Some risky innovative techniques in both the organisation, and the broadcasting, of the 58th NHL All-Star Game seems to have paid off, with the TV ratings reported to be much higher than the same event last time out in 2009, and the game itself  (held in North Carolina, at the home of NHL franchise Carolina Hurricanes) considered a big success, despite a radical overhaul in the team selection process.

There was major scepticism going into the big weekend, after the selection methods used before for ice hockey’s elite (Eastern Conference v Western Conference) were dropped in favour of an elaborate ‘playground’ picks approach. Also changed was the format of the SuperSkills contest, and the removal of the Rookie game. The game itself was a real entertainer, with ‘Team Lidstrom’ beating ‘Team Stall’ 11-10, but how was the other kind of ‘box score’ for the match-up?

Versus (USA) and CBC (Canada) were the host broadcasters in North America, and some innovative methods not often seen before may have helped gain a decent rating for the game, which was played on Sunday. The most notable of this was in-game interviews with players by CBC, and although this method is used a lot in broadcasting sport, it was taken to the next level here when Team Lidstrom goalie Tim Thomas was quizzed via a headset while he was on the ice (although he paused when he had to make saves), and Team Stall captain Eric Stall was ‘miked up’ to give an ‘on the move play-by-play’ for the network during some of the occasions he was in play. Could some of these methods soon end up being brought to other sports?

The ratings suggest the coverage of the all-star game was a success, with CBC recording an average of nearly 2.4 million viewers in Canada, a 50% rise on 2009 (the 2010 edition was cancelled due to the Winter Olympics).

A press release from Versus, meanwhile, stated their results: “The telecast on January 31 averaged close to 1.5 million viewers and peaked at nearly 2.0 million viewers from 6:45-7:00 p.m. ET. Compared to the 2009 NHL All-Star Game, this year’s telecast saw a 36-percent increase in viewership (1,481,000 vs. 1,087,000), while household ratings grew 33 percent (1.2 HH rating vs. 0.9 HH rating). The network also saw increases across all the key male demographics: Men 18-34 (up 35 percent), Men 18-49 (up 27 percent) and Men 25-54 (up 37 percent).”

The next (59th) NHL All-Star Game will be held in 2012 in Ontario (Canada) (at the home of the Ottawa Senators), and is expected to retain the same format as this year. Can the yearly fixture, which was under pressure recently and dubbed ‘a waste of time’ win its way back into the interest of NHL fans?

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