Rogers plans for new NHL deal include more focus on players, less on business

Hockey broadcasts under the new Rogers regime won't be going back to the days of Murray Westgate and Ward Cornell, but the corporation is promising a more traditional presentation of the game.

That means less discussion of financial matters and players association issues and more about the game on the ice and its stars, says Scott Moore, president of Sportsnet and NHL for Rogers Media.

"One of the key things we'll be banging home to our staff is we really want to grow the game and fandom," he said in an interview Wednesday. "We want to build the stars."

Moore said he wants Sportsnet's massive 12-year, $5.2 billion NHL package to be handled more like the NFL product.

"On the Super Bowl on Sunday, they talked about the stars, the passion for the game, the exciting plays," he said. "They criticize the players and second-guess the coaches, but they don't spend as much time as we seem to on the business of the game."

Canadian hockey broadcasters spend way too much time discussing business issues, he said, something that most fans aren't interested in hearing about.

"I hope you'll see a much more positive fan-centric type of coverage," he said of the new hockey package that will make its debut on Oct. 8. "It doesn't mean we won't cover the news. But that type of coverage will bring you new viewers and new fans, people who are interested in why Jonathan Toews does things a certain way, how Steve Stamkos became a star as opposed to whether the NHLPA is worried about what they're putting in escrow.

"Sometimes in our zeal to be journalists, we forget that we're in the entertainment business, too."

Though Moore's comments will bet a lot of journalists' backs up, he makes a good point. Too many NHL broadcasts on TSN, Sportsnet and CBC -- especially CBC -- are so in that many viewers are left wondering what exactly the commentators are talking about.

That strategy is part of Rogers' plan to attract new viewers. After all, while hockey is this country's No. 1 sport, there aren't really enough fans to sustain the corporation's plans of airing as many as seven