NHL can grow this year

If a goal is scored and nobody is around to see it, does it really happen?

Until 2003, it was a known fact that America had four "major" professional sports leagues: the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL. Since the 2003-04 NHL lockout, which caused the cancellation of an entire season, many analysts have reduced that number to three, excluding the NHL.

To put the current state of the NHL in perspective, look at the ratings for Game 7 of last season's Stanley Cup Finals. Just three days after Game 6 of the NBA Finals drew 23.5 million American viewers, the Bruins' 4-0 victory over the Canucks drew 8.5 million American viewers, which is a huge number for hockey.

This means the difference between America's third and fourth most prominent leagues isn't the size of a divot, but that of a gorge, which is not the fault of hockey itself as a sport.

The post-lockout NHL has seen an improved on-ice product with the addition and alteration of several rules prior to the 2005-06 season, including the legalization of the two-line pass and the addition of a shootout at the end of a tied regular season overtime period.

With hockey's increased speed and intensity, it has further strengthened its stance in Northern markets, but the league has lost its grasp on Southern fans, partly due to the NHL's lack of national exposure.

From 1992-2004, the NHL had a deal with ESPN that was similar to the NBA's current deal with the network.  In 2005, however, the league moved its broadcasts to OLN (Versus), becoming the only major league not to air on ESPN.

ESPN then cut back on hockey analysts, keeping only Barry Melrose before adding Matthew Barnaby in 2008, and reduced its coverage of NHL highlights on Sportscenter, focusing on only one or two games per night during the regular season.

Now the league has no option but to showcase most of  its best match-ups on Versus until at least 2020-21, after reaching an extension with the network and NBC on April 19. But there is one problem hockey can focus on in the meantime.

The NHL is far too reliant on two players to drive the entire league. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are undoubtedly the greatest players the sport currently has to offer, but it is impossible for only two men to build enough interest in a league of approximately 700.

Hockey must take a cue from its competition on how to build household names. The NBA showcases LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant, but has also built a supporting cast consisting of players such as Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose and Dirk Nowitzki, who build interest in markets outside of Miami and Los Angeles.

The NHL, on the other hand, has failed to present its secondary stars to the casual viewer. If a casual American sports fan was asked who the 2011 Hart Trophy winner was, first the questioner would probably have to explain that the Hart Trophy is given to the NHL MVP. And then the person would probably also think it was either Crosby or Ovechkin, when in fact it was the Anaheim Ducks' Corey Perry.

But it's not too late for the NHL to take advantage of the great talent that occupy its 30 locker rooms. The entire 2011-12 NBA season is in jeopardy due to a lockout of its own, meaning the NHL could be front-and-center during the two months between the Super Bowl and Opening Day of baseball.

In that time, the NHL must introduce the country to the names Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Jarome Iginla, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Miller and Martin St. Louis, among others.

If it does, the NHL will regain its spot as one of America's major pro sports leagues. If it doesn't, then Elvis may not just leave the building, but he may never come back.