This seems rather odd to me since everyone was so up in arms over Brett Hull last year, but The Toronto Globe and Mail is reporting that Hull was maybe a bit more valuable than you might have thought.

Rather than try to search for a replacement for Brett Hull, NBC is scrapping the Studio Show entirely...

In the United States, changes are in the works for NBC's hockey telecasts. Sources say the studio show will be scrapped now that Brett Hull has left to take a front-office job with the Dallas Stars.

Replacing Hull will be Mike Milbury, the former NHL player and general manager. He is likely to work on-site as a commentator.

NBC is expected to drop Bill Clement as the host of the NHL broadcasts. The status of analyst Ray Ferraro isn't clear.

Bill Clement will obviously be dropped as host if the whole program is gone, and how is Milbury replacing Hull if he's a commentator? Huh Toronto??? Either way it's an odd move. Head to the Toronto G&M link if you care about Hockey Night in Canada, they are going through changes as well.

Juggling at Hockey Night includes lesser role for Cole (Toronto Globe and Mail)

What do you do if your sport is losing viewers by the minute? People can't find your games on Cable, and you get one game a week on a major Network. Well you get rid of the only guy on the program who attracted attention.

Some liked him....some thought he was a little biased last year, but it appears that Brett Hull is being dropped from NBC after just one season. On Friday NBC Analyst Ray Ferraro told a Vancouver radio station that Hull had been let go.

Look we know pretty much every Championship Game/Series this year has been dreadful, so I'm not going to pick on Hockey. Buuuut seriously NBC....What are you thinking? Hull was right on when talking with Don Cherry about how the game needs to be changed. I enjoyed the Hockey I watched during the Stanley Cup Finals, and even considered checking in on Brett and company during the regular season next year.

If he's not involved I'll probably pass....well, unless this guy is his replacement. That way I can chuckle when he tells fans that "He doesn't want them at the rink."

I want to preface this review with the statement that I thoroughly enjoyed Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals last night. Great hits, high scoring, a puck shot at someone at the end of a period, a goalie "diving", and a ton of goals. Between that and Hells Kitchen my night was pretty stellar.

But with that said, I'm not here to talk about the game...you've already read that on ESPN, Off Wing Opinion, and the like. I'm here to talk about the triumphant debut of HNIC's Don Cherry. Read about my thoughts on him and the State of Hockey after the jump.

The guy is just plain awesome. In fact Hockey needs someone like him. Brett Hull is trying his darnedest to be the lighting-rod here in the States, but it's just not working. If NBC could somehow lure Cherry out of Canada I might watch Hockey more often. I mean the guy called out NBC's Dick Ebersol at one point...come on, that makes for great television.

“Remember Dick Ebersol, more fights, you’ll get bigger crowds”- DC

He even pulled out a newspaper clipping from a Buffalo paper and showed a marketing piece with about 10 different fights taking place in the ad. And you know what....he, and Brett Hull are right. Hockey sucks without fighting.

Everyone made a huge deal about not being able to take your family to the games because of the fighting. Well you tried that, and no one still goes. The tickets are already too expensive for families to attend. And screw the families really....it sucks you have kids we get it, but go to a Minor League baseball game if you don't want to pay the money. Your kids don't know the difference between Joe Schmo of the Chattanooga Lookouts and Albert Pujols anyway.

I want me some 80's Hockey where there's revenge and rivalries mixed in with respectful/honorable fights and skilled Hockey. Why do you think the UFC is so popular? People enjoy the skill and technique, but they f'ing LOVE the violence. It's human-nature. On the intro to the game NBC announced that one of the stars was some dude named Getzlaf. No one knows who the hell Getzlaf is! But I sure the hell know who Donald Brasheer, Georges Laraque, and Derek Boogaard are. And why? Because they kicked someone's a** this year and it's on YouTube.

Don't change the number of players on the ice, or the goalie's padding...well maybe the goalie's padding. Just bring back the fights and you will bring back the fans.

Oh, and Don Cherry got an A- last night, and Alanis got an A+ (goosebumps).



P.S.- NBC, please keep the 5-month old All American Rejects song too......great idea.

I know little about Canada's Don Cherry. The guy seems to be brash and unapologetic in a Billy Packer kind of way, but Canadians swear by this guy. He will be on U.S. Airwaves (Monday- Game 4) for the first time since calling the then Penguin Duo of Jagr and Lemeiux, "Mario and His Daughter" because of their hairstyles (mulletacular).

Not only will Cherry appear on NBC, but Brett Hull will make an appearance on CBC for Game 3. So what did Hull have to say about Cherry's appearance?

"He tells it like it is. If they did it on a regular basis, he would be just as popular down here as he is up there. Part of the thing that's missing, not with just hockey, but in all coverage in the American sports world, is some personality. I think that's why you see a guy like Terry Bradshaw, as popular as he is. He's not just Mr. PC, going through 'that was a nice catch and throw.'"- BH

Umm...not exactly Brett. See as fans we like information over personality more often than not. But if you can pull both off we'll love you forever. Too bad no one will be watching to judge the interaction though. Sorry U.S. Hockey Fans...you are a strong fan base, and I admire your resolve, but 523,000 homes for Game 1? Good god that's bad (18% less than last year bad).

I understand ticket sales are strong, but that's only part of the equation. So what's the problem? Is it the game itself, the lack of U.S. stars, the fact that Versus can't be found??? Give me a reason to watch the Stanley Cup Finals other than recording the 5 minutes Don Cherry is on-air.

CBC's Cherry to Make U.S. TV Debut for Stanley Cup Final Game 4 on NBC (NBC's Press Release)
NHL Ratings Comically Bad (Lion In Oil)
NHL Ticket Sales Revived by Stanley Cup Playoffs (Ticket News)

(Photo via MJD's ultra-rad Debriefing.)

Well if Brett thinks it is....then that HAS to be the case right? Right??? No seriously....I'm really looking for an answer to this one. This isn't a rhetorical question.....I have no idea how to respond to Hockey News anymore.

I'm sure the majority of you are like the rest of me.....you watched hockey when you were younger, you stopped watching it in the past couple of years, and you only "sort of" pay attention once the Stanley Cup rolls around. But as a whole I like the sport, and I LOVE going to games.

With that said......we all know that the strike and TV deals have destroyed the NHL's viewing audience, and Brett Hull is pissed.....

"You need to have some sort of pregame or postgame show so we can sit down and talk about the trade deadline — or the Buffalo-Ottawa (brawl)," Hull says. "I have a lot to say. But in 20 seconds, you have to be some sort of English lit professor to do it with any style or bravado."

"People don't even know that we're on. That's a huge problem," he says about Versus. "We're at the mercy of Versus, NBC, ESPN, CBS. Unless two of them want to show hockey, the NHL is screwed."

It's a very valid point, but one that I think will ultimately not be addressed. To tell you hockey fans the truth I didn't even realize the sport was on NBC until the Caps played the Pens. Adding a half-hour to a pregame isn't going to help when no one watches to begin with. I on the other hand might watch if Brett Hull really is Hockey's Charles Barkley.


No Holding Back For Hull (USA Today)