The Nation Network - A part of Better Collective’s Post

Welcome, Utah Hockey Club, to the National Hockey League (NHL) Yes, you heard me correctly—the NHL is in Salt Lake City Corporation! Now, hockey, of course, is the greatest sport to ever happen on ice, but let’s be honest, there’s a bit of a learning curve here. What’s icing? Why was that offsides? And perhaps the most crucial question of all: Why, in the name of all that is decent, are the Boston Bruins the absolute worst? But don’t worry, Salt Lake-ians—Salt Lakers? Salt Lick-ees? Whatever!—AllSeater.com is here to help you tackle one of the truly hard parts of this whole hockey experience: managing those 41 home games in a season! Because, let’s face it, figuring out who’s getting your tickets can be tougher than explaining the difference between a power play and just regular ol’ violence. Luckily, our platform makes it dead simple. AllSeater seamlessly allocates, notifies, and organizes your season tickets so not a single seat goes to waste. And for that inevitable moment when you have tickets to that dreaded 10/19 Boston Bruins game? Fear not! AllSeater ensures that your terrible Bruins-loving client gets the seats, sparing you the agony of sending your intern who’s also, somehow, an equally horrible Bruins fan. Seriously, what’s in the water up there? Sign up today at AllSeater and use promo code ALLSNHL25 for a free subscription. Because hockey is great, but the Bruins… less so. #seasontickets #nhl

Professional hockey is at an inflection point 🏒 2,541 Miles. That’s the distance the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers travel back-n-forth to face each other in the NHL Finals, setting a new record for the longest distance ever traveled between two teams in the Stanley Cup Finals. The 2024 NHL Finals have captivated viewers, setting record-breaking TV ratings and some of the highest attendance numbers in history. With 15+ teams operating at 100% capacity, or 97% capacity across the 36 host arenas, it's clear that professional hockey is at an all-time high. Looking ahead, the NHL is gearing up for the in-season 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, building on off increased fan engagement. Team sponsorship revenue surged by 23% year-over-year during the 2022-23 season, and another 10% during the 2023-2024 season, outpacing many other major U.S. sports leagues. These upward trends are expected to continue to expand the NHL’s fanbase (internationally) and continue to grow sponsorship and investment opportunities in the future. 💭 It will be interesting to see how the NHL can leverage this momentum for future growth and how investors can be a part of it.  #privatecredit #privateequity #sportsmediaentertainment

((NOT) PUTTING THIS STORY ON ICE RICHARD GUBBE’S BOOK ON VEGAS HOCKEY! This week, Richard Gubbe, author (along with Robert Lawson) of “Vegas Hockey, Vegas Strong,” joins me on “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” https://lnkd.in/gXeNZhih & all your favorite platforms, including #YouTube (https://lnkd.in/gWt6mTCy). In this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” Richard talks about the early days (and teams) of hockey in Las Vegas; what happened to the proposed hockey team that was going to be brought in by producer Jerry Bruckheimer in 2008; why promotion can help a team even if it’s poorly managed; how there were 30 failed professional teams in Las Vegas until the Vegas Golden Knights came along; how Bill Foley had the combination of skills and resources to establish a team in Las Vegas; why hockey is a sport that crosses genders; the most surprising thing he found out about hockey while writing the book; why the book is not just historical, but fun; how the VGK is a “fellowship”; and why motivation is the key to hockey success. #hockey #VGK #NHL #Vegas #VegasBorn QUICK CLIP (Richard on one of many reasons VGK is successful):

Top 50 Defensemen in the NHL for 2024-25 Who are the 50 best defensemen in the NHL for the 2024-25 season? Not even at the halfway point of the 2024 offseason, we have a lot of time on our hands before hockey resumes in October. An exercise that we see plenty of around this time of year is simple: ranking the top players in the league by their position in the modern day. Here, we do that with the 50 best defensemen in the NHL for the 2024-25 season. https://lnkd.in/ej5RiYGD

7 Free Agents NHL Teams Should Steer Clear of This Offseason - The Hockey Writers - https://lnkd.in/dpf_wNae As long as seven- and eight-year maximum-term deals exist in NHL free agency, questionable contracts will always be delivered on July 1. This year, especially with a talented free agent class, will be no different. Let's take a look at seven unrestricted free agents that teams should be

NEW for #THW 🚨: Finding value in contracts is always crucial to long-term success. Let's look at the 10 best contracts in the NHL heading into 2024-25. https://t.co/aPqEtP7XKp

There’s a saying in hockey that your goalie is only as good as the team in front of him. The best goalies in the world have a 92% save percentage, but if that percentage drops just 1% to 91% they give up roughly 24 more goals in a year. 24 goals can be the difference in making the playoffs or hitting the golf course early in the NHL. It sounds like it’s all up to the goalie, but when you dig into it, save percentages are directly relational to how many shots a team blocks. The more shots a team blocks, the higher the goalie’s save percentage is. If you could do something as simple as blocking a shot to make someone on your team 1% better would you do it?

Who's watching? Isn't Game 7 simply the best? Efforts by the National Hockey League (NHL) and NHLPA to attract attention to the Stanley Cup Finals include enhanced media coverage, strategic partnerships, and promoting the stories of the athletes, showcasing their dedication, skill, and humility. These efforts have contributed to the increased viewership and overall success of the season. Here are some of the reasons behind the surge: 🏒 Improved Broadcast Coverage: This year's Stanley Cup Final aired on Disney's ABC, a major network, unlike last year's cable-only coverage on Warner Bros. Discovery networks, leading to a 36% increase in U.S. ratings. 🏒 Historic Playoffs: The Oilers' unprecedented comeback attempt against the Panthers has drawn significant attention, as such a feat has rarely been achieved, especially in modern times. 🏒 Strong Regular Season Performance: Record-level attendance and high venue capacity, along with a league record in annual revenue of $6.2 billion, indicate heightened interest and engagement throughout the season. 🏒 Successful New Teams: The positive reception for the new Utah Hockey Club has also helped, contrasting with the challenges faced by the former Coyotes franchise. 🏒Compelling Storylines: The potential for the Oilers to break Canada's 31-year championship drought or for the Panthers to win their first title adds to the drama and appeal of the finals. What a way to end the season! #stanleycup #becauseitsthecup #game7

Check out my latest article for The Hockey Writers! In this piece, I analyze the impact Luke Hughes had during his rookie season, as well as how he could become a top defenseman for New Jersey!🏒📓