NHL TV ratings

[Joe the Panther Fan]

One big takeaway from this, well two.
1) People now don't always know what channel games are on. At least casual viewer.
2) This is the big one. Pens/Caps are on TNT. Sometimes the local Root sports is also carrying the game and the TNT feed is blacked out. That doesn't help ratings.

And then of course the third, and most important takeaway. Many of the games that ESPN has shown on the "big network" this year have been played on Sunday nights. At exactly the same time as Sunday Night Football on NBC. And those games, predictably, got killed in the ratings.

If you take those Sunday night games out and only look at the rest of the games, ESPN's ratings would actually be up on the season.

On you point two, TNT had a Bruins game on that was blacked out in Boston. On the average, 661,000 people watch Bruins' games on NESN. More than watch the average game on TNT in that one market alone. How many hundreds of thousands of more people would have watched that game on TNT in the Boston market if the game wasn't available on NESN and only on TNT? And of course a similar thing has happened to them with Penguins games and Ranger games, to name two teams that have high local viewing numbers.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Seanmillerfan, I'll ask you since your up on this. What would a pitt hoops game draw on say a Monday on ESPN against a good opponent (Duke or NC)???

Around 1 million viewers

College basketball ratings return to pre-pandemic levels

The college basketball regular season saw healthy viewership rebounds for national networks compared to the COVID-wracked 2020-21 season, returning to levels seen right before the pandemic. CBS led the way with an average of 1.25 million viewers, up 5% from 1.19 million viewers last season. That...

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

Honestly, for the casual sports fan, college basketball regular season is a tough watch. I'm surprised it does this well

 

[Celtsfan]

Around 1 million viewers

College basketball ratings return to pre-pandemic levels

The college basketball regular season saw healthy viewership rebounds for national networks compared to the COVID-wracked 2020-21 season, returning to levels seen right before the pandemic. CBS led the way with an average of 1.25 million viewers, up 5% from 1.19 million viewers last season. That...

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

Honestly, for the casual sports fan, college basketball regular season is a tough watch. I'm surprised it does this well

There have been some great games throughout college hoops this year!!!

 

[pittchagg]

Around 1 million viewers

College basketball ratings return to pre-pandemic levels

The college basketball regular season saw healthy viewership rebounds for national networks compared to the COVID-wracked 2020-21 season, returning to levels seen right before the pandemic. CBS led the way with an average of 1.25 million viewers, up 5% from 1.19 million viewers last season. That...

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

Honestly, for the casual sports fan, college basketball regular season is a tough watch. I'm surprised it does this well

Wild that those ESPN numbers are double of what the NHL’s are on ESPN (just the network, not ESPN+). I figured they’d be higher, but that’s a big difference.

 

[BreakingPitt]

Support growing in NHL for longer 3-on-3 OT, fewer shootouts

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Troy Terry made his name in hockey with his shootout heroics for the U.S. in the 2017 world junior championship against Russia, much like T.J. Oshie did at the Olympics a few years earlier. Still, the Anaheim Ducks All-Star wouldn’t mind seeing fewer of them decide

triblive.com

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Wild that those ESPN numbers are double of what the NHL’s are on ESPN (just the network, not ESPN+). I figured they’d be higher, but that’s a big difference.

Me too. A national NHL game should outdraw a random regular season college basketball game.

 

[happjack]

Me too. A national NHL game should outdraw a random regular season college basketball game.

There’s a lot more money being bet on that random regular season college basketball game, that’s why it gets more viewers.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

And then of course the third, and most important takeaway. Many of the games that ESPN has shown on the "big network" this year have been played on Sunday nights. At exactly the same time as Sunday Night Football on NBC. And those games, predictably, got killed in the ratings.

If you take those Sunday night games out and only look at the rest of the games, ESPN's ratings would actually be up on the season.

On you point two, TNT had a Bruins game on that was blacked out in Boston. On the average, 661,000 people watch Bruins' games on NESN. More than watch the average game on TNT in that one market alone. How many hundreds of thousands of more people would have watched that game on TNT in the Boston market if the game wasn't available on NESN and only on TNT? And of course a similar thing has happened to them with Penguins games and Ranger games, to name two teams that have high local viewing numbers.

