Kukla's Korner

Listen to Leonsis

by Forechecker on 11/22/08 at 07:33 PM ET
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PJ Swenson of the seminal hockey blog Sharkspage features a lengthy, insightful interview with Washington Capitals owner (and hero of the hockey blogosphere) Ted Leonsis, in advance of the Caps-Sharks game this evening.  Taste a couple of juicy morsels:

What I said would happen happened. We have to embrace the blogosphere. It is like oxegen[sic], get used to it. It will be the best thing for us. There is no gatekeeper to the coverage. Some of the bloggers write bad things about us all the time, some of them are mad, some of them curse. Alright, that is what makes the internet. Our team is doing well, the business is very strong, the brand is being built. The more the merrier. It is a big tent, come on in.

Our league went through a gut check during the lockout. We proved that you can do something dramatic and end up with a growing, vibrant business. Every newspaper company in the world was writing that the NHL was irrelevant and we were going out of business. Now the tables have turned. It is the newspaper companies that are on their way to oblivion and the NHL is growing.

That second quote is especially interesting.  Whenever the league office comes out with positive news related to the business aspects of the NHL, the MSM and most blogs immediately set about explaining away the claims and painting a picture of gloom and doom.  Leonsis, on the contrary, continues to make a case that although challenges are out there, the NHL as a business is doing pretty well these days.

Filed in: NHL Commentary, | On the Forecheck | Permalink
 

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