from Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,

The NHL is seven months removed from a lockout that could have crippled its popularity.

No such result occurred, and now league officials believe their product can achieve unprecedented appeal.

The Penguins' Sidney Crosby is among the biggest reasons.

NHL executive vice president of marketing Brian Jennings was in Pittsburgh last week for the league's annual NHL Exchange, a merger of merchandise ideas and retailers. Jennings, though, wasn't spending time thinking about T-shirt designs or promotional giveaways.

He had the game's brightest star in mind.

“Sidney Crosby is a big part of what has made us so successful in recent years,” he said.

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