10 Reasons Why I Don't Watch NHL Hockey Anymore 1) I'm a Sabres fan. 2) I'm a Sabres fan. 3) I'm a Sabres fan. 4) I'm a Sabres fan. 5) I'm a Sabres fan. 6) I'm a Sabres fan. 7) I'm a Sabres fan. 8) I'm a Sabres fan. 9) I'm a Sabres fan. 10) I'm a Sabres fan.

What bothers me most about the digital ads is that they've replaced those cool on ice logos that they did for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and for the first couple weeks of the regular season that were just inside the blueline. The playoffs really felt like the playoffs when you saw that big Stanley Cup Playoffs logo there but now there's an ad for KIA, great.

Sports betting is the worst part about sports now. They all have been corrupted to some extent.

The main reason I don’t watch advertisements anymore is because they keep getting interrupted by hockey games.

Preach! All I want to do is drink a glass of scotch after work and WATCH THE WILD, WHILE LIVING IN MINNESOTA, without having to give Bally naming right to my next child.

The ads are bad they took away the faceoff and playoff ice logos for ads💀

My reasons 1-10: I don’t have cable TV anymore

I would have to agree with Neil on this. The blackouts are so fusterating. If I'm paying money to watch there shouldn't be blackouts.

1. Rogers 2. A big hug fight scrum after every hit. Even if you string your own guy out and he gets nailed, you are obligated to hug the guy that hit him. 3. Digital Ads 4. No Coach’s Corner 5. Dumb fans banging on the glass thinking it does something besides blocking the view. 6. Reviews slowing down the game. 7. Lack of technology in those reviews. No puck sensors to determine goals. Potato vision cameras to review those goals. 8. Too many outdoor gimmick games. 9. Sports betting everywhere. 10. Helmet ads.

I have been watching hockey even more because my five and three year old daughters love watching it with me. Every day now the three year old will ask me “what teams are on tonight” it’s the best! ❤

Most of these things could also be said about the other major sports.

As a hockey fan and a baseball fan I hate the blackouts and the fact that you can't watch your favorite teams games on your cable provider because they don't carry the channel. Like for instance I'm a Preds fan and a Braves fan with KZfaq TV and I can't watch the games without a Bally Sports subscription to watch the Preds and I can't watch the Braves at all without an MLB TV subscription and a VPN. It's highly annoying

It’s easier to watch pirated streams than it is to pay for them.

Ducks need a rebrand. I hate the uniforms

commercials breaks are a pain in... it takes 3 hours to tell a 1 hour story. As a Swiss, I keep watching Swiss games, because they last only 2 hours. Well, the level is lower, but in the end, the experience is better. The flip side of the coin are the jerseys covered by sponsors.

I did cut down on my hockey watching, and sports watching in general. There are other important things to worry about than the results of a game. I do enjoy attending live hockey though. I live very close to UBS Arena to where I can get a cheap enough ticket last minute, I will go.

💯 agree with you on the gambling BS . Ads in general just bore the stuffing outta me .

As far as digital boards, I have a nit pick complaint on why I don't like them. I honestly enjoyed seeing the local ads. I don't know why exactly. But it probably has something to do with loving to travel, and explore. Just felt like you got a little taste of the local flavors with the local ads. Felt like part of the arena. It increased more as I traveled more & started recognizing the businesses. Like "hey that's that place we stopped at in ___" , or "Oh we saw so many of those in that city" It was also cool going to an NHL city for the first time and already recognizing some local spots, and saying hey I want to check that place out they've sponsored the ___s for years now. Further more I lived outside of my home town for a decade, it was nice to get a glimpse of home watching the games.

1. The digital boards drive me crazy. 2. The network/streaming app the games are on change every game. 3. Less emphasis on the inherent excitement of the game. More emphasis on constant stimulation both on the tv and live at the games Those are mine.

to eliminate tanking the league can implement "draft points" as soon as u are eliminated from the playoff contention. every win is worth points, which ever team has the most points get #1 draft. (usually will be the worst team cos they get eliminated early)

I watched a ton of hockey in college (coincidentally during your video a day streak) as it was my way of staying grounded from my studies, especially as I turned my hobby into my full time work. I'm watching less now of other teams now, but I am watching mine and my wife's favourite teams at least twice a week as just a way of relaxing. I do now work with a Jr A team in my city, so hockey has also worked its way into my work, but I can't be more than happy to do it. Blackouts are frustrating, but nothing was worse than going to watch a flames home game on Saturday night in 2007, only to learn it was PPV.