Exactly. The Penguins have historically the highest local ratings on cable.......wait for it Sean Miller Fan............ACROSS ALL THREE PRO SPORTS! (The NFL is national & not included).

So you take out a Pittsburgh market when they are playing, or as you said, Boston or DC, and it is a big hit to national ratings. I don't know why the NHL allows this if you are negotiating TV deals.

Plus again, hockey players are not the greatest personalities or those who have a great personality like Colby Armstrong, are usually second line players. I mean Connor McDavid makes Sidney Crosby look like Gronk in comparison. Most hockey players are like Mike Trout. Just want to play.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Exactly. The Penguins have historically the highest local ratings on cable.......wait for it Sean Miller Fan............ACROSS ALL THREE PRO SPORTS! (The NFL is national & not included).

So you take out a Pittsburgh market when they are playing, or as you said, Boston or DC, and it is a big hit to national ratings. I don't know why the NHL allows this if you are negotiating TV deals.

Plus again, hockey players are not the greatest personalities or those who have a great personality like Colby Armstrong, are usually second line players. I mean Connor McDavid makes Sidney Crosby look like Gronk in comparison. Most hockey players are like Mike Trout. Just want to play.

There are games where TNT's ratings would literally double if they didn't blackout the home team market.

And the odd thing is that for the most part they didn't do it that way the first year of the TNT deal. They changed it for this year. I assume that was a part of the plan, to get people used to looking for games on TNT in the first year of the contract. But like you said, it's a really odd thing for the NHL to have included in the deal, and for TNT to have not fought them over.

 

[YourPittDanceTeam]

I thought it was a great move by the NHL to get back on ESPN. ESPN is still the go-to for a lot of fans and their promotion is 2nd to none. You'll see a Blue Jackets/Jets promo during an NBA or college basketball game. And I've seen that Messier commercial 1000 times. But ratings are WAY down. Only averaging 373K on ESPN/TNT.

NHL ratings are down in the U.S. and hockey fans viciously explained why

NHL fans aren’t happy with how the league has marketed itself this season.

ftw.usatoday.com

To put this in perspective, MLS, which is maybe the 20th best soccer league in the world averaged only slightly less at 343K.

2022 MLS Season Viewership on ABC and ESPN Networks Up 16 Percent

The 34 Major League Soccer regular season matches televised on ABC and ESPN networks in 2022 delivered an average audience of 343,000 viewers (P2+). According to Nielsen, the league’s 2022 season average across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes is up 16 percent from last year among P2+ (295,000).

espnpressroom.com

I dont mean to knock hockey. I think its a great sport but its unbelievable that despite it being "around" for a century, its never been able to move past niche viewing in the US. I guess that's ok. The league makes money. Canadien TV money is big. Games are well attended. But people refuse to watch it on TV. Not sure there's any easy answers. An idea I've posted before is to play in some weekday afternoon time slots as lead-in to college basketball or the NBA. Also maybe some 10AM Saturday games. Basically trying to mimick the popularity of the EPL in the US. I get that fans would hate a 4 or 5 PM Pens game but if its literally 1 out of the 243 home games you play that year and if its good for TV, so what.

You "don't mean to knock hockey", but yet you did. The sport of hockey has been around for quite some time, but do you know what sport has been around a whole lot longer then that...SOCCER. I read somewhere that the sport of soccer has been around in some form for over 2,000 years originating in China and Greece. Come to think of it, to myself and probably most of my friends, soccer is a niche sport in the USA.
I know many more people who play the sport of hockey then I do that play soccer. I guess that it all comes down to the area in which an individual lives and what sports are popular i their part of the country. The Penguins usually draw very well at home and on the road. I am not an expert on an American soccer leagues, but I know that the Riverhounds average around 3,500-4,000 per home game. The Penguins average somewhere around 4-5X that amount. Now those numbers are certainly going to be different in a different part of the country like in LA or Miami where there are a much larger number of Latin people living.
Hockey's number one issue is the marketing of the sport and it's star players. The NHL should never have went back to espn. espn caters to the NBA, always has and always will. Mentioning the scores of a couple of hockey games each night versus spending half of a sportscenter show on the NBA and whatever Lebron James did that night doesn't appeal to a person like myself who does not care about the NBA.
The NHL needs to stay as far away as it can from espn.

