For the last four years, the NHL has been trying to give its stars some exposure one night of the season with ESPN's Frozen Frenzy. What is that, you ask, if you don't already know? Well, it's one night when all 32 NHL teams play, beginning at 6 p.m. EST, and times are staggered all the way up to the final start time at 11 p.m. EST.
It's a great idea; however, it's a great idea only if you know how to make it work and not upset any fanbases. For instance, the latest version on Tuesday night was one that proved that the process still has a ways to go.
The Boston Bruins were dropped in the final time slot in Northern California against the San Jose Sharks. The game was scheduled for 11 p.m. EST, which is a brutal start time for a fanbase back home that has to get up early the next morning and go to work. However, there were a few issues before the puck even dropped.
NHL Frozen Frenzy was a disservice to Bruins fans
It's bad enough that the league schedules the Frozen Frenzy on a Tuesday night, but it's another thing when you put an East Coast team with a huge following within the fanbase in the last slot at 11 p.m. EST. That was the case for Boston. As fans tuned in for the puck drop at 11, who didn't see what was about to come, well, coming?
When the clock struck 11 p.m. in the East, the game between the Bruins and Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars had 13 minutes left in the third period. Not ideal. It was announced in the upper right-hand corner of the TV that the Bruins and Sharks were dropping the puck at 11:15 p.m. EST. Swell. An even later start.
When the dust settled on the game, the Black and Gold picked up a 6-3 win in a game that ended shortly before 2 a.m. back in Boston. Again, that's a less-than-ideal way for a passionate fanbase to watch their team play out West. How can the NHL fix this issue? We have a suggestion.
NHL needs to rethink Frozen Frenzy makeup
There is rather a simple fix for the NHL to get the best out of their Frozen Frenzy. Let's start by moving it to maybe February, when the league will have most of the sports world's attention. Here is an even better idea: let's play it on a Saturday. Thirty-two teams on Saturday, and you can spread the games out more and have more games in a standalone slot. Imagine wall-to-wall hockey for 12 hours, like, say, college football does every week in the fall?
I'm sure that would never happen, as the NHL doesn't think they have a problem marketing their top players. Fine. If you're going to keep it on a random Tuesday night in October, then here is another suggestion. Have each team play either in their time zone or just one hour behind their time zone. Honestly, you want to market the sport and showcase your best players; well, have more rivalry games.
Who wouldn't have loved a Bruins/Sabres game? How about an Islanders/Rangers game? Maybe Panthers/Lightning, anyone? What about Kings/Ducks and Maple Leafs/ Canadiens? I could go on, but you get the point.
The Frozen Frenzy is fun, but it certainly could use some tweaks next season and beyond.
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