressing room is important, and their comments were very positive." '

The signing puts Buffalo's payroll at about $26.5 million. The Sabres are now near their target cap range of $27-29 million, Regier said on WGR 55 yesterday. He said there are still discussions going on with other teams for more trades, but feels good about the team in general.

Regier said Lydman is a top-four defenseman, so is the roster set? The current four would be: Dmitri Kalinin, Toni Lydman, Teppo Numminen and Jay McKee. McKee told The Buffalo News yesterday he would sign his qualifying offer next Thursday if the Sabres would not negotiate a long-term deal. McKee has not heard from the Sabres since Aug. 15.

The Lydman deal was basically a cost-cutting move for Calgary, who had eight defensemen under contract for the upcoming season. The Flames are still stocked with quality defensemen including Roman Hamrlik, Jordan Leopold, Rhett Warrener and Robyn Regehr.

Sounds like a good pick-up for Buffalo.

The Lydman File

-Age: 27

-Height/Weight: 6'1, 202 pounds

-Was a +6 last season, played in 67 games scoring 20 points (4G, 16A). 14 of the 20 points were on the power play.

-Second-highest scoring defenseman on Calgary last season, behind Leopold.

-Played only six games in Calgary's Cup run last season, due to concussion problems.

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Sabres returning to Rochester: The Sabres also announced that on Oct. 26, Buffalo will play a regular-season home game against the Washington Capitals at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. Buffalo also plays in Rochester on Sept. 30 vs. Minnesota to close out the preseason.

Darcy: Be patient, but not too patient

The criticism never stops for Sabres GM Darcy Regier, not in the papers, on the radio or even here at In The Crease. For all of the bad moves he's made, though, he has made a few great trades:

3/11/99, Matthew Barnaby to Pittsburgh for Stu Barnes -- Regier picked up a hard-working, all-heart veteran just in time for Buffalo's Cup run. Barnes eventually became the team's captain before being traded to Dallas.

3/23/99, Mike Wilson to Florida for Rhett Warrener and a 1999 fifth-round draft pick (Ryan Miller) -- Warrener and Jay McKee were one of the Sabres' best defense pairings. The franchise is still hoping Miller will be the number-one goalie it has been looking for since Dominik Hasek left.

6/22/02, Two second-round picks in the 2002 draft to Edmonton for Jochen Hecht -- Hecht will be one of the leading scorers on the team this season and will likely pick up an 'A' for his leadership. He's not afraid of the corners and doesn't take shifts off.

3/10/03, Chris Gratton and a fourth-round pick in 2004 draft to Phoenix for Daniel Briere (pictured) and a third-round pick in 2004 -- Briere centers the Sabres' top line and he or Chris Drury should be named captain this season. (Read Tom L's blog, Sabres Rattling, for more great talk about Briere.) Even without Briere, Gratton was addition by subtraction.

Fans are more frustrated with the lack of deals and Regier's endless patience on making moves than many of the deals themselves. Regier didn't endear himself to the fans with his "tools" talk or "education" of Sabres fans, either.

Most fans realize that the Sabres aren't going to sign any free agents right now (except Jay McKee). But even Regier has hinted the team needs to pick up another defenseman. The roster isn't much different than the one that has failed to make the playoffs the last three seasons. Who can the Sabres bump out of the East to make the playoffs this year?

Last year's Eastern Conference standings:

1 - Tampa Bay*
2 - Boston* (NE)
3 - Philadelphia*
4 - Toronto (NE)
5 - Ottawa (NE)
6 - New Jersey
7 - Montreal (NE)
8 - NY Islanders (91 points)

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9 - Buffalo (85 points, NE)

*Division winners, NE - Northeast Division

Buffalo is in the strongest division (Northeast) in the entire league, per last year's results. It's very possible that four NE-division teams will make it again, but each team will play every other team in the division eight times. That should make for tough competition.

A look around the East: The Lightning might not finish first without Khabibulin, but they'll win the division. Boston should be okay. Toronto is older, shakier and will drop in the standings, but enough to miss? Forsberg should take Philly to the playoffs, but they won't go far. Ottawa won't have a problem. Martin Brodeur is enough to get the Devils a one-through-eight seed. The Habs and Islanders have made it a habit of just making the playoffs the last few years and could be knocked out.

The first month of the season should be telling as to how the Sabres will mesh and if the young stars are ready to step up. Buffalo's made great runs in the last half of the season, but it hasn't been enough to make the playoffs. Regier's going to have to rely on his shrewd trade skills to get a couple players and cannot afford to wait for the perfect trade if the Sabres struggle early.

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Yesterday, Jerry Sullivan responded to Tim Graham's article in The Buffalo News about players not wanting to play for the Sabres:

"Surely, there are NHL veterans who would think twice before signing on with a team that twice empowered Larry Quinn, a man whose maneuverings ripped apart the organization during the most tumultuous period in Sabres history. It's hardly a secret that strong-willed players who speak their own minds and question management (Michael Peca, Dixon Ward, Rhett Warrener, to name a few) will eventually be moved out of town.

You can bet that the typical free agent is aware that Lindy Ruff's defensive-minded system has suppressed the offensive statistics of virtually every skilled forward who has played for him in Buffalo.

The stigma is out there. But it's no justification for Darcy Regier's pathetic performance in the new free-agent market."

TBN also ran an article about the luxury a team like Buffalo has, not being capped-out yet. Briere acknowledged the fact, but says it will be up to the team to win:

' "Some teams will have to unload, and that's where we can take advantage," said Briere, acquired for Chris Gratton at the 2002 trade deadline, one of Regier's all-time best moves. "If we as players can put ourselves in good position through the first two or three months and don't fall off the charts right off the bat, we could become a very dangerous team if we can pick up an extra guy or two.