Another great video thats well done. Just as a request please do a video collaboration with The Hockey Guy. The both of you are by far the most knowledgeable with jerseys. I would love to hear conversations with each other regarding the game as well.

This is me man. I haven't watched the NHL for any more than 5 minutes at a time the past two seasons because every time I do I last about 5 minutes because of the darn digital advertising. It is always stuttering. You lose the puck. You can't keep up with the play. What's the point of all these stupid digital ads if people are turning it off. It's costing you viewers.

Completely agree. The amount of rampant open promotion and encouragement of gambling in the NHL (and NFL) is out of control. It’s makes me lose all passion for what I’m watching. It really is encouraging bad addictive behavior that can destroy families and lives.

If there’s still no score after 5 minutes of 1v1, do the goalies then just shoot the puck back and forth at each other.

Well, you can thank Gary Bettman for almost all of your 10 reasons!! I’ve been watching hockey for 60+ years, and it’s obviously changed drastically. Legalizing betting on sports, especially hockey, was imo a terrible decision. It opens up the possibility of players or refs being involved, which some think is already happening judging by the calls made or not made. I also think personal choices of what a player or organization want to support should be done outside the arena. We’re not paying to see their personal life choices or the agendas they support, but to watch them play hockey, and that’s all. I understand all your reasons, but you have to admit, it is a little odd for someone who makes so many great NHL jersey videos, to not even be watching that very sport. Have a great week!

Aight here are my ten reasons 1. Gary Bettman (I had enough of his antics) 2. players safety doing the exact opposite 3. officiating 4. playoff systems 5. current tv rights (well tnt is fine but still) 6. No international hockey for almost a decade 7. Fanatics jersey deal 8. banning warm up themed jerseys 9. resisting the urge to grow the sport (which then helps grow the league) 10. trying to do basically what the nfl is doing….

The inconsistent calls have long driven me nuts, and not just in hockey. I foul is a foul, no matter the situation. Doesn't matter if it's a close game or a blowout, a game in mid-November or game 7 of the Finals, 10 minutes into the first or the final minute of the 3rd. Refs swallowing whistles because "they don't want to be the ones deciding the game" is them calling the game, and "you can't call that there" is nonsense, unless it's out of line with how the game has been called up to that point.

I’m in the same boat as you, and it comes down to two reasons: how expensive it is to get the online subscription, and blackouts. I got the subscription in the Covid year because I was hyped to see the Canadian division. Turned out to be a horrible mistake because, since I’m from Saskatchewan, I have 3 “home” teams: Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. Meaning any game with one of those 3 teams I couldn’t watch! Such a load of crap. I’m a law abiding guy, but that makes me want to go out and watch pirated games. If it was free or even just more affordable I’d watch a lot more games

I just miss the rivalry hockey. I’m a pens fan and my best friend is a flyers fan and we went to a game where the penguins just pumped the flyers 7-0 and nothing happened. Hardly any hits and no fights

I feel ya man, i love your videos and i hope that all goes well for you moving forward

Excellent video. You've explained yourself coherently and you made interesting points. Thanks for your content, Neil!

As a longtime NHL fan, I too have noticed the exponential increase in betting ads during NHL games. One does have to wonder how this affects the overall integrity of the game and how this contributes to the overall percentage of viewers developing gambling addictions.

I would like to see if they can improve 3 on 3. For instance you enter the zone, you can’t take it back beyond the red line or there is a face off in your zone. It could forces action a bit more.

I used to watch my team every single game good or bad. I haven't watched a game in the last 2 years. I was watching my team in the playoffs and I thought "why do I put up with this s*** ?" Turned off the TV, never went back. I still follow what my team is doing and if they win I watch the "game in 10" the next day on KZfaq. I don't think I'll ever watch a full game again.

