Quote:Written Task: How do you feel about hockey's social media culture? Specifically with regards to top players in the world. A common complaint is that the NHL does not have the star power of a league like the NBA, and that the players are much more boring. Do you think this ties in to social media, and the unwillingness many players to engage beyond the officially sanctioned opportunities? Is it unrelated? If so, how do you think the league should go about making their stars more marketable and exciting? Does it even matter? (150+ words)

I think the NHL shoots itself in the foot in regards to how the players are marketed. They've never done a very good job at it and in this days media presence, you could argue they are worse than ever. It doesn't help that the last 3 best players to have played in the NHL have been awkward Wayne Gretzky, boring Sidney Crosby, and aloof Connor McDavid. As amazing as those players are on the ice, they are vanilla toast (if that was a thing).

However, I think it is a "culture" thing and a way of old-school thinking that still runs the NHL. Few coaches allow players to be vocal in the media and on social media but I think it runs deeper. I think the players police themselves in that regard and it is pretty much taboo behind the scenes.

The NBA is easy because there are limited players so stars have more effect on games and they aren't wearing heavy equipment. You see their faces, their emotions, nothing is hidden in basketball on the court. You are always in the spotlight. Hockey is closer to football where you're 90% covered in equipment, you are hiding on the bench and playing behind glass. You don't connect the same way when watching so it feels like more of the game of hockey is hidden in the locker room than the NBA.

How to fix it? Pay me $250k a year and I'll do it for them otherwise I'm not giving it away for free.

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