"It's up to the players we have right now to keep us in a playoff spot. When management sees how we have done they'll make the appropriate moves." '

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

-Sens swap Hossa for Heatly: Ottawa GM John Muckler on the deal:

' "We got a young player -- a goal scorer that we feel can help us -- and the Atlanta Thrashers got a terrific player in Marian Hossa. This is just the perfect trade for both teams because what it does is make both teams better." ' -Ottawa Sun

I think both team's did okay on this deal. Muckler slashed payroll without compromising too much talent, while Atlanta now owns two of the top-five scorers in the league and gets a good defenseman in Greg De Vries.

-Lightning sign St. Louis and Lecavalier: Tampa announced a six-year, $31.5 million deal with St. Louis (last season's scoring leader and MVP) today after Lecavalier signed last week for four years at $27.5 million. I think the length of both contracts is very surprising, especially with an unknown future cap. The long deals keep both stars off the market next summer, when they would have been unrestricted free agents.

Hockey's back, but will all fans be able to watch?

Despite NHL games being nationally televised on OLN this season, many fans might still be in the dark. According to Newsday, OLN is available in 64 million homes and is on basic cable in 90 percent of them. Still, many fans will end up paying extra to upgrade to a digital-tier or for a sports package if they want to see games on OLN. Just a few places where OLN is not on basic/basic-digital: Long Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Westchester and northern New Jersey, aka a good chunk of the NHL's biggest market. And Buffalo's Adelphia (sorry Sabres fans).

This could be a useful strategy to get OLN in more homes, MediaWeek reported on Monday:

"OLN’s pickup of the NHL cable rights could engender yet another war between a cable operator and a network.

According to a source close to the proceedings, NHL games will be blacked out in cable systems that relegate OLN to a digital sports tier, including all of Cablevision’s footprint and Cox Communications’ Phoenix system.

While 90 percent of OLN’s carriage is on standard analog tiers, the network is likely to use the threat of a blackout in order to win total analog carriage, which would significantly boost its number of homes reached."

But even updating to digital might not be good enough if you subscribe to Cablevision, Cox or Adelphia. Basic-cable subscribers without OLN could also be left out when games are shown locally (NESN, for example) and OLN at the same time. The NESN broadcast would be blacked out locally, according to the Boston Globe (8/19/05). Newsday reported a similar problem with MSG (8/19/05):

"...unless you receive OLN - formerly Outdoor Life Network - a digital channel on your cable system that sometimes costs extra, you'll miss the Rangers-Flyers regular-season opener Oct. 5. MSG Network, the team's local rights holder, is blacked out. Concerning the Rangers-Flyers opener, a league spokeswoman said, "We are aware of that situation, but no one should draw any conclusions just yet."

If OLN chose to show the Bruins hosting the Canadiens, MSG could carry Rangers-Flyers. But anytime OLN, which will televise 58 NHL regular-season games nationally this season - primarily on Monday and Tuesday nights - decides to televise a Rangers, Islanders or Devils game exclusively, New York metro area viewers without OLN will not see it."

Additional info from today's Newsday:

' "In markets where OLN is offered on a digital sports tier, which includes Cablevision, we are required through our contracts to black out the games," an OLN spokesperson confirmed yesterday. "There will be alternative programming in that time slot. We are working with our affiliates on the situation. We believe OLN should be included on expanded basic, not a sport tier." '

It seems that this Comcast-OLN-NHL deal still needs some kinks worked out, especially for the basic-cable sports fan. My advice? Unless you already get Comcast (who assured Philly-area fans they won't be blacked out), get satellite.

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The Toronto Star's Rick Westhead also has new insight on the deal with OLN. Even the Greensboro News-Record took a stab at the deal, making the case for ESPN while adding some humorous commentary:

"...maybe ESPN recognized the marketplace, and if so, such honesty actually is refreshing.

The bad part of all this is that hockey has been relegated to the Siberia of the cable planet.

If hockey is to be on something called the Outdoor Life Network, shouldn't the league relocate every team south of St. Paul to, say, International Falls?

Then and only then could they play outdoors on frozen ponds.

If the Anaheim Mighty Ducks are on Outdoor Life Network, what's next? A Jean-Claude Van Damme movie marathon on Lifetime? "Dead Man Walking" on Comedy Central?

It doesn't make sense, but neither does overpaying for televised sports rights fees. The people have spoken."

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More information is emerging about Comcast streaming games online, via Broadcaster Magazine:

"The partnership between OLN, Comcast and the NHL will redefine the sport for hockey viewers. More action on video on demand (VOD), in HDTV and online will create an experience like never before, including:
- VOD game highlights and library footage of hockey's greatest moments with full fast-forward, rewind and replay capability
- HDTV game coverage in a crisper, faster-moving, more exciting game for hockey fans every week
- Online streaming of two live games per night (subject to local blackout), broadband highlights, commentary, and library footage ...
- Comcast will have the ability to carry and/or syndicate additional games on Comcast's regional sports networks where it has the consent of the local team and team's rights holder."

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Is Comcast setting up as a competitor for ESPN? MediaWeek (8/22/05) also wrote about OLN eyeing the MLB to add to its line-up:

"Not only did it snatch away cable rights for the National Hockey League for the next several years last week, but now Comcast/OLN has set its sights on landing Major League Baseball’s Sunday-Wednesday-night cable package, the rights to which expire at the end of the current season.