I'm a huge hockey fan, but I haven't been able to watch any NHL this year either. Couldn't agree more with some of the points you've made such as blackouts and especially the ad boards as I have a concussion and those definitely make it hard to watch without getting a headache, theyre also extremely distracting. Sucks that the NHL is so money hungry. All they talk about is "growing the game" yet they don't let you watch games because you're in a specific region. It comes across as hypocritical and fake. I'm glad you were able to point out many of these issues, hopefully more people see this and take note of these issues.

I used to watch every game of my favorite team when I lived with my parents. Because they have cable. I don’t have cable and only have streaming services. All games I want to watch are blacked out, unless they are nationally televised. Which is probably 5 games a year. As a professional league, you can’t seriously expect viewership to rise, when you limit viewership from the new style of media (streaming).

Broke or not a person should always have their backbone and stand on what they believe in. I’m glad that you do. It lets me know the world hasn’t completely lost it.

Hockey just isn't the same anymore. I miss the grittyness to it and it seems like it's become too bland now. Also the shootouts and giving a point for an overtime loss is just ridiculous. Bring back ties in the regular season. What's the big deal. There are no ties in the playoffs.

I appreciate your comments, and have been watching your channel here and there for a few years now. As far as your grievance about these gambling sites and all the ways they advertise I agree with you whole heartedly. I first noticed this several years ago when one of these gambling sites sponsored a radio show about gambling and gave tips on which games were the best to bet on. I have always thought this was far beyond what sports media should be doing. However I am sure you may recall how beer companies and alcohol companies used to dominate advertising of sporting events and teams. Please let me inform you that I did not follow your show because of those shirts you would give away, as I never even attempted to win one, I simply loved your knowledge and love for what was obviously a passion, and one which got me into a small hobby of collecting Hockey Jerseys now (I will say I have always loved sports team Jerseys and, used to have a few Football and baseball Jerseys over the years, but since watching your shows, I now have over 10 Hockey Jerseys (and growing) and look forward to expanding that collection. (maybe not as extensive as yours ) As far as the blackouts go, this has been an issue for decades, this is not anything new. It used to be that if a professional team did not sell out the arena then the game would be blacked out in that area. Of course this has to do with revenues for the teams and the thought that people would not go to the games if they could watch them for "free" on tv. This attitude has changed somewhat over the years. However if you want to watch any game around the world, subscribe to a VPN (Virtual Private Network) which will mask what your real location is and have your computer/tv show up as being in a completely different region or country. This way you can show up as being from western Canada (for example) and thus not being in the blackout zone for the Habs. This way you will be able to watch any hockey game on your paid service like. I agree with you that it feels like we are being ripped off by paying an extra fee to get a hockey package and not being able to watch all the games. Please note that a VPN is perfectly legal

Not playing everyday like the MLB, the ad breaks, whistles and interruptions is what turns me away. There was a recent Senators game I saw where there was no whistle blown for 15 minutes, almost every player on the benches were on there feet, and it made for intense/exciting hockey; I don't think that happens often in the games.

I used to be able name a lot of players on every team. Now I can't even name every team. Way too many teams, way too many games just like baseball. No one game is important now. Playoffs are far too long. In football, you play one game and you are in or out. Twenty eight playoff games possible to win the cup? That's both ridiculous and a complete money grab. Bettman is a lawyer not a hockey fan. $500 bucks for a man to take his kid to a hockey game? That's crazy. Sure you can pay $100 and use binoculars. I go to junior games. Great hockey, $20. You can have a beer and a hotdog without mortgaging your house.

I really haven't watched hockey much in the past decade since the AHL team moved from my home city in 2013, but I started watching more during the last playoffs and this season I started following the Stars since they are the closest teaam to me and I look forward to watching as many games as I can now. I can see how it can be frustrating with teams changing regional networks and some going bankrupt or not getting carriage deals with certain cable providers we went through it here in my home city and the nba and mlb teams were only on one provider for multiple seasons.

