The World Junior Hockey Championships have grown in leaps and bounds from the days of the 1987 "Punch-up in Piestany," (video evidence provided below) played primarily in the far-reaches of Europe, only televised at truly ungodly hours of the morning. This fact still didn't deter me from 4am wake up calls to watch round-robin mismatches like Canada-France in 2002. I think that one ended 17-0 and prompted me to consider whether I could have cracked the roster of the French squad, but I digress.
While the tournament has become a fixture of the holiday season in Canada, consistently attracting TSN's largest ratings year in and year out, it remains merely a blip on the hockey radar in the United States.
Popular sentiment might hold that even the avid American hockey fan isn't ready to embrace the international game and that the National Hockey League is currently leveraging the marketing potential of the event via occasional broadcasts and re-broadcasts on the NHL Network. Rhetoric might indicate that the week prior to and the week following the New Year is "Bowl Season," a time where (ahem) scholar-athletes should take their place under the national spotlight. Call me crazy, but here's why the World Juniors have the potential to dispel both of these notions.
1. International Hockey can and has played to the American general public
Aside from Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White, Ryan Miller was the star of the 2010 Winter Olympics for the United States - and he didn't even win gold. It seemed like 1980 all over again as America fell in love with an Olympic hockey team whose roster didn't match up on paper to that of the Canadians and arguably to that of the Russians or Swedes for that matter.
Even prior to the Olympics, NBC made the conscious decision to shine the spotlight on this group of relative underdogs and specifically on its goaltender, who had the potential to steal games, and perhaps even the tournament for his country. As America got to know Miller and his teammates, medal round games became appointment viewing.
If a team of millionaire professional athletes could capture the imagination of the country with the storytelling of network sports television, even just for two weeks, think what this kind of exposure could do for a team of 18 and 19 year-olds still toiling in the college or junior ranks.
2. American sports fans currently have very little exposure to the future stars of the NHL
Basketball has March Madness. Football has the SEC Championship (I sincerely hope my American readers get that one). Simply put, the premier talents in College Football and Basketball are household names long before they are called to the podium at the NFL or NBA drafts. Look no further than Tim Tebow to see what can happen to ticket and merchandise sales when a high profile college star is drafted into the professional ranks.
Hockey simply hasn't been afforded this luxury by virtue of the fact that there is not a single junior/college feeder system directly into the NHL. The only place you can see the top young talents in the game compete against one another is in the World Juniors. Add global bragging rights to the equation and you have a first rate product, and a preview of the future of the game. If this product can receive added exposure in the United States, fans of floundering NHL teams can be provided with a look into the future of their teams. Penguins fans knew who Sidney Crosby was when he was drafted. The outpouring of interest and support that ensued sold out Mellon Arena, and ostensibly built the Consol Energy Center, insuring the long term viability of the franchise in Pittsburgh. The NHL needs to find a way for their stars to gain some notoriety before they become pros.
Now I have to temper my enthusiasm a little by acknowledging the fact that this vision of the World Juniors is a tough sell. Games may never appear on a platform with greater reach than the NHL Network. Despite this, do me a favor and try to watch a World Junior game over the next few weeks. The caliber of play will speak for itself and the unmatched enthusiasm and national pride that seeps from the pores of these young men encapsulates whatever purity that remains in elite level sport.
As always, yours in hockey,
JK
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