That package also includes the MLB All-Star Game home run derby telecast, which produced hefty one-night ratings for ESPN this season."

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One final note... A big thank-you to James Mirtle for hosting Carnival of the NHL #6; he did a great job of rounding up posts from around the league. Mirtle wrote up "In The Crease" for it's love of Jochen Hecht and my take on the NHL/OLN deal. Check it out!

Sabres suffering from past?

Call the Chicago Blackhawks. According to The Buffalo News, there is another team -- the Sabres -- who are suffering from the deeds of yesterday. Tim Graham writes that the Sabres' administration is getting a bad rep around the NHL:

"Although some dismiss the possibility, many Sabres are convinced they're paying the price for all those disgruntled players who have left amid unpleasant circumstances in recent years.

Former and current Sabres as well as some agents have told The Buffalo News that a group of influential players, over time, has spread word around the league: Don't play for the Sabres. Most who spoke to The News for this story declined to be quoted.

Players on the roster are restless because - after the top goal scorer and best defenseman walked - the team has made just one new acquisition since the lockout ended last month, and the Sabres probably overpaid for defenseman Teppo Numminen. He signed for $2 million, while the Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes reportedly were offering half that.

There are multiple reasons why the Sabres haven't fared better through free agency, but for an organization that hasn't made the playoffs since 2001, bad word of mouth certainly doesn't help the cause.

"Players will talk to each other. It's reasonable to think that," Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said. "The hockey world is a pretty small world. I've heard rumors, but I don't have any hard-core evidence. It would be a waste of time and energy to chase that stuff down." '

With everything, the true story probably lies somewhere in between players not wanting to come to Buffalo and players dying to stay here. The Sabres have had their share of bad-breakups during the Regier years, with former captain Michael Peca (now with Edmonton) and Dominik Hasek (Ottawa) especially coming to mind. Within two weeks in the summer of 2001, Regier unloaded both of them.

Peca sat out the entire 2000-01 season due to a contract dispute. Regier offered Peca $9 million over four years, an insult to the Sabres' captain. Peca told him that he would never play for Buffalo again:

' "It was a tough decision to make," he [Peca] said. "It was a decision I probably should have made earlier, but you always hold out that little optimism. I asked for the trade in October, and I really stuck by that. I knew how far we were going to be apart. Having put it behind me now really sets me at ease." ...

"I wanted to make sure (Regier) heard from me first and not anyone else," Peca said. "I thought if they were going to do something, they would call. And if they weren't, I thought he would call and say, 'You know what?' We just can't.' They didn't call. What's clear now is my decision is final." ' -The Buffalo News (01/13/01)

Finally, Regier upped his offer to an $11.5 million, four-year deal. But it was already done; Peca's days in Buffalo were over.

Regier traded Peca to the Islanders on June 25, 2001 for Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt. Peca got his big contract -- five years for $20 million. Neither Connolly or Pyatt have amounted to anything more than a bag of pucks for the Sabres. Clearly, Regier and John Rigas handled the situation poorly, especially with the media. But Peca was not much better. He's a constant whiner and is still bad-mouthing the organization, as quoted in today's Buffalo News:

"Guys will ask, "How did you like playing there?' " said Peca, who was traded in 2001 after an acrimonious and prolonged contract dispute. "Usually when they ask those questions it's about relationships you've had with the head coach, or in the case of some veterans the experience you've had with management. Guys respond to those questions." '

True, Buffalo's leadership suffered greatly after Peca left. I still find fault in Regier. But the Islanders obviously didn't find him an invaluable piece of their organization either, since he was traded to Edmonton this summer.

Hasek's break from the team was much more clear-cut. Once Peca left, he claimed the Sabres had no chance of winning the Stanley Cup and he wanted to leave for a contender. Regier bent to his wishes, shipping Hasek to Detroit for Slava Kozlov and a first-round pick. But it seems Hasek orchestrated the entire deal:

' "I told him, 'No, no, no -- he was asking for too much,' and I said, 'I won't go to Detroit if you ask for too many players,' " Hasek said in Detroit. "I told him, 'I need every good player on this team.' "

In Buffalo, he laughed when asked if he was concerned that Regier would try to trade for top-flight players.

"Of course," Hasek said, "and I would never let him do it." ' -The Buffalo News (07/03/01)

There's more players that have been less than happy with their stay in Buffalo, including Jason Woolley, Doug Gilmour and Dave Andreychuk. I'm sure they talk, and probably not much good. But much of the bad feelings happened during the Rigas era, marred by an owner's cheapness, dirty dealings and ultimately, bankruptcy. The team now has a solid owner in Tom Golisano, and it yet to be seen if he will shell out the bucks to keep players and fans happy. In the end, it's a business, which Golisano is quite familiar with.

But there's no excuse past Rigas. Golisano brought back Larry Quinn, a remnant of pre-Rigas troubles in the organization, including the John Muckler-Ted Nolan debacle. And in 2003, Golisano opted to keep both Regier and Lindy Ruff, when he had the option to shelve both. Regier is currently finishing out a six-year deal, which doesn't expire until 2007.

The franchise's handling of Miro Satan and Alexei Zhitnik hasn't exactly comforted Sabres fans, and it hasn't sent a wave of optimism through the NHL that Buffalo is the place to play. All we can hope is that come this fall, the team will be different on the ice and in the locker room. If, for the fourth-straight season, Buffalo wanders dangerously low in the standings in the fall, look no farther than the Sabres' brass. Regier might just be the next player shipped out.