I think the best thing the NHL has done is end the "support the cause" stuff. I don't care what the cause is, they have no place in sports. All it does is stir controversy and that controversy becomes bigger than the sport itself. Everyone is already aware of these awarenesses and causes anyway. The point of them is to cause a rift.

the betting ads between whistles and commercial breaks was bad enough. then they started throwing them all over the digital boards which was annoying, AND THEN these huge popups mid play that get in the way while im trying to watch the f'in game... ridiculous

10 reasons as a stars fan that I don’t watch nhl hockey anymore: Bally Bally Bally Bally Bally Bally Bally Bally Bally Bally

This year I’ve been recording games on my PVR and then skipping through all the commercials, and it’s made the experience so much better. Yes, it sucks I can’t watch the games live, but I can’t stand all the betting ads (and if I have to hear “in CHICAGO??” one more time I might break something), so it’s been a lot more bearable. I still agree with literally every other reason on your list though, the NHL as a whole has gotten so frustrating

My biggest grip with officiating is the time when penalties are not being called. If there is less than 10 minutes to go in the game and a team is down, there are rarely penalties called against that team who is down. And obvious calls. The refs don’t want to decide the outcome of the game but they do so by giving an advantage to the team that is down allowing them constant chances to come back. I also disagree with the suspensions and fines from the league, it’s bush league

Although I tend to agree with all of these you mentioned. I think it’s easier than a top 10 reason. I feel your number 4 reason is the key to why a lot of people don’t watch hockey. And it’s how there team is playing. If your team is good, you overlook all the little annoyances that make the nhl the nhl. (betting ads, the boards, the terrible refs) and you just enjoy it cause you enjoy watching your team win. When your team isn’t winning, those things are lot more prevalent, because you aren’t even enjoying watching your team play anymore . Just my take on the whole thing.

After not watching for a couple years, I recently got the bug again and wanted to watch some games. Came to find out the NHL has no streaming service. I don't have cable or satellite and I don't want to pay for ESPN just for hockey. So, I guess I won't watch hockey. Really surprising to me that there isn't a streaming app.

I watch ESPN+ and get every team broadcast game but in your region of a team, they are blocked.

Whether you make a video daily, weekly, or monthly we appreciate your content.

When I was a kid I remember watching Guy Lafleur on tv

Blackouts completely lost me as a fan years ago. It was too frustrating, especially when the arena was sold out and its too far away for me to easily attend games without staying overnight. I'm watching parts of games now, just very casually and may not last. Don't know more than a couple of players and once that lack of familiarity was gone, its tough to regain. Leagues need to learn the lesson that blackouts lose fans, not fill arenas.

I agree with your reasons to not watch, some of these things like the Sports Betting, Digital Boards, fairness from the league and NHLPA are a headache. Being a Panthers fan living in Texas, I can watch most of my teams out of market games, but I agree 100% with you about blackouts needing to go. Hang in there and maybe root for the Cats this season in the Playoffs! ;)

personally super hard to watch the regular season. watching the oilers/vegas game now cuz its nearly historic, and with two playoff teams but man mid april could not come soon enough...

16:20 the REAL reason the nhl made the calculated move to put St. Louis in the winter classic is because they knew I’d end up buying all the new jerseys 👌🏻

Hey man are you still looking for a blank NYR winter classic jersey size 50 - not a bot.

Great video, excellent points man. I should be going to more WHL games, the talent in there is wild. These young men are mega talented. The Red Deer Rebels have had serious players go through their system.

Im tempted to never watch again after seeing the all stars win a million bucks. That was gross and insulting. That kind of money would change any fans life forever and those guys couldnt care less- Kucherov especially. Sports is supposed to be an escape from the world but this only hammmered home how differently we treat rich people. The million bucks was to give the players an incentive to try. Fine. But in the real world whenever something like universal basic income is brought up, its shot down onnthe grounds it would take away workers incentive to work. Funny how we incentivize the rich by offering them more money yet more money would somehow make poor people less incentivized.

I agree with you 100% I love my Isles for sure and I do watch them all the time but I really can relate to what you say it is really sad and has gone too far with all the ads and the gambling promotions.

I like how they used the whole blackout thing.....like they kinda in a way did stick by their promise that......like before the SPORTSNET/ROGERS contract they barely showed games from the US games unless its national televised in the US but now SPORTSNET show alot of not even nationally televised US games.....and ppl think it was about "oh s*** i can now watch the HABS even tho im in Van"

As a Jackets fan, I have had a difficult time with paying attention this season. I was extremely heavily into it for about two months, and then a switch flipped and I could not motivate myself to keep following this team closely. There are a few other things in my life that were distracting me, and another important factor is that I moved away from Ohio and no longer am going to Jackets games regularly. But the main reason is, the team.

