This year’s NHL Lottery contains two jackpots, and a handful of very nice door prizes. But, the NHL and all their “wisdom” has chosen to scrap the popular 30 minute NHL Lottery results show and go with… Well, we have no idea ant its seems the NHL is clueless still as well. The one bright spot here is it has been reported by several outlets that the NHL Lottery will be available on video. There doesn’t seem to be a decision on why to get that video out to the fans, but on-line and a possible show after the fact could be possible.
Simply put the NHL once again believes they are better and smarter than their fans and they in no way need to engage them. Can you image a league the the NFL choosing not to televise an event like this years NHL Lottery? NO, because the potential to make money is there and the chance to give fans more of what the love is there. For some reason the NHL in all it’s glory is stuck in the 1960’s.
"There will be full disclosure, a source said. What form that disclosure takes is not yet known because both the league and its broadcast partners – Rogers Sportsnet, NBC Sports and TVA Sports – are still working out the details. We do know that the lottery will be held the night of April 18, which is the first Saturday of the playoffs. It will likely be held as part of the pre-game show for that night’s national game, which will be decided once the final playoff seedings have been determined. All 14 teams that have a chance of winning the lottery will be invited to send a representative to the event. [The Hockey News]"
“Another difference is this year’s actual lottery will be held in Toronto at the Rogers Sportsnet instead of the NHL office in New York. A separate room has been set aside where the lottery will take place. It will involve a limited number of participants, none of whom will have communication devices with them. Once the lottery is completed, the results will be delivered by one of the people in the room to Daly or Commissioner Gary Bettman while the others will remain sequestered inside.” [The Hockey News]
"So the team that finishes 30th overall (if the season were over after Friday night’s games that would be Buffalo) gets 200 balls, or roughly 20 percent of the total. The team that finishes 29th (Arizona) receives 135 numbers, 28th (Edmonton) gets 115, 27th (Toronto) receives 95, 26th (Carolina) is awarded 85, 25th (New Jersey) gets 75, 24th (Philadelphia) receives 65, 23rd (Columbus) gets 60, 22nd (Colorado) receives 50, 21st (Dallas) gets 35, 20th (San Jose) receives 30, 19th (Florida) gets 25; 18th (Los Angeles) receives 20 and the 17th place team (Winnipeg) gets 10. (Yes, this adds up to 1,000, not 1,001. Somewhere in there one of the teams must be getting an extra ball.) [The Hockey News]"
If the NHL is concerned that putting this year’s NHL Lottery on TV would somehow overshadow their Playoffs, then perhaps there are bigger problems in the NHL then ruling out conspiracy. The only way this conversation goes away for good is if the NHL gets off their high horse and realizes a lottery system is a bad idea.
There is no real way to silence the masses, and putting it on tape for viewing at a later time turns this from a once in a generation event into a rerun of Full House. Shame on the NHL for being so disconnected from their fans.