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Sabres move times of Pittsburgh games: Buffalo sports fans weren't elated to here that on Dec. 17, the Sabres would be playing Pittsburgh and Sidney Crosby at the same time the Buffalo Bills were taking on the Denver Broncos. Good news fans, the Sabres have announced two time changes to the schedule!

Friday, Dec. 16 -- Game in Pittburgh moved to 7 p.m. from original start of 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17 -- Game against Pittsburgh (at HSBC) moved to 5 p.m. from 7:30 p.m., now avoiding the conflict with the Bills game.

Also, check out the vintage wallpaper of Danny Gare or The French Connection at sabres.com.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

-Oh Canada, are we jealous: The Canadians wrapped up their Olympic training camp on Friday, without many roster questions solved. They simply have too many good players. I mean, who anchors your top line? Martin St. Louis, Todd Bertuzzi, Jarome Iginla or Joe Thornton? ESPN's Scott Burnside writes of the difficulties of squeezing all of Canada's stars on to the squad (or at least in those tight new sweaters). I wish the Americans had a similar problem.

-Bird's eye view: Chris, who writes about the Tampa Bay Lightning at Delay of Game, is running an interesting series of photos on his blog. Using Google's map service, he tracked down aerial photos of each team's arena. Pretty cool; can't wait to see the Joe from the sky.

ESPN fails to match, Comcast gets NHL

The NHL will be on a new network, OLN, this fall as ESPN failed to match Comcast's $135 million offer for NHL broadcasting rights. AP:

"The league finalized a two-year deal with Comcast Corp. -- the owner of OLN -- late Wednesday night after ESPN declined to match the agreement that will pay the NHL $65 million this season and $70 million in 2006-07.

The agreement between Comcast and the NHL was approved by the league's board of governors last week. ESPN, which resumed regular broadcast of NHL games in 1992, had until Wednesday night to match the contract but decided to pass.

"Over the years, thousands of great NHL moments were presented to our fans through the lenses of ESPN cameras,'' NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "ESPN was a supportive partner, and both the National Hockey League and ESPN enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. We wish ESPN continued success.''

The new deal can be extended up to six years. For the 2007-08 season, Comcast would pay the NHL $72.5 million but that number could go higher based on contingencies."

So it's done. I blogged about the possibility of Comcast getting the deal last week, quoting the reasons that the NHL would benefit from sticking with ESPN. D-lee, who blogs at red and black hockey, refuted the point and said that the NHL on OLN would be a good thing for a few reasons: a network that would treat hockey better than ESPN, proven outstanding sports coverage (Tour de France), and a helping hand from the same guy who helped build Comcast Sports Net, Ed Snider. Snider founded and is still chairman of the Philadelphia Flyers. You have to believe he'll have a say in bringing the NHL to OLN. So why should anyone think that the NHL on OLN won't be as good or better than the NHL on ESPN?

The New York Times echoes the possibilities of growth with Comcast/OLN:

"Since NHL programming is going to be OLN's most important asset, Comcast officials could be willing to spend more money to capitalize on the relationship. For the networks that have had hockey, including Fox and ESPN, investing in growing the hockey audience simply didn't pay off when considering how much more they had invested in other sports programming.

Comcast might also have additional motivation to spend -- to prove to leagues that it is willing to be great partners if leagues should seek to use OLN to build a sports network from scratch. Last year, Comcast offered an unsolicited bid of $66 billion to buy the Walt Disney Co., which owns ESPN. The offer was rejected by the Disney board.

"It seems clear that OLN is setting itself up as a competitor to ESPN," said [George] Bodenheimer [president of ESPN and ABC Sports]. "We welcome it. It will make us better." '

I'm not completely convinced that "We've Got a New Attitude"-OLN is ready to tackle a (cough) top four sport. They are going solely by OLN now; no more Outdoor Life Network. But what is intriguing is that the NHL is trying to re-brand itself and reconnect with fans that have lost faith in a league locked out for over a year, diehards looking to new rule changes to revitalize the game and band-waggoners just looking for a new Gretzky to connect with. OLN is a network trying to be known more for more than Survivor reruns and fishing. It's a great opportunity for two up-and-comers to bring the NHL to the U.S. market in ways ESPN was unable to do. Both sides are nowhere near the top of their respective games, which means the only place to go is up. The NHL gets $5 million more a season than they would have received with ESPN, and OLN gets a chance to broadcast a major sport twice weekly. Right now, it seems to be a win-win situation.

In May, ESPN declined to pick up a $60 million option to broadcast the NHL for another season. And who could blame the network? With the recent contract with the NBA and ratings (for gasp! ESPN original programming) that didn't slip much, if at all, during the NHL's lockout, there is really no need for ESPN to support a struggling sport.

One more positive for NHL fans in the U.S., per the NY Times: "OLN's deal mandates that Comcast carry the NHL Network, which is now only available in Canada, on its digital sports tier." This is great news for diehard hockey fans in the States!

The details are just emerging, but here's a good summary of the deal:
-OLN will have NHL games on twice a week
-OLN will carry games 58-78 regular-season games, conference quarterfinals, the entire conference finals and games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals
-Comcast pays $65 million this season, $70 million in 2006-2007 and $72.5 million in the third (optional) season
-Comcast can extend the deal up to six years

(Sources: AP, New York Times)

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Not everyone in the media world thinks it's a good move for Comcast. USA Today's Michael Hiestand views NHL broadcasting rights as a plague to any upcoming sports network:

"In 1988, now-defunct SportsChannel America hoped NHL games would help it cobble together a network of fewer than 10 million households. It paid $17 million annually over three years — twice what ESPN had been paying — to show NHL games in about one-quarter of the households ESPN then reached. That ended up being too much: SCA managed to get a fourth NHL season for just $5 million.