 

[Panthers2015]

The NHL needs to fire everyone in their marketing dept and start over......and while they are at it, move the HQ to the US

So what would you do differently after the HQ move?

 

[Fk_Pitt]

You "don't mean to knock hockey", but yet you did. The sport of hockey has been around for quite some time, but do you know what sport has been around a whole lot longer then that...SOCCER. I read somewhere that the sport of soccer has been around in some form for over 2,000 years originating in China and Greece. Come to think of it, to myself and probably most of my friends, soccer is a niche sport in the USA.
I know many more people who play the sport of hockey then I do that play soccer. I guess that it all comes down to the area in which an individual lives and what sports are popular i their part of the country. The Penguins usually draw very well at home and on the road. I am not an expert on an American soccer leagues, but I know that the Riverhounds average around 3,500-4,000 per home game. The Penguins average somewhere around 4-5X that amount. Now those numbers are certainly going to be different in a different part of the country like in LA or Miami where there are a much larger number of Latin people living.
Hockey's number one issue is the marketing of the sport and it's star players. The NHL should never have went back to espn. espn caters to the NBA, always has and always will. Mentioning the scores of a couple of hockey games each night versus spending half of a sportscenter show on the NBA and whatever Lebron James did that night doesn't appeal to a person like myself who does not care about the NBA.
The NHL needs to stay as far away as it can from espn.

The riverhounds draw 3500-4500? Are you sure? I thought they’d be more around 350-450.

Edit: other than that I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. Hockey and soccer are both niche sports in the US. And baseball has become regionalized.

 

[Pitt79]

I know many more people who play the sport of hockey then I do that play soccer. I guess that it all comes down to the area in which an individual lives and what sports are popular i their part of the country.

Wow, really? I grew up in Western PA and live in Maryland, I've known way, Way, WAY more people who played soccer, not even close, even when I lived in Western PA I knew way more soccer players, growing up I knew ZERO hockey players, and knew of ZERO places nearby where hockey was played back then, But I knew soccer players. Where I live now Way more kids play soccer growing up than baseball, not even close, there are soccer fields everywhere, I'm shocked if a stumble across a little league baseball field. There are some hockey leagues here at ice rinks, but never knew anyone involved. There aren't nowhere near as many as soccer fields, and I'm 63 now and I've only known ONE person that actually played hockey, a guy I work with, he's from New England originally, is in his 40s and plays in a rec league, THE ONLY hockey player I've ever known personally.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Wow, really? I grew up in Western PA and live in Maryland, I've known way, Way, WAY more people who played soccer, not even close, even when I lived in Western PA I knew way more soccer players, growing up I knew ZERO hockey players, and knew of ZERO places nearby where hockey was played back then, But I knew soccer players. Where I live now Way more kids play soccer growing up than baseball, not even close, there are soccer fields everywhere, I'm shocked if a stumble across a little league baseball field. There are some hockey leagues here at ice rinks, but never knew anyone involved. There aren't nowhere near as many as soccer fields, and I'm 63 now and I've only known ONE person that actually played hockey, a guy I work with, he's from New England originally, is in his 40s and plays in a rec league, THE ONLY hockey player I've ever known personally.

Where I live in the burbs, I know many people who play adult league hockey and adult league soccer. I probably know more soccer players, but that’s because there is more infrastructure in western pa for the leagues, and there’s u30, u40, u50 and u60 leagues. Both sports are great because guys can play them into their 60’s. Personally, I’ve done both but I don’t like playing either. There’s too much equipment involved with hockey, and with soccer I didn’t grow up playing it so I’m not very good. But the guys love it. They play a game and then go out for beers.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

