Can the NHL get this right?

The ratings are in and the news is all good. The gold medal match between the USA and Canada grabbed a share of 17.6. It is the second highest non-NFL program for 2010, next to the BCS Championship Game. That ought to be good news for both NBC and the NHL, right?

For NBC it is, but what about the NHL? What direction? How will NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the rest of the league handle the potential surge of interest? Will there even be a surge of interest?

Well, for starters, the NHL already received from free publicity from NBC and may not even realize it. During every Olympic men's hockey game, the announcers went out of their way to acquaint you with players and the NHL team for which they played. You would hear "Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks" or "Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks" or "Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins" in every game. That is excellent work by all involved.

But NBC's role is by far over. They can capitalize on the very Olympics they just finished covering. In their NHL promos, refer to certain players and the Olympic team they played on. Flip the field used in the Olympic braodcasts. If a Blackhawks/Sharks game is to be aired, use Kane or Marleau or any other Olympian in the promo and state the fact that they played in the Olympics and the country they played for. Versus could do the same for its weekly broadcasts as well. There is a crossover of announcers and analysts between the networks. Each of the NHL's 30 teams should implement a similar strategy in its home market.

Get Reebok more involved. Reebok currently provides authentic gear for the league. Imagine a Reebok commercial airing in prime time with video of Sidney Crosby scoring that overtime goal to win the gold or Ryan Miller (right) making one of his many spectacular Olympic saves.

One of the biggest complaint I hear from the non-hockey contingent is the excessive number of TV timeouts compared to the Olympic coverage. There is a way to correct that, but a deal between the NHL, the teams and the advertisers and sponsors must be agreed upon. Here's my solution and it's simple.

For those that have watched an MLS soccer game, you know where I'm going here. On all MLS broadcasts (and some international matches carried by other networks), you will notice the graphic showing the score and the time remaining. Also, within that graphic is also a logo for certain companies. Those companies are sponsoring uninterrupted play. You can limit the number of commercial interruptions this way. This is an issue I have with the beloved NFL. A team scores a touchdown, kicks a PAT and the network airs a commercial. No big deal. Return from commercial for the kickoff and then...another freaking commercial. It usually makes me switch the channel bacause I don't want to see another commercial since I just saw one not even a minute ago. Plus, it's frustrating.

There's maybe another step. The midweek games are currently on Versus. Versus is currently not available on DirecTV due to a dispute between Comcast (owners of Versus) and DirecTV. The local cable provider in my area does carry the channel, but you must have the digital package in order to get it. Both of these issues have to decrease viewership.

An interesting note here. The current contract between Versus and the NHL expires after the 2010-2011 season, but both Comcast and the NHL have the right to void the final year of the deal. Does Bettman shop his wares to other networks? It very well could be happening already, but it is hard to "turn your back" to the only network that was willing to take the chance on the NHL after the lockout.

The obvious answer for a cable outlet is ESPN. ESPN's own Barry Melrose (left) has been voicing for the network to get hockey back on its waves since the year of the lockout. Even if ESPN and ABC were to emerge with the broadcasting rights, how far up the sports pole would the NHL be? Even when ESPN previously held the rights, you didn't see a whole lot of hockey until March due to college basketball. Bettman stills needs to put the feelers out there just to say he's done his homework.

I am a hockey fan and have been for a number of years. The best way to determine if you like the sport is to simply attend a game. It does not matter if you totally understand the rules or not. Trust me. Every game I've ever attended, I've had the pleasure of explaining offsides, icing, line changes, etc. to those in my vicinity that have never seen hockey before (on TV or in person). Don't be afraid to ask about certain things. This does not bother a real hockey fan because he/she wants you to enjoy the game and understand it.

I'm convinced that you will only need to attend one game and you'll be hooked.

And the NHL will thank you for your support...and I will, too.