... OLN will join the ranks of networks that tried to develop from NHL's supposedly untapped TV potential. After SCA's run ended in 1992, ESPN regained NHL cable games, partly to help launch ESPN2 in 1993. In 1994, Fox announced a five-year broadcast deal at $31 million annually, partly because it had ventured into TV sports with NFL games — getting hockey meant Fox Sport could become Fox Sports.

But even as Fox's tiny NHL broadcast ratings had been shrinking, Disney replaced Fox with new deals for ABC and ESPN that started with the 1999-2000 season — and cost a whopping $120 million annually. Disney suggested its vaunted corporate synergies could work magic — a type of wishful thinking in vogue in the late 1990s.

Instead, ABC and ESPN got teensy NHL ratings. In the 2003-04 season, ESPN's NHL games averaged 0.5% of its cable TV households — ESPN2's drew 0.2%. ...

Maybe the NHL's heritage — the league formed in 1917, and the Stanley Cup dates to 1893 — casts some sort of spell on networks otherwise awash in made-for-TV sports. It can't be the ratings: Based on recent years, it's possible to project the NHL's national ratings could hit zero in the not-too-distant future. ...

Either way, the NHL seems ready to cash in on its eternally unrealized potential. Again."

Hey, I'm just happy I can watch NHL Network now. This is the promised "new" NHL. Can't we give this a chance, Michael?

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

-Seeing stars: I must be in a good mood to advertise Dallas Stars coverage. Anyway, check out Dallas Morning News columnist Mike Heika's take on the Stars this season. It's an interesting look at how a former financial powerhouse is adjusting to the new CBA.

-The preview of all previews: NHL.com is launching a 35-day preview of the upcoming season on Sept. 1. This includes a preview of every NHL team, plus a broader look at both conferences and the impact of the CBA. For more details, visit NHL.com.

Darcy does right, signs Hecht for 3 years

Although Sabres GM Darcy Regier hasn't been active in the free agent market, he did sign all but one — Jay McKee — of Buffalo's free agents before yesterday's qualifying offer deadline. This includes a $6 million, three-year deal with Jochen Hecht, who has proven to be a solid, two-way forward on the Sabres top line since being acquired from Edmonton in 2002. Hecht had a career year in 2003-04, accumulating 52 points (15G, 37A) in 64 games. He also finished a +17 on the season, best on the team.

What I like most about Hecht is that he leads by example. He's willing to battle along the boards, dish the puck to other players and find the net when needed. He doesn't complain or demand attention; he just gets the job done. Another stat of note: Hecht logged an average of 18:59 minutes per game, second most among Buffalo forwards in 2003-04. He was picked up for a song — two second-round draft picks — from the Oilers. I call that a bargain, Darcy. If he can stay injury-free and play the entire season, I have confidence that he'll battle linemate Daniel Briere for the team lead in scoring.

Regier has built an energetic, feisty group of forwards that is much more entertaining than the group from recent playoff years. But that's just it — this was a non-playoff team last season, and Regier has subtracted forward Miroslav Satan. The current forwards (plus Satan) combined for 220 goals in 2003-04, sixth best in the conference. But the team also allowed 221 goals, sixth-worst in the conference. Offense isn't the problem on this team; defense and goaltending is. If Lindy Ruff can sort out the goaltending situation (Marty Biron, Mika Noronen, Ryan Miller) early in the season and Regier adds another defenseman or two, Buffalo should be the same or better than last season. So while it will probably be another nail-biter finish on whether the team makes the playoffs, it will no doubt be exciting. Just imagine it: Daniel Briere, JP Dumont and Hecht combining for the team's first goal of the season, with Islanders' Satan and Alexei Zhitnik on the ice. Sweet.

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Regier locked up eleven other players before the deadline: forwards Daniel Briere, Maxim Afinogenov, JP Dumont, Tim Connolly, Ales Kotalik and Milan Bartovic, defensemen Henrik Tallinder and Jeff Jillson, and prospects Jason Pominville, Paul Gaustad and Michael Ryan. All signed one-year deals.

McKee, the longest-tenured Sabre, was the lone player not to accept his qualifying offer. Could it be resentment from the club not picking up his option last month? With the rollback, the option would have paid McKee $1.748 million. By not exercising the option, McKee is priced at an automatic $1.596, saving the club over $150,000. But is it worth penny-pinching a player who is set to lace up for his tenth season with the Sabres? Last month, McKee told The Buffalo News that not picking up the option made a "big statement."

' "If that's the route they choose to go, I'll just sign my (qualifying offer) for one year and be into my unrestricted free agency. But it's called a club option for a reason. So if that's what they want to do, that's their choice." '

Later in the article (7/26/05), he made it clear that no matter what, he wanted to stay in Buffalo:

"This will be my 10th year right now, and if I could pick a place to play -- if all 30 teams made the same offer -- I would stay in Buffalo," Buffalo said. "I owe these fans a lot, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

I think it would be wise for Darcy to negotiate a multi-year deal with McKee. That would reward McKee for the mishap by the team and show McKee that he is valued by the franchise.

The Sabres also announced the result of their “Rank and Win” contest, which determined variable ticket prices for the upcoming season. No surprise here — you’ll have to fork up the bucks to see the Maple Leafs at HSBC.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Hamrlik signs with Flames: The last star defensemen, Roman Hamrlik, left the market on Sunday, signing a two-year, $7 million deal with the Calgary Flames. Not sure why Islanders GM Mike Milbury opted to let go of Hamrlik, who signed a two-year deal, and pick up Alexei Zhitnik for four-years at $14 million. Same average salary, but most teams seem to be favoring short-term contracts due to the uncertainty with future year cap figures. Any insight from Islander fans?

