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NHL News
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Written by Maury Brown
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Wednesday, 23 January 2008 00:00 |
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 After launching a successful line pf clothing line wiith Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL) has partnered with actress and G-III Apparel Group (NASD-GIII) to begin offering an NHL version of the TOUCH – by Alyssa Milano clothing line.
TOUCH – by Alyssa Milano is a unique women’s fashion apparel line designed for the female fan. The high-end brand blends fashion and function and will become an addition to the NHL’s current women apparel offering in early February.
The missy contemporary-targeted collection will consist of outerwear, sets, fashion tops, denim and dresses, as well as other key items. The apparel will be designed using high quality fabrics and body-contouring silhouettes. The TOUCH – by Alyssa Milano NHL collection will be available on Shop.NHL.com, NHL arena team stores and at select retail throughout the United States and Canada.
"I am really excited about TOUCH's partnership with the National Hockey League,†said Alyssa Milano. “I am looking forward to giving female hockey fans fashion apparel as unique and special as the sport they love."
As part of the introduction to her new NHL line, Alyssa Milano will attend the 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend celebration in Atlanta and participate in a host of activities. First, Alyssa will join Taylor Kitsch, star of NBC’s television series “Friday Night Lights,†to emcee the Verizon Wireless / NHL Rockin’ Skate 2008, Presented by Upper Deck on Saturday, Jan. 26 at Philips Arena.
Immediately following the NHL Rockin’ Skate, Alyssa Milano will make a special appearance at the Atlanta Thrashers’ Team Gear store to sign autographs. The autograph session, expected to begin at 12:15 p.m. EST on Saturday, Jan. 26, also will feature select NHL/TOUCH apparel available for purchase. Only those who have tickets to the NHL Rockin’ Skate will be able to access the Thrashers’ Team Gear store for this autograph session. Tickets, which range from $10 to $30, are available on-line at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 404-249-6400.
“High fashion and team loyalty come together in the TOUCH clothing line,†said Brian Jennings, NHL Executive Vice President Marketing. “We are thrilled to offer this exciting line of apparel to our female fans and look forward to Alyssa's appearance at the 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta.â€
To see information on Milano's baseball TOUCH related apparel, see the following on The Biz of Baseball: |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 10 January 2008 22:16 |
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 The Bob Naegele era ended today when the Minnesota Wild was sold former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold.
Naegele sold his controlling interest to Leipold, and, according to Jac Sperling, president of the Wild and Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, the deal should be completed in a couple of months. As reported by the Minnesota Star-Tribune: Leipold, a native of Racine, Wis., is extremely respected in NHL circles and was influential before and during the lockout as a member of the NHL’s executive committee, which negotiated the new collective bargaining agreement. He was often the voice for small-market teams, believing a salary cap and revenue sharing were needed to compete with the NHL’s elite. Leipold sold his interest in the Predators in early December for a reported $193 million because, he said, the team was losing money and was failing to gain a foothold in the Nashville market. Two highlights of Naegele’s ownership tenure were the Wild’s 2003 playoff run to the Western Conference finals and the team’s hosting of the 2004 All-Star Game.Â
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 10 January 2008 20:36 |
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 There must have been a puck in every stocking...
Sales of NHL-licensed product on Shop.NHL.com for December increased 44% compared to the same period last year, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced today. The holiday sales period experienced an additional boost due to the demand for official Amp Energy / NHL Winter Classic merchandise. The most searched term on Shop.NHL.com was “Winter Classic,†while four of the six top-selling items were of the NHL Winter Classic variety.
Twenty-six NHL teams increased online merchandise sales for December 2007. The Pittsburgh Penguins, winners of the Amp Energy / NHL Winter Classic, led the pack with a sales increase of 164% in comparison to December 2006. Other teams who experienced a significant increase for December sales year-over-year were the Chicago Blackhawks (92%), Washington Capitals (89%), St. Louis Blues (87%), Buffalo Sabres (85%) and the Anaheim Ducks (84%).
TOP 10 SELLING ITEMS ON SHOP.NHL.COM (December 1-31, 2007) 1. Pittsburgh Penguins 10 Greatest Games DVD
2. 2008 NHL Winter Classic Tee – Royal Blue
3. 2008 NHL Winter Classic Hoody – Buffalo Sabres
4. NHL Big Six Short Sleeve Tee – Grey
5. 2008 NHL Winter Classic Hoody – Pittsburgh Penguins
6. 2008 NHL Winter Classic Crosby N&N Tee – Pittsburgh Penguins
7. NHL Greatest Moments DVD
8. S. Crosby N&N Tee – Pittsburgh Penguins Black
9. Hockey Fights Cancer Tie - Pink
10. NHL Deluxe Standings Boards New – NHL Logo
TOP 10 SELLING PLAYER JERSEYS ON SHOP.NHL.COM (December 1-31, 2007)
1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
3. Daniel Briere, Philadelphia Flyers
4. Chris Drury, New York Rangers
5. Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
6. Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo Sabres
7. Brendan Shanahan, New York Rangers
8. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
9. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
10. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers Source: National Hockey League |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Monday, 07 January 2008 19:16 |
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 Coming on the heels of the stunning success of the New Years Day outdoor NHL Winter Classic between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, franchises are already lobbying to be part of, or host, the next NHL outdoor game. As reported by the NY Times:
“There have been several expressions of interest,†said Frank Brown, the N.H.L. vice president for media relations, but he did not specify from which teams. The Flyers’ president, Peter Luukko, has had “informal conversations†about staging a game between the Flyers and the Penguins at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, a Flyers spokesman said. Detroit Coach Mike Babcock suggested the Red Wings play a game at Michigan Stadium. Other suggestions made last week for future outdoor games involved Yankee Stadium, Chicago, Boston, Toronto and Montreal.
