OPINION: Hockey's TV future

As long as I can remember, hockey has been promoted as a vital part of the Canadian national heritage.

I’m beginning to question the merits of a sport that leaves behind a growing legacy of brain-addled young men sprawled unconscious on the ice.

I also doubt the wisdom of having a national dream that can be bought and sold by the highest bidder.

Two notable   stories  in the sports world this past week have shown quite clearly that the game Canadians love is about to be transformed.

Both these events and the unintended consequences they trigger will most certainly be game changers.

NHL hockey is nothing more than a commodity and its on-ice product has just been sold to Rogers Communication for $5.2 billion, including Hockey Night in Canada.

That’s right, Ron and Don and the entire HNIC crew will be free agents at the end of this season but before you freak out I’ll try to talk you through it.

You’ve got four years to get used to the idea because that’s how much longer Saturday will be Hockey Night on the CBC.
They will be allowed to broadcast the games, but Rogers will own the brand and call the shots for the show using whatever staff they see fit, most likely their own.

Of course there will be firings and retirings and golden handshakes, but the only one getting any real press is colour commentator and NHL veteran (one game) Don Cherry.

In a display of misguided loyalty, some Canadians idolize the coach and consider him part of the fabric of our culture.

Of course, anybody who has seen Mr. Cherry’s wardrobe must surely be asking exactly what kind of fabric that is.

Nobody knows for sure but consensus is that Rogers may keep Cherry around in a reduced role at a reduced salary and probably not for very long.

The game will never be the same.

Saturday night hockey will morph into Rogers’ own version of our national game on TV, on line and everywhere else in cyberspace.
If the new broadcasters are going to make money on this deal the game of hockey must grow and prosper for the next decade or so.

But the future is not all that certain.

The NHL and the game itself are under attack by a class action lawsuit from its own players who are claiming compensation for permanent brain injury.

They allege that the NHL knew all about the risks of repeated head-bashing but concealed the facts to avoid dealing effectively with fighting and body checking.

The players are seeking punitive damages which means they will have to prove willful and malicious conduct and show evidence of gross negligence in court.

This case follows closely on the heels of an out-of-court $765 million settlement won by NFL players in a similar lawsuit.

The NHL would also prefer to settle out of court and to avoid answering embarrassing questions the league may have to fork over part of that wad of cash it got from Rogers.

The issue of hockey violence is being taken seriously enough to be a game changer too and something akin to Occupational Health and Safety is being advocated for the NHL.

League officials may some day be expected to practice due diligence for the protection of their players.
The rock ‘em, sock ‘em style of hockey so loved by beer-fueled Canadian fans may one day meet its match.

Once again, the game will never be the same.

Hockey may still be part of our national consciousness but hopefully it will no longer be a national concussion.