NHL stars in Turin Olympics still up in air: The Czechs and Russians refused to sign a proposed player-transfer agreement before Monday's deadline, according to the Associated Press. Both nations want better player compensation for Europeans choosing to play in the NHL. Might the NHL and IIHF go to the Olympics without the Czechs and Russians? Doubtful.

Wolverines on the move: Captain Jeff Tambellini followed in Al Montoya's footsteps yesterday, forgoing his senior year at the University of Michigan to sign with the L.A. Kings. While many of last year's seniors — Eric Nystrom, Jason Ryznar, David Moss and Michael Woodford — signed pro deals in the last week, Montoya and Tambellini were a few of Michigan's best players left from the team that made it to the regional finals in 2004-05. The team suddenly has transformed from a veteran squad — 10 seniors plus Montoya and Tambellini — into a team full of youngsters. The Wolverines will look much different this fall when I head down to Yost with my season tickets. Check out the Michigan College Hockey blog for great news and analysis on the team.

Blogging around: First, I forget to mention a big thank-you to On the Wings' Matt Saler and Brian List for including In The Crease in their NHL blog Carnival. If you haven't checked out their blog, do it now. It's one of the best NHL/Red Wings blogs I've seen.

Also, with the Penguins' recent signing of John LeClair, head on over to Jason Mirtle's blog for a breakdown of the new Pittsburgh line-up. It's a shocking comparison and a hint of the damage Crosby and Co. could do this season.

Hockey night in Buffalo, U.S.A

Sabres fans will be happy to know that while Empire Sports Network is gone, Mike Robitaille will be back on the air this fall covering the Sabres.

When Empire went off the air in March, Western New York lost more than just a sports network — it lost a part of Buffalo sports culture. But if you're a hockey fan (and I'm guessing you are if you're reading this), the bigger loss was Empire's hockey coverage, specifically the Sabres post-game show, Hockey Hotline. For over a decade, fans from WNY and around the country could call in and sound off on each Sabres game for over an hour. Robitaille's colorful commentary and analysis were the backbone of HH. But while Robitaille will return, Hockey Hotline will not according to The Buffalo News:

"The Buffalo Sabres' TV plans for their first season on the Madison Square Garden Network include a post-game show with a new name, a different cast and a different agenda than "Hockey Hotline" had on the defunct Empire Sports Network.

Kevin Sylvester, the former WGR-AM morning host, will host "The Shootout." Mike Robitaille, the "HH" regular who worked with Josh Mora (now in Chicago) two seasons ago, returns with a former Sabre to be named later. If Rob Ray retires, he would be an obvious option.

Larry Quinn, the Sabres' managing partner, said the show will be live at HSBC Arena after home games and will include more in-depth features and more thorough analysis than offered by "HH." The show's call-in component won't be as large as it was on "HH."

Hmm, "The Shootout?" Like Sharpshooters? What was wrong with the name "Hockey Hotline?" Assuming rights to the name do not belong to Adelphia, I feel the name change either has to do with Quinn wanting to deemphasize the fan call-in portion, or Quinn wanting to just make it his own. I don't think the format change was needed, as HH was one of Empire's highest-rated programs and arguably the best post-game show in the NHL. In the article, Robitaille explained why he thought the change was made:

' "There is a lot to talk about this year, more than any other season," Robitaille said. "There will be more time to evaluate the game and teach the public the best we can. It might be difficult for people to grasp a lot of rule changes." '

I'm not familiar with Sylvester's work, but he'll be hard-pressed to live up to Brian Blessing or Josh Mora's standard. Seriously, though, I'm doing cartwheels now that a part of the Buffalo hockey culture I love will return in October!

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Last week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Comcast made a two-year, over $100 million deal to nationally broadcast NHL games for the next two seasons. Games would be shown on Outdoor Life Network, a move by Comcast to expand OLN and sway sports viewers away from ESPN. Still, long-time NHL partner ESPN reportedly gets the right to match any offer that Comcast makes. And while I don't appreciate the sub-par coverage of hockey on the deuce, the Los Angeles Times's Mike Penner makes some interesting points on why it's best for the NHL to stick with ESPN:

"Ice hockey, the quintessential indoor sport, on the Outdoor Life Network?

That makes as much sense as having more NHL franchises south of Kentucky than in Canada, but that's the NHL.

Of course, the Outdoor Life Network prefers to cloak itself behind its initials, OLN, a handle that became popular among cycling enthusiasts, who came to know the channel as the Only Lance Network. The NHL on OLN? It does have a ring. Say it fast enough and no one will have the chance to make any more outdoor hockey jokes. ...

For the NHL, the incentive is obvious. For better or worse, ESPN is the leading brand name in American sports television. In today's media culture, the ESPN logo has a legitimizing effect on any activity — even non-sports — it chooses to air. Look what the network has done for poker, fishing and competitive eating.

Without its long-standing ESPN rubber stamp, the NHL risks becoming more of a niche sport tucked away on a niche network.

But ESPN also needs the NHL. What kind of "Worldwide Leader in Sports" allows the sport of Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull to leave the building, quit the family, vacate the premises without a fight?

Keeping the NHL makes economic as well as promotional sense for ESPN, which has had a virtual monopoly in the national cable sports market ever since it squashed Fox's challenge. Let the NHL slip away to OLN and ESPN will essentially assist in birthing a new cable rival."

