It seems the NHL realizes the All-Star game was a huge dud. Earlier this week, the NHL's Fan Face Off Panel was all about what worked (and didn't work) about the last All-Star game. This question was particularly interesting:

It seems the NHL has some pretty firm ideas for upcoming All-Star games. That question makes it seems like they've all but decided on the next format.
Me? I'd love to get Tyrus Thomas involved (login info.). He loves All-Star action!

I'm sure I'll get to the Rangers trading for Sean Avery. But not today. I can't even begin to think about how between his dating habits and his insane rants, he'll be all over every page of the papers.
Johnette Howard had a great anti-Gary Bettman column last week. She does a nice job taking him to task for letting hockey leave mainstream American television.
Interestingly, Larry Brooks brought up a similar point Sunday, wondering why Versus doesn't have a nightly NHL highlight show.
I'm thinking about all of this because Sunday we had people over to watch the Super Bowl despite the fact that neither Mrs. PuckUpdate nor myself are NFL fans. And the people who came over also aren't football fans. Obviously, the Stanley Cup playoffs will never have the cultural resonance of the Super Bowl (at least here in the states), but I remain convinced the NHL could make serious inroads if they invested money in making hockey seem like a mainstream sport. Why not throw money at Versus to bring in someone like Dan Patrick or Marv Albert to do a studio show? Why not invest in someone like Scott Ferrall, who, though crude, does know hockey and can be an interesting personality?
Hockey doesn't have to be doomed. The on-ice game, although hardly the golden age of hockey, is comparable to the NBA. Hockey's problem is the perceived lack of prestige. But if the NHL gave it the look of a top four sport, people would respond.
Basically, I'm saying we need to teach Prince the lyrics to "O Canada."
By the way. I think I'm a better quarterback than Rex Grossman.