You "don't mean to knock hockey", but yet you did. The sport of hockey has been around for quite some time, but do you know what sport has been around a whole lot longer then that...SOCCER. I read somewhere that the sport of soccer has been around in some form for over 2,000 years originating in China and Greece. Come to think of it, to myself and probably most of my friends, soccer is a niche sport in the USA.
I know many more people who play the sport of hockey then I do that play soccer. I guess that it all comes down to the area in which an individual lives and what sports are popular i their part of the country. The Penguins usually draw very well at home and on the road. I am not an expert on an American soccer leagues, but I know that the Riverhounds average around 3,500-4,000 per home game. The Penguins average somewhere around 4-5X that amount. Now those numbers are certainly going to be different in a different part of the country like in LA or Miami where there are a much larger number of Latin people living.
Hockey's number one issue is the marketing of the sport and it's star players. The NHL should never have went back to espn. espn caters to the NBA, always has and always will. Mentioning the scores of a couple of hockey games each night versus spending half of a sportscenter show on the NBA and whatever Lebron James did that night doesn't appeal to a person like myself who does not care about the NBA.
The NHL needs to stay as far away as it can from espn.

Not to mention I imagine Pens tickets are for the most part 10x the cost of Riverhounds.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Wow, really? I grew up in Western PA and live in Maryland, I've known way, Way, WAY more people who played soccer, not even close, even when I lived in Western PA I knew way more soccer players, growing up I knew ZERO hockey players, and knew of ZERO places nearby where hockey was played back then, But I knew soccer players. Where I live now Way more kids play soccer growing up than baseball, not even close, there are soccer fields everywhere, I'm shocked if a stumble across a little league baseball field. There are some hockey leagues here at ice rinks, but never knew anyone involved. There aren't nowhere near as many as soccer fields, and I'm 63 now and I've only known ONE person that actually played hockey, a guy I work with, he's from New England originally, is in his 40s and plays in a rec league, THE ONLY hockey player I've ever known personally.

Maybe it is the company you keep. Because even in the 70's, I played hockey and knew guys who played hockey

 

[YourPittDanceTeam]

Wow, really? I grew up in Western PA and live in Maryland, I've known way, Way, WAY more people who played soccer, not even close, even when I lived in Western PA I knew way more soccer players, growing up I knew ZERO hockey players, and knew of ZERO places nearby where hockey was played back then, But I knew soccer players. Where I live now Way more kids play soccer growing up than baseball, not even close, there are soccer fields everywhere, I'm shocked if a stumble across a little league baseball field. There are some hockey leagues here at ice rinks, but never knew anyone involved. There aren't nowhere near as many as soccer fields, and I'm 63 now and I've only known ONE person that actually played hockey, a guy I work with, he's from New England originally, is in his 40s and plays in a rec league, THE ONLY hockey player I've ever known personally.

Yes, REALLY. I guess that we are polar opposites of each other when it comes to this subject, which is entirely possible depending upon the area in which you lived growing up and the friends that you had. When I was in high school, I was friends with probably 75% of the hockey team and less then 25% of those who played soccer. As an adult, the numbers are even greater because it is a sport that I am very closely involved with. I am in an ice rink, at least 5 days a week, if not more. I've been at two soccer games in that same amount of time to watch my nephew play while he was in high school. For me, based upon my own experience, ice hockey is a sport that continues to grow quite rapidly in the SWPA area and with the Little Pens program being sponsored by Dick's/Sidney Crosby, it should continue to grow even more.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Yes, REALLY. I guess that we are polar opposites of each other when it comes to this subject, which is entirely possible depending upon the area in which you lived growing up and the friends that you had. When I was in high school, I was friends with probably 75% of the hockey team and less then 25% of those who played soccer. As an adult, the numbers are even greater because it is a sport that I am very closely involved with. I am in an ice rink, at least 5 days a week, if not more. I've been at two soccer games in that same amount of time to watch my nephew play while he was in high school. For me, based upon my own experience, ice hockey is a sport that continues to grow quite rapidly in the SWPA area and with the Little Pens program being sponsored by Dick's/Sidney Crosby, it should continue to grow even more.

Both sports continue to grow. They are both huge in my community and all the communities around me.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Not to mention I imagine Pens tickets are for the most part 10x the cost of Riverhounds.

Comparing the riverhounds to the Pens is like comparing the Wild Things to the Pirates. It’s silly to even go there.

More people attend a WPIAL soccer final at Highmark stadium than attend a riverhounds game.