Nice video. I was also a Habs fan and I really started watching Hockey in 1970-71 when they upset the Bruins on the way to the Cup after inserting Dryden in the lineup. You are spot on about the ads on the boards. I remember in 1979 during the Challenge Cup they had ads on the boards and CBS televised the games using weird angles so people could not view the ads. This was because CBS was not paid for the advertising. Now, after all these years we have gone in the complete opposite direction of having too many ads. The constant Sports Betting ads are truly annoying. Nobody seems to care as these companies turn all of North America into gambling addicts. The officiating as you said is very inconsistent in the NHL. They now have 2 referees and 2 linesman and video review, and they still make bad calls. How is that even possible? Gary Bettman has destroyed the concept of the Winter Classic games. This started as the Heritage Classic between the Habs & Oliers and was cool to watch. Now there are so many Winter Classic games that the product is diluted. And as you mentioned, the Blackhawks have been a part of many of them as have many of the U.S. based teams. I think that this is all part of Bettman's focused policy to push the U.S. franchises which he sees as the future of the league, and not the Canadian ones. I guess this is what one can expect from a guy who was hired in 1993 and never saw a Hockey game up to that time. Another thing that makes we want to stop watching the NHL is why are all the goaltenders playing on their knees? The RVH goalie position is supposed to be used to block close-in or wrap around shots. However, the goalies are using it for long range shots. Any shots that are high they cannot get to, and it is pathetic to see them try and jerk their shoulders upward to meet the shot. That is why everyone in the NHL shoots high today. What happened to when Goalies stood up and cut down the angle on the shooters? Terry Sawchuk and Martin Brodeur had over 100 shutouts using this method. I remember when Jaques Lemaire scored the long-distance goal on Tony Esposito in the 1970-71 Cup final which turned that series around. The announcers were wondering why Tony was on his knees when the shot was released. Today those announcers would say nothing.

Some great points mentioned here and it seems like many fans are frustrated. I stopped watching the NHL back in 2014 and got into junior hockey and never looked back. Whether it be the CHL, NCAA or supporting my local Junior A team I feel way more engaged following these leagues. This allows for me to still express my passion for the game but just through another avenue and I feel way more energized having done so

As a Bruins fan, this year, all the 100th anniversary specials appeal to the sentimentalist in me (I grew up with the Bobby Orr / Phil Esposito / Big Bad Bruins teams from the 1970s). I think fans who remember and those who look back have strong feelings about "old time hockey". Hockey is a different sport and culturally traditional event than most other sporting events. The massive expansion of the NHL in this modern era make those memories and feelings seem very distant. However the NHL can preserve and honor their own history would help draw in passionate new fans. Make the experience personal somehow. The more that the fan can be brought in to the experience on some sort of personal level, the better.

My brother gets the Pens games blacked out so he just pirates the games. Yeah they are illegal sites but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.

Flyers fan here. The sports betting ads is number 1 on my list and I can't say I disagree with a lot of your points. For me most of those are nuisances. They bother me, I take issue with them, but they don't prevent me from watching. For me it's more about my team. I know last year with Fletcher as GM I stopped watching entirely until he was fired. Like you, I don't mind watching a bad team. But when the captain at the top sucks and it feels hopeless well then I can't be excited for trade deadlines, draft picks, next year etc. When Briere was hired I was excited again, and this year has been a ton of fun that was well needed after last year. Glad I'm not the only one who feels discouraged about the points you've made though. Maybe the viewership numbers will get them to change things. Fingers crossed.

This is a terrific video. You are not the only me feeling this way. The blackouts drive me nuts in all sports. If we are paying for a service, we should get all of the games. The 3 leagues that do this to their fans show that they don’t care about their viewers at all. I agree with all of the other points, too though.

Totally agree with almost each of your points, but I’ll add on another that you may or may not relate to… as I get older, and I’m only 28, I find it harder to really pay attention to an NHL game. I work 60-80 hours a week as a physician and don’t always have the energy or patience to sit down and really focus on an NHL game on TV for 3 hours. I can flip on a baseball game (huge baseball fan), football game, or even basketball game and work or rest - looking up to tune in for a half inning, a drive, a critical play, or the last 20 minutes of a game and enjoy myself. With hockey, that’s a lot harder because of all the constant action and quick scoring plays. Those are reasons why I love hockey and still go to games when I can, but also why it’s hard to really watch on TV unless it’s a big game.