Currently, 61 million households receive OLN, while 71-plus million get ESPN. I just can't picture hockey moving off of a household name to OLN, a channel I've rarely watched. And I don't think a new start on OLN gives the NHL a better place in the broadcasting marketplace. Even though hockey on ESPN was not perfect, it's important that the NHL stays there if it ever hopes to re-solidify its roots in the American sports landscape.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

-Redden to be shopped?: The Ottawa Sun reports GM John Muckler is in a tough position, wondering whether he'll have to part with star defenseman Wade Redden due to cap economics. Ottawa's long had a team of fast, skillful youngsters that helped the Senators finish near the top in the East almost every year. But with the lowered age of free agency and star players demanding more money, it seems Ottawa won't be able to afford to keep their roster intact for much longer.

-Crosby-mania just beginning: Just days removed from his appearance on The Tonight Show, Sidney Crosby's star-studded tour hit Pittsburgh according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"Mario Lemieux didn't get this kind of reception in his first moments in Pittsburgh. Neither did Ben Roethlisberger or any other athlete in the 20 years between the time those two were drafted by local teams.

But when Sidney Crosby rode down an escalator to the baggage claim area of Pittsburgh International Airport just after 7 p.m. yesterday [Wednesday], his white polo shirt reflected the glare of a host of television cameras. When he reached the bottom and was escorted into a back corner for a brief interview session, Crosby was mobbed by reporters, photographers and a few dozen fans who had gotten wind of his arrival or were just lucky enough to be there and figured out what was going on."

Now with the addition of solid goaltending in the form of Jocelyn Thibault, the Penguins are definitely shaping up to be a favorite to make the playoffs in the East. And with the possibilities of Mario Lemieux, Crosby and Ziggy Palffy up front, along with Thibault in net, it's a good chance the Penguins could upset a eastern powerhouse in the first round.

Osgood is good for Detroit

My Red Wings-fan friends are still in disbelief -- Osgood? In a Wings sweater? Again? Are you kidding me?

In a rare moment when I defend a goaltender, and a mediocre-to-good one and that, I tell them Osgood signing is actually a pretty solid move for Ken Holland and Co. He came at the right terms -- one-year at $900,000 -- and fits nicely under the Wings' tight cap. But more than numbers, Osgood is coming home to Detroit. My friends point to the slappers from the blue line that routenily sailed past Osgood in the playoffs and the pucks that seemed to trickle down his shoulder, down his back and then over the blueline, all while he was watching.

His number in Detroit were respectable: 221 wins in 389 games, 30 shutouts and a 2.40 GAA. For a majority of the time, Osgood played with a team of all-stars and won the Stanley Cup with the Wings as a backup in 1997 and a starter in 1998. But he did the job. Not the stuff of Dominik Hasek, but Osgood isn't expected to be the savior of any team. He knows the ins-and-outs of the NHL schedule, can play a full season as the number one goaltender and has a wealth of playoff of experience.

Best of all, he's not scarred by a three-year absence from the Wings. He didn't sulk when he was waived in favor of Hasek. He's endured the pressure of playing in Hockeytown. His head is fresh and in the right place, unlike Curtis Joseph is has been toyed around with so much in Detroit. He's always been good friends with backup goaltender Manny Legace, and shouldn't have problems splitting duties if he doesn't assume the number one spot. Osgood wants to be a Wing. The Detroit News:

' "I'm thrilled about this," said Osgood, who was traveling Tuesday. "I really missed playing in Detroit. You don't realize what you had until you don't have it anymore." ...

Instead of being bitter, Osgood handled the situation gracefully and even then talked about returning someday.

"I really thought I would be back," he said. "It was fun to play on Long Island (with the Islanders) and St. Louis. But I always missed the atmosphere here. It's just different. You don't see it in a lot of cities." '

Osgood brings stability and fits the team for right now. This isn't a club spilling over in Hall of Fame talent anymore. It has a few big-name veterans -- Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan and Nicklas Lidstrom -- mixed with talented youngsters -- Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. So remember the Osgood-Patrick Roy fights. Or the pleasure of knowing who will start in net on a nightly basis. I can almost here the chants of Oz-zie, Oz-zie now...

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Other Wings fans are mad at the franchise for not lowering ticket prices after the lockout. Detroit Free Press columnist Mike Rosenberg tries to find the reason for the freeze:

Now the NHL has a salary cap of $39 million. So the Wings can't blame ticket prices on payroll anymore.

But Devellano says he can explain.

And in a way, he can.

The Wings bought out $15 million worth of contracts this summer. That money doesn't count against the cap, but obviously they still have to pay it. They have some time to pay, but figure $8 million in buyout money this season (including bonuses for previous contracts). So effectively, that bumps their payroll up to $47 million.

Then there is revenue sharing. In the old days, the NHL had a very complicated revenue-sharing system in which the Wings were obligated to think nice thoughts about the other teams. Now they have to pay actual money.

This year, Devellano said he expects the Wings to pay "$7-$10 million" in revenue sharing. That effectively bumps payroll up to $54-$57 million. It's not $78 million, but it's a lot closer than I realized when I wrote that the Wings should slash ticket prices almost in half.

Should this make Wings fans feel better? Hard to say. On the one hand, your organization does not appear to be filled with devious, lying, thieving weasels.

On the other hand, a big chunk of your money is going to ex-Wings and other teams.

And costs apparently will shrink by at least $20 million. After a year of neglect, shouldn't the fans get at least some of that?

Apparently for Wings fans, the new NHL costs as much as the old NHL. And incredibly, even though the Wings will pay half as much for the on-ice product, they still say they might lose money."