 

[pittchagg]

Yeah, I think it’s important to keep in mind that Pittsburgh is probably the biggest hockey market in the United States. Hockey is bigger here than it is pretty much everywhere else in the US. So I definitely think that there’s some bias (probably not the right word, but still) baked in among Pittsburghers because you kinda assume that hockey is at least somewhere close to being as popular in other places as it is here, and that’s just not really the case.

That’s not me saying that it’s unpopular other places, just saying that Pittsburgh is kinda uniquely into it in this country.

 

[Panthers2015]

Yeah, I think it’s important to keep in mind that Pittsburgh is probably the biggest hockey market in the United States. Hockey is bigger here than it is pretty much everywhere else in the US.

Some nice local pride but inaccuracy in that statement. Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Boston surpass Pittsburgh.

 

[pittchagg]

Some nice local pride but inaccuracy in that statement. Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Boston surpass Pittsburgh.

Sure, fair enough - no reason to think you’re wrong about that. Let’s call it “one of the biggest hockey markets in the US”

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Some nice local pride but inaccuracy in that statement. Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Boston surpass Pittsburgh.

What is not inaccurate is the Penguins have led local TV ratings for over the past decade. FOR ALL SPORTS. Including MLB and the NBA. So you might want to check that. I mean those 3 cities are much bigger than Pittsburgh, and naturally produce more talent because of that, but hockey here has become the #2 sport. I am not sure you can say that in the other cities.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

There’s a lot more money being bet on that random regular season college basketball game, that’s why it gets more viewers.

Its not just that.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Exactly. The Penguins have historically the highest local ratings on cable.......wait for it Sean Miller Fan............ACROSS ALL THREE PRO SPORTS! (The NFL is national & not included).

So you take out a Pittsburgh market when they are playing, or as you said, Boston or DC, and it is a big hit to national ratings. I don't know why the NHL allows this if you are negotiating TV deals.

Plus again, hockey players are not the greatest personalities or those who have a great personality like Colby Armstrong, are usually second line players. I mean Connor McDavid makes Sidney Crosby look like Gronk in comparison. Most hockey players are like Mike Trout. Just want to play.

Why the eff would the NHL a NATIONAL deal that blacks out local games so you can watch on your RSN like you did the 72 times before that. I don't want to say anything mean about Canadiens but geez. That said, from what I gather, not all these TNT games are blacked out. Apparently, only 2 of the 6 Pens games on TNT are blacked out and I don't think any ESPN games are.

To your point about the Pens locally, yes, they have a great local following. As others have said though, are these fans watching any other NHL games? Doesn't sound like it.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

You "don't mean to knock hockey", but yet you did. The sport of hockey has been around for quite some time, but do you know what sport has been around a whole lot longer then that...SOCCER. I read somewhere that the sport of soccer has been around in some form for over 2,000 years originating in China and Greece. Come to think of it, to myself and probably most of my friends, soccer is a niche sport in the USA.
I know many more people who play the sport of hockey then I do that play soccer. I guess that it all comes down to the area in which an individual lives and what sports are popular i their part of the country. The Penguins usually draw very well at home and on the road. I am not an expert on an American soccer leagues, but I know that the Riverhounds average around 3,500-4,000 per home game. The Penguins average somewhere around 4-5X that amount. Now those numbers are certainly going to be different in a different part of the country like in LA or Miami where there are a much larger number of Latin people living.
Hockey's number one issue is the marketing of the sport and it's star players. The NHL should never have went back to espn. espn caters to the NBA, always has and always will. Mentioning the scores of a couple of hockey games each night versus spending half of a sportscenter show on the NBA and whatever Lebron James did that night doesn't appeal to a person like myself who does not care about the NBA.
The NHL needs to stay as far away as it can from espn.

Did you just compare attendance of a team that plays in the 234th best soccer league in the world (not an exaggeration, I'd estimate it at around that) to a team that plays in the best hockey league in the world?

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Sure, fair enough - no reason to think you’re wrong about that. Let’s call it “one of the biggest hockey markets in the US”

When I think NHL tv ratings, I think Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and then everyone else.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Did you just compare attendance of a team that plays in the 234th best soccer league in the world (not an exaggeration, I'd estimate it at around that) to a team that plays in the best hockey league in the world?