I'm a Penguins fan from Kansas but I only watch cable coz I can't afford the streaming stuff & I barely get to watch My favorite team so I don't really watch the NHL other then when it's on cable (which is not very often for me)

Same dude. As a king fan I can’t watch My kings , Ducks , and knights due to blacks out. I live in LA how can I not watch Vegas games 😂

How about the advertising on Uniforms???? I don't care How Much Money their getting that's just F***ing Wrong.

Very similar checklist. I find listening to the games on the radio more enjoyable. Watching on television is frustrating. Often announcers running off at the mouth and not calling the game.Betting lines appearing in the scoreboard box in the upper part of screen. Etc...

Easiest way to always lose interest is following a team that’s garbage for an elongated amount of time. I know this from experience.

Hey Neil I started watching hockey and getting into after taking interest in the Nashville playoff run in 2017 I mainly support Tennessee teams and my family really liked hockey so I gave it a shot and they were so fun to watch it definitely was me hoping on the bandwagon but I've stuck with them ever since and I've also hit a point where regular season games just don't do it for me even though I love jerseys and the preds. For me I only watch playoffs. I'll check every game of the preds and see where they stand but I just usually get invested during playoffs which nhl still has best playoffs imo (most likely for upsets , usually the teams that play in the final always change at one end at least , wildcards stand a better chance than in any other sport and game 7s hit different regardless who plays)

I don’t know what I would do if I stop watching hockey

Hey man, haven't watched your videos in a while. I agree with what you have to say here. Hope you're doing well and that burnout hasn't taken over you, keep up the great videos!

Digital ads are great. You don't want to see a car driving around the boards while you're watching the game?😁

blackouts and cost?… i’ve been watching the NHL on free websites for the past couple years now… zero blackouts, and zero dollars….i can’t understand why people pay to watch….you click on any game, and all you gutta do is X out like 5-6 pop-ups and then the game plays just like it does on tv with no more interruptions

Neil - Great video as always. I can’t😢 argue with any of the 10 items you listed, although please, don’t burn out. I value your insights a lot. I too live in a non-NHL city (Houston) and cannot watch blacked out Dallas games despite NHL package and ESPN+ subscriptions. I’m not crazy about watching that team, so that isn’t as big a deal for me; it’s just the principle of it. Unfortunately, we don’t have any other than NHL hockey to watch here, aside from the rare AHL, CHL, or international games shown on the NHL Network. I’m in total agreement with your point on the officiating and discipline issues, both of which caused me to watch something else. (Same for the NFL, although I prefer to watch Canadian football.) Although I’m not particularly a fan of a particular team, I do have my favorites - Blackhawks (born in Chicago), St. Louis, Vegas, Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo (pretty tough to watch), and Pittsburgh. At least I can find a game to watch 1-2 periods at most, thanks to the streaming packages - a far cry from when we could watch one NBC game and one ESPN game at most per week. I especially love being able to watch the Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts. I do get the issue about the betting ads - to the point that I avoid most NFL games too. I personally don’t bet on sports so those ads are a total nuisance to me. (I have watched the CFL far more than the NFL; now, the CFL has the same ad types, which is disappointing.) I find the digital ads way too distracting in general. BYW - I’ve been a hockey fan for almost 60 years, so I grew up in the Original Six days. I saw my first game in Toronto when they last won the Cup, but I always preferred Les Canadiens. I was blessed to see a game at The Forum in 1970 (they were actually shut out 3-0 by the Blues that night. At that time, Houston was Montreal’s CPHL affiliate. I often wear a Habs jersey on our morning walks, and a few people know what it is. Best regards, and keep up the great work (which I know can be more than a full-time job!

Honestly I tend to listen to the games more than actually watching them . I went to two dozen games during the 2021 & 22/23 seasons and this season 23/24I have been to 6 games and I and have two games left for the season and I don't think with the ever rising cost of tickets I will be able to afford to go next season. At all I do hope to still get to 3 or 4 games but I don't see it happening

I'm also a new brunswicker and a canucks fan....i hear you about the blackouts.