What Rosenberg failed to mention was the law of Econ 101: supply and demand. Demand for tickets is high in Hockeytown, why lower prices? Already with a season-ticket base of over 17,000 and a waiting list a mile long to get season tickets, the Wings won't hurt in that department. Joe Louis routenily sells out. Average-Joe tickets to most games are hard to come by, especially at face value. And even with the success of the Detroit Pistons and the rising popularity of the Tigers, the Wings are still the number one ticket in town. Even through the lockout, I saw more Wings stickers, flags and bumperstickers on the cars than Pistons, Tigers and Lions combined. News about the Wings makes the front page of the sports sections, if not the whole paper, almost daily. I understand the fans' pain with the high ticket costs in Detroit. It's hardly affordable to take a family to a game and even harder to find the tickets to do so. But that's econ for you. There's still plenty of hockey in town -- Michigan Wolverines, Michign State Spartans, Plymouth Whalers and college hockey tournaments -- to keep the thrifty hockey fan happy.

Heeeere's Sidney!

While I'm not too excited about the Sabres defense this fall, every day that passes brings us closer to the start of the NHL season. And this season is the debut of (drumroll) Sidney Crosby. He's already been crowned as hockey's savior, but now he's starting the "rounds" -- last night, Crosby was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This is big. I can't even remember the last time (maybe when a player brought the Stanley Cup with him) that a hockey player was on a major U.S. late-night show.

And he represented the sport well. Dressed in a sharp, pinstriped suit and very well-spoken, Crosby was mature and impressive, especially for a 17-year-old. If Crosby lives up to anything near his expectations, it's no doubt in my mind that he'll be a great ambassador for the game in the U.S., much the way Wayne Gretzky was. Nothing sells a game like a superstar, or even a superstar in the making (see: LeBron James).

The funniest part of the segment was when Crosby told Leno that he's never been to Pittsburgh, but that he was going next week. Leno then showed a cheesy, chamber of commerce promo video of Pittsburgh circa 1970. Children ran down the hills to the background of an announcer proclaiming, "America's great renaissance city."

Crosby also recalled pelting his mom's dryer with pucks, practicing his shot growing up in Nova Scotia. Leno brought a dryer on to stage for a little reenactment. Crosby missed the first three shots, but then landed the second two. He was poised; everything was lighthearted and fun. I'm cheering for him, as long as he doesn't score too many goals against the Sabres.

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Darcy Regier finally signed a player on Thursday. Ex-Dallas Star Teppo Numminen joins the Sabres back end. I'm a little concerned about his age (37), since I think James Patrick already has the old man role covered. But Numminen does add experience to the group of youngsters.

Still, one signing does not let Regier off the hook. On WGR this morning, he indicated that most of the free agent defensemen had already been taken. He's looking at trades to possibly add a player or two. Does that mean the Sabres are not interested in Roman Hamrlik? I'm guessing Hamrlik either wants too much money or a long-term deal, two things that would scare Regier away. I love how the Sabres let go of Alexei Zhitnik, only to be on the hunt for veteran defensemen. He was right here, baby. Played in the organization nine and half years, knew the system and was a cornerstone of the Sabres defense. It's still killing me.

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Bob Dicesare of The Buffalo News had a thoroughly depressing column today:

"The Sabres miscalculated, and they miscalculated badly. They should have signed Satan to the qualifying offer of $3.8 million and then, if they were so inclined, dangled him as trade bait. They should have realized that the value of players who can skate and shoot had expanded, or at least held fast, now that the league is welcoming back the days when the Yvan Cournoyers sizzled up and down the wing unimpeded. Which overlaps with Regier's playing days, by the way.

It seemed like a bargain when Satan was available to the Sabres at a 24 percent discount from the season last played. It stood to reason that players of his ilk would be coveted in a league that is determined to rid itself of obstruction once and for all, a league that expanded the offensive zone by 4 feet from goal line to blue line, thereby increasing the demand for skill players, particularly those with a knack for producing on the power play.

The Sabres were holding onto something special in Satan, and their response was to let him flee, and to do so, worst of all, without securing a return."

Dicesare makes a good point here. Although Regier claims there was no trade interest prior to free agency, I've got to believe teams assumed that Buffalo wasn't going to tender him a qualifying offer. Especially near the end of last season, Satan seemed to really fit with the power play and the new, more offensive system the Sabres were playing. Yes, I know there were scoreless streaks. But Satan wanted to stay and he was an asset that could have been packaged with another player (Marty Biron, anyone?) to get another defenseman.

But the biggest hit Dicesare made was on Regier. It's deserved, in my opinion:

"A trend has emerged, and it's not the stuff of which Stanley Cup dreams are made. Regier painted himself into a corner with goaltender Dominik Hasek and dealt him away for a song. He realized a meager return after the Michael Peca holdout, neither Tim Connolly nor Taylor Pyatt having produced to a level anywhere near commensurate with Peca's abilities. They held tight to defenseman Alexei Zhitnik through the trade deadline of the season last played, even though the writing was right there on the wall. If the NHL won its labor war, if the Sabres could backtrack to a payroll more to their liking, then a workhorse defenseman like Zhitnik was going to price them away on the open market. It was inconceivable the franchise could have competed for his services while electing to operate, in this case, some 25 percent beneath the salary-cap ceiling. What's clear is the Sabres have squandered four premium assets, which is no way to build a small-market contender."

NOTE: I'm leaving for California tomorrow, but I'll try to update the blog as much as possible. Until then, GO SABRES!