ESPN Disrespects Partnership With the NHL

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Tyler Ball
July 30, 2023 (8:50 PM)

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The NHL's relationship with ESPN has always had its issues. Even since hockey's much-anticipated return to ESPN things have not gone as well as either party would hope. Many were hoping that giving ESPN feedback on their need to improve hockey coverage would improve things.

It seems as though ESPN is happy to continue disappointing NHL fans going forward after their programming on Sunday afternoon.

Pickleball Takes Center Stage

Sunday afternoon pickleball was the sport that ESPN decided to put on its main network.

While pickleball is a growing sport in the United States it is not nearly the global success that the NHL and hockey have proven to be year after year. Fans have been begging for more NHL coverage of both games and storylines and have consistently been denied.

Currently, there is not a lot going on in the NHL but ESPN is starting to lose any goodwill built up with hockey fans by bringing the sport back to their network.

The off-season coverage of hockey has been embarrassing. Coverage of the draft and the first day of free agency is about all that NHL fans have gotten. Meanwhile, the NBA and NFL offseason's are shoved in viewers' faces on a daily basis.

If an award-winning player in either the NFL or the NBA were on the trade block like Erik Karlsson is in the NHL ESPN would be talking about it until they were blue in the face. The expectations need to be higher for hockey coverage from ESPN.

Where do ESPN and the NHL Go From Here?

The coverage of the NHL from ESPN needs to improve and fast. One of the easiest things they can do is give hockey more screen time on talk shows. Whether this means more from their flagship NHL show The Point or more segments on things like First Take and Get Up.

The bottom line is NHL fans deserve better and ESPN has a responsibility to provide the best coverage possible.