The game is way less intense now. Late 70's into the early 2010's, the game was gritty and often nasty. The hits were huge and the fighters were tougher. For me the game has lost its edge-- Kings fan since 73

I started following you, I think 2017, and I have always appreciated your channel. I have seen you less and less on my "for you" page for some reason. But this explains a few things, but I agree with you. I dont watch modern sport in general as much as before due to all being about money...

I agree that the sports betting adds are getting frustrating. Just so many of them and also I think its quite dangerous because gambling addictions are a serious issue for some people. Some adds are fine but to the level we are seeing them is just crazy. But, from what I've read, NHL viewership is actually up from last year by about 10%.

My main reason why I dont watch hockey as much as I used to: as a Canadian I am feeling taken advantage of and taken for granted by the NHL. They screw Canadians royally in favor of unhealthy american markets.

My love for the game heavily outweighs these minor issues. I hate blackouts as well, so I made myself buy the NHL Center Ice and now I get every single game. I know it sucks having to pay extra, but it is what it is right now.

Yea this winter classic thing needs to change. Why not have one in LA, SJ, or even TB. I always felt that stadium series is a test pilot for in seat attendance

If you're team is good, you watch. It's that simple.

Neil, I'm with you on numbers 3 and 4. Stateside, it's either ESPN or TNT and if you don't have some weird streaming package, you likely won't get the game. Even then, I'm like 95% sure I can't watch my team because of blackouts. Also, even with Bedard, the Hawks are terrible this year, and I was confused myself as to why the Hawks are hosting a WC game given their Centennial season is the 2025-26 season, it makes more sense to me to have them host the WC in their Centennial.

Agree with most comments made , thanks for your videos. Another annoying thing for me is after a clean hit, it always results in a fight. I watch from the UK and games ruined with ever change boards around the ice and adverts. Prefer now to watch highlights. Anyway great content as always many thanks

Regarding #8 - The NHL says that it helps with rivalries, but... 1. Rivalries are not as fun when you force them. 2. It's created WAY more predictable matchups. 3. If both sids of a rivalry are having a good year, wouldn't it make more sense for them to meet in a later round?

I agree with you on the betting ads & half the time if I wasn't blacked out on my favorite/hometown team, I'd ideally watch more hockey- but i can't.😢

I agree with you at 100 % i just watch highlights anymore, a whole game is way too long to watch, i have the sense of losing my time. I'm also a MTL fan and this is right : they sucks. I often had the feeling of being fooled by the NHL. Thanks for giving me the feeling that i wasn't alone.

I agree with your statement on the winter classics they should give more teams a chance that haven’t had one

It’s so hard to find the games for me watch so I just gave up on watching hockey. The shootout was really exciting when it first came out but now I think it’s a little stale.

I went to the Redwings home opener at the LCA with our son. But, we got the tickets for free from someone who has season tickets, and wasn’t going. But if it was just me, and I have been a hockey fan since childhood, I wouldn’t spend a dime on it. 👎 It’s the gambling 🎰 Or rather the hypocrisy of penalizing players for gambling on something that isn’t their sport, IN ANY SPORT, while they all have completely sold out to the gambling industry. That, And I am completely over being beaten to death with WOKE politics! No more rainbows!!! These people have made me hate rainbows!!! 🌈 That And I can’t stand Betteman!

How did the Sharks become your second-favorite team? I have heard random people from around North America say they like the Sharks ever since they were a kid. Usually its because they liked the Shark theme with the logo, teal uniform, and the big shark jaws that the players skate enter the rink through. Its like the Sharks P.R. department were specifically targeting kids when they decided to pick their logo and it was remarkably successful. Many of those kids are now adults and still like the Sharks. Regarding the shootout & overtime, i would rather they just end the game after regulation and bring back the tie. There is nothing wrong with ties during the regular season. Soccer has ties and is doing perfectly fine. Eliminating overtime during the regular season would actually make overtime more meaningful during the playoffs. Its hard enough to stay up late for an entire regular season game without overtime. Typically when a random game in December goes to overtime, I just get irritated and want the game to end so I can go to bed.

Good video!!!! All those reasons are respectable 👊🏼