As far as Boston is concerned, could Fenway Park host a game? Red Sox Senior Vice-President  of Corporate Partnerships Sam Kennedy said, “I think it’s fair to say we would absolutely be interested in exploring [an NHL game at Fenway Park] in the future†(Read the Business of Sports Network interview with Sam Kennedy) As to why teams would clamor to host the game is simple: revenue gold. The Winter Classic garnered an attendance record for an NHL game at 71,217 (381.0% of capacity at Ralph Wilson Stadium). For the NHL, the idea of riding the wave of interest is certainly something to consider. The game was the highest rated NHL broadcast since 1996. |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Tuesday, 01 January 2008 23:11 |
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It was a game for the record books: the first regular-season NHL game ever played outdoors. It was an attendance record for an NHL game at 71,217 (381.0% of capacity at Ralph Wilson Stadium). And, it was the first outdoor NHL game ever played in the US. Add in that it will most certainly be the most highly watched NHL game on television in recent memory when the Nielsen ratings are released, and all in all it was a rousing success for the NHL. But, that wasn’t all that made for a memorable script. It was a game that saw a steady stream of snow, fans in the lower bowl of Ralph Wilson Stadium standing for the duration of the game, and the game winning goal coming on a shootout by Sidney Crosby. In a word, it was almost a nearly perfect game. Were there issues with playing outdoors? Certainly. One of the Zambonis froze up, extending the time at the 10 min. mark of the 3rd period when the ice was being resurfaced. There was an issue with one area of the rink having to be maintained throughout the game due to placing the rink on the football field surface. All of that played out as a minor annoyance rather than the focus to what will be one of the most memorable games in NHL history. As reported by The AP: With the success of this event, it seems likely the NHL would seek to host more, perhaps even on an annual basis. "When you see 70,000 people packed into a stadium to watch hockey, that's usually a good sign," Crosby said. The record crowd that topped the one in Edmonton four years earlier, cheered and took pictures as the conclusion approached. The camera flashes dotted the entire stadium as each of the six shooters came in on goal through lake-effect snow.
That game in Edmonton, played at Commonwealth Stadium between the Canadiens and Oilers, was deemed the Heritage Classic and played on Nov. 22, 2003 saw a total attendance of 57,167. The game has been remembered more for the incredible coldness of the day than anything as temperatures reached as low as -28C. The highlight of that game may have been Jose Theodore’s use of a toque to stave off the cold. Sabres goalie Ryan Miller wore three different versions of a toque during today’s Winter Classic (Miller will sell the toques and donate the proceeds to charity). Below is a break down of team stat comparison for the Winter Classic. | Team Stat Comparison |  | |  | | 104 | Goals | 113 | | 110 | Goals Against | 104 | | 34 | Power Play Goals | 32 | | 35 | Power Play Goals Allowed | 27 | | 3 | Shorthanded Goals | 6 | | 3 | Shorthanded Goals Allowed | 3 | | 571 | Penalty Minutes | 477 | | 15 | Average Penalty Minutes | 13 |
Source: ESPN
Maury Brown is the founder and president of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football ,The Biz of Basketball, and The Biz of Hockey. He is a contributor to Baseball Prospectus, Basketball Prospectus and is an available writer for other media outlets. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 20 December 2007 00:00 |
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If you haven’t heard of Alex Medvedev, then you should. Medvedev is the deputy chief executive of Russian natural gas producer Gazprom. He’s also an avid hockey fan, and is captain of his company’s team. Medvedev is looking to create a European “Super League†that could greatly impact the player exchanges with the NHL, and has brought in former NHL Players' Association chief Bob Goodenow to help get the league started. As reported by the Toronto Sun: The likelihood of a new European league has increased in recent years as hockey federations in Russia and elsewhere in Europe have grown disenchanted with the NHL over its recruitment of their best players. At the same time, Medvedev has ample dollars to start a competitor to the venerable NHL. In an interview from Russia, Medvedev confirmed that former Russian NHL star Igor Larionov and Goodenow are members of a so-called "working group" that's starting the league. Goodenow travelled to Moscow this week to discuss the prospective league, Larionov said. Medvedev's representatives already have contacted broadcasters and sponsors, and could start the league as soon as September 2008, Larionov said. An executive with Finland's public broadcaster, YLE, confirmed he was approached several months ago about buying rights to televise the new league.
With the current state of player exchange from European teams extracting $200,000 (U.S.) per player, teams in Europe are arguing that the amount is too small. Both Russia and Sweden have currently severed relations with the NHL in regards to player exchange over the matter. The threat of a “Super League†in Europe could further place pressure on the player exchange agreements with other countries beyond Russia and Sweden. How has the NHL responded to Medvedev’s efforts? Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, said of the league: "We wish them luck with what appears to be a very ambitious project."
Maury Brown is the founder and president of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football ,The Biz of Basketball, and The Biz of Hockey. He is a contributor to Baseball Prospectus, Basketball Prospectus and is an available writer for other media outlets. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. |
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NHL News