Yeah he did. Lol. And I’m not exaggerating when I say that a USC vs Noth Allegheny or a Canon Mac vs Fox Chapel soccer game would have larger crowds.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Why the eff would the NHL a NATIONAL deal that blacks out local games so you can watch on your RSN like you did the 72 times before that. I don't want to say anything mean about Canadiens but geez. That said, from what I gather, not all these TNT games are blacked out. Apparently, only 2 of the 6 Pens games on TNT are blacked out and I don't think any ESPN games are.

To your point about the Pens locally, yes, they have a great local following. As others have said though, are these fans watching any other NHL games? Doesn't sound like it.

Um....."why would the NHL...." You could stop it right there. Hasn't been exactly the best run entity in the world now has it??

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Well I think he is an ass, he is not stupid. He comes up with some good takes and even though like I, he loves hockey, he is not afraid to call out it's weaknesses.

Mark Madden's Hot Take: Hockey just doesn't know how to be cool

Hockey is my favorite sport. Because that’s true, I feel qualified to analyze why the NHL’s national TV ratings are down 22% from last year. There are regional blackouts. Start times aren’t staggered; games hit intermission at the same time. Cord-cutting takes ESPN and TNT off the radar of too

triblive.com

 

[HailToPitt725]

The NHL needs to fire everyone in their marketing dept and start over......and while they are at it, move the HQ to the US

This is the correct answer here. In theory, the ESPN/TNT deals are great for the league. However, the amount of games on ESPN+ versus linear television isn’t great and the Stanley Cup Final should NEVER be on TNT (exclusively on cable).

The cost of participating growing up is often cited as a reason why not as many people get into it. How many people grew up doing MMA? No reason why the marketing and promoting of this league should be this bad.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Both sports continue to grow. They are both huge in my community and all the communities around me.

I don't know what the numbers are among adults, but among kids, up through high school age, there are more kids that play soccer than hockey, and it's not even close.

I mean they can't even get the WPIAL and the PIAA to sanction hockey. There are 57 high schools in the PIHL, and 9 of them are not WPIAL schools (for instance Cathedral Prep and Wheeling Park are in the league). There are 104 schools in the WPIAL playing boys soccer.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I don't know what the numbers are among adults, but among kids, up through high school age, there are more kids that play soccer than hockey, and it's not even close.

I mean they can't even get the WPIAL and the PIAA to sanction hockey. There are 57 high schools in the PIHL, and 9 of them are not WPIAL schools (for instance Cathedral Prep and Wheeling Park are in the league). There are 104 schools in the WPIAL playing boys soccer.

US youth soccer has more kids playing than all other sports combined. It’s the largest sports organization in the world.

But I get it. If people live in New Castle, or New Kensington, or New Bethlehem, soccer is out of site out of mind. And that’s ok.

 

[Pitt79]

Maybe it is the company you keep. Because even in the 70's, I played hockey and knew guys who played hockey

Maybe it's where I lived, nobody played and there was no place to play nearby, and nobody even acknowledged that hockey existed. Nobody watched or talked about the Pens or hockey at all.

 

[Pitt79]

Yes, REALLY. I guess that we are polar opposites of each other when it comes to this subject, which is entirely possible depending upon the area in which you lived growing up and the friends that you had. When I was in high school, I was friends with probably 75% of the hockey team and less then 25% of those who played soccer. As an adult, the numbers are even greater because it is a sport that I am very closely involved with. I am in an ice rink, at least 5 days a week, if not more. I've been at two soccer games in that same amount of time to watch my nephew play while he was in high school. For me, based upon my own experience, ice hockey is a sport that continues to grow quite rapidly in the SWPA area and with the Little Pens program being sponsored by Dick's/Sidney Crosby, it should continue to grow even more.

"The Hockey Team"? "The Soccer Team"? My school had neither when I was a kid. still don't to this day. There was a local soccer league involving the ETHNICS, the unAmericans like myself, who didn't speak English in our homes, it was like the Italians vs the Greeks or the Syrians or the Hunkies or whoever. They have kids soccer clubs now but not then, hockey I'm not sure? Never heard anyone in that area talk about hockey at all. When I graduated high school in 77, our school had football, basketball, baseball and track, THE END. The girls had NOTHING but cheerleading, the year after I graduated, they had the first girls basketball team.

 

[Pitt79]

Where I live in the burbs, I know many people who play adult league hockey and adult league soccer. I probably know more soccer players, but that’s because there is more infrastructure in western pa for the leagues, and there’s u30, u40, u50 and u60 leagues. Both sports are great because guys can play them into their 60’s. Personally, I’ve done both but I don’t like playing either. There’s too much equipment involved with hockey, and with soccer I didn’t grow up playing it so I’m not very good. But the guys love it. They play a game and then go out for beers.

I never played hockey ever, I never even skated on ice. I did play soccer in a league for the first time at age 28. I hated it the first game, and then right before the 2nd game the GK quit, so I desperately volunteered, just because I wanted to play with my hands, I'm 6-3 and was a basketball player so I could catch or jump up and snatch a corner kick out of the air, so I actually learned it and played with those guys for 4 years. Every game as GK after that first one, I would have quit if I had remained a field player. I actually got to like it, As GK I wore a different shirt, they had these green t shirts with white numbers and lettering, I often wore a Jack Lambert jersey or a Pitt sweatshirt.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

"The Hockey Team"? "The Soccer Team"? My school had neither when I was a kid. still don't to this day. There was a local soccer league involving the ETHNICS, the unAmericans like myself, who didn't speak English in our homes, it was like the Italians vs the Greeks or the Syrians or the Hunkies or whoever. They have kids soccer clubs now but not then, hockey I'm not sure? Never heard anyone in that area talk about hockey at all. When I graduated high school in 77, our school had football, basketball, baseball and track, THE END. The girls had NOTHING but cheerleading, the year after I graduated, they had the first girls basketball team.

You never say. Where did you grow up??

 

[Pitt79]

You never say. Where did you grow up??

New Castle, PA. I don't remember any hockey ever and, in my youth, no soccer. I'm also not surprised that New Castle High has no soccer team to this day. my hometown is so obsessed with football, I'm convinced they don't have any boys or girls high school soccer because they are convinced it's offensive to the football team I know the surrounding schools have soccer now and there is youth soccer there, now. I haven't lived there since the 80s, but I know people who's kids play club soccer, but as for hockey, if there is hockey, I haven't heard about it.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

New Castle, PA. I don't remember any hockey ever and, in my youth, no soccer. I'm also not surprised that New Castle High has no soccer team to this day. my hometown is so obsessed with football, I'm convinced they don't have any boys or girls high school soccer because they are convinced it's offensive to the football team I know the surrounding schools have soccer now and there is youth soccer there, now. I haven't lived there since the 80s, but I know people who's kids play club soccer, but as for hockey, if there is hockey, I haven't heard about it.

Yeah. I really don't remember anyone from New Castle playing hockey. Though I believe JT Miller grew up near there (East Palestine OH) before the family moved to Pittsburgh area. But even in college and just playing in local beer leagues, never knew anyone from New Castle who played hockey.

 

[goalieman]

New Castle, PA. I don't remember any hockey ever and, in my youth, no soccer. I'm also not surprised that New Castle High has no soccer team to this day. my hometown is so obsessed with football, I'm convinced they don't have any boys or girls high school soccer because they are convinced it's offensive to the football team I know the surrounding schools have soccer now and there is youth soccer there, now. I haven't lived there since the 80s, but I know people who's kids play club soccer, but as for hockey, if there is hockey, I haven't heard about it.

FYI ..... there is an ice hockey rink in New Castle. Pa, (actually in Neshannock Township just outside New Castle) called Hess Ice Arena (it's located really close to Neshannock High School) ..... built in 1991 as an outdoor rink and was fully enclosed in 1993 ..... it's still in operation today ...... I haven't been in it for many years but remember it well ....... Neshannock and Wilmington High School hockey teams in the PIHL use it as their home facility and Lawerence County amateur teams in the PAHL use it ....... they have figure skating there as well ...... so Lawerence County kids have been playing hockey for ~30+ years.