NHL Nhl Economics

Reports began to surface this week regarding some significant moves by the Chicago Blackhawks. Five-year deals are coming for forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, and defenseman Duncan Keith is apparently going to sign a mammoth 13-year deal for less annual money.

NEW YORK -- As Alex Ovechkin takes the pregame warmup at Madison Square Garden, an hour before scoring in his return game -- a Capitals' 4-2 win -- Rangers fans in blue and white jerseys stand 10-deep behind the glass. In a rarity for this most vocal of fanbases, hardly anyone makes a sound. They mostly just stand and watch and appreciate. Ovechkin is back after a two-week injury and he seems to have been missed not just by Capitals fans.

Bob Hoch attempts to focus on Ovechkin with the Canon 200 he's taken out of his jacket pocket. Hoch has been a Rangers season ticket-holder for five years, but he's an unabashed Ovechkin true believer. "I love Ovechkin and hate Sidney Crosby," Hoch says, as if there has to be a choice. "They're both incredible hockey players, but Crosby takes dives and avoids contact at all times and Ovie is old school. He's the guy you'd kill to have on your team."

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

There's something to be said for Canadians and their level-headedness at least as it compares to us Americans. They always seem so much calmer. But during the past week our neighbors to the North have been in an uproar about Calgary Flames Flu Vaccination Crisis 2009. Sure, they're rightfully up in arms in Alberta that the Flames and their peeps received shots before some of the neediest people in the province but that almost seems like a trivial matter compared to what's going on down here.

Thursday's report that the Columbus Blue Jackets are losing $12 million a year is the latest illustration that the National Hockey League is really made up of two leagues.

There are flourishing franchises, the ones that print money or are at least in position to make big dough. Among those on this list are the big market American teams in Manhattan, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington. Also thriving, naturally, are the six Canadian franchises.

While many NHL executives, players and fans live in denial, there are teams like the Blue Jackets battling league and their own economics just to stay in existence. To this list add Atlanta, Florida, Nashville, the Islanders, Phoenix, Tampa Bay. There are several more hurting franchises that haven't yet found the guts to finally say, "Enough is enough" like Columbus did on Thursday.

The first month of the NHL season is behind us, and I'm taking a look back at the early returns on attendance numbers for October. According to ESPN, the numbers aren't that peachy for the NHL. Only nine teams had an average attendance higher than their average attendance last season. On the flip side, 18 teams are down, including five which are down more than 10 percent from their 2008-09 averages. Of course, looking at stats for only one month is a small sample size, but I still think these numbers give us a look at some of the early trends around the league.

After the jump are the full numbers for the entire league.

The National Hockey League Players Association has denied various reports on Friday that it has ceased operations. The union released this statement at 4:00 p.m. ET: "The NHLPA staff continues to work very hard on behalf of the players in all areas of the Association's business and will continue to do so going forward."

The NHLPA did confirm that interim executive director Ian Penny (pictured right) is no longer associated with the union. From the statement: "Ian Penny informed the NHLPA staff and the NHLPA Executive Board earlier today that it is his position he has been constructively dismissed as Interim Executive Director of the NHLPA and can no longer work in the present circumstances. Effective today, Ian Penny is no longer employed by the NHLPA." In other words, get ready for another round of "I was fired," "No, you quit."

Have I lost you yet? About ready to check out Kevin Schultz's list of the top five NHL coaches on the hot seat? Don't blame you one bit.

We are one step closer to some semblance of finality surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes, after owner Jerry Moyes (pictured right) agreed to sell the franchise to the NHL. The agreement was announced in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Monday, but still must be approved by Judge Redfield T. Baum. Attorneys say the deal is for $128 million.

With no money to cover the franchise's expenses, and the inability to sell to Jim Balsillie after the court nixed that idea, selling the franchise to the league was Moyes' only realistic answer. They'll take control of the day-to-day operations of the franchise while looking to find an independent owner. Of course, after the way this has played out, any prospective owners who would move the team out of Arizona need not apply.

The Phoenix Coyotes, in need of building up a wounded fan base and putting warm fannies in the seats, have come up with quite the marketing initiative. Branded "Join The Pack!" (their exclamation point) with the kicker "We Win, You Win," the Coyotes will give fans attending any of the following five games a free ticket to a game later in the season if the team wins:

Georges Laraque recently appeared in an online commercial for an alcohol-infused energy drink, violating NHL policy. On Tuesday, he apologized for breaking the league rule. He has not stopped apologizing since. He really needs to stop.

The phoniness of our major professional sports leagues is boundless.

Laraque is one of the league's top fighters and a popular player for the storied Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens play in a hockey palace currently called the Bell Centre, formerly known as the Molson Centre. Back then, you couldn't go anywhere in the rink without a beer logo in sight.

The Winter Classic, the NHL's homage to hockey in its raw, natural outdoor form, is continuing to grow in popularity.

According to the NHL, registrations for tickets to the 2010 New Year's Day game surpassed 307,000. The game will be played at Boston's Fenway Park, which has a capacity of about 40,000 for the game.

Registrations were up 25 percent from last year's contest between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks in Wrigley Field.