May 31, 2015
Thumbs up to Chicago in the final, down to trophy presentations
With the Stanley Cup Final now set, TSN's Dave Hodge gives thumbs up to a big market team like the Chicago Blackhawks in the final and thumbs down to unnecessary trophy presentations for the conference champions.
By Dave Hodge
The NBA has a dream matchup for its championship series. Not Cleveland vs. Golden State, but rather, LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. The four-time MVP vs. the current MVP. If markets mattered more than superstars, the NBA would do better with Knicks vs. Lakers, and how far away does that seem? But there is no reason to lament the troubled times in New York and Los Angeles as long as the two best players are competing for the title.
Now, to the NHL. You won't get anyone in or near the league to admit that it sighed with relief when Chicago won last night. It would have reacted to a Tampa Bay-Anaheim final by saying that the two best teams, no matter who they are or where they're from, make the best final. Okay, but the minute New York wasn't going to host Stanley Cup games for the second straight year, Chicago's attractiveness had to cross a few more minds than it might have done otherwise. The Blackhawks bring the market and they bring the stars--Toews, Kane, Keith etc. They are shooting for their third title in six years. In the last 20 years, only Detroit, with four, has won more. With more recent success, Chicago is the NHL's top franchise since the lockout. So, nothing against Tampa Bay, but Chicago is the main attraction for the next two weeks. Mind you, it won't matter that Chicago is the Second City and Tampa-St. Petersburg is two cities if the Lightning's best players are a match for Chicago's.
That is their task and the NHL's challenge, but bear in mind that the basketball greats have already determined the level of interest in the NBA Finals, and it is sky high.
Let's hope it's "thumbs up" for both leagues in the end.
Long ago, I stopped complaining about NHL trophy presentations that were a sham. So let's call this "thumbs down" a repetitive observation. I'm not sure why the NHL persists with the emptiness of the Prince of Wales trophy and Clarence Campbell bowl ceremonies. At least, the Blackhawks made theirs different by posing for a group photo. The Lightning players let captain Steven Stamkos do the so-called honours by himself. The common theme remained consistent, of course--no touching of a trophy that means nothing without the big one that awaits the Stanley Cup champions. To lay a hand on what will be a consolation prize for one team is to flirt with superstition. There is history attached to the silverware, of course. The Prince of Wales was first presented in 1924 and the Campbell following the first season of expansion in 1968. Would it show a lack of respect to retire them to a permanent place in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Or is it better to treat them with virtual disdain when they're rolled onto the ice for all to see? But for no one to lift, hold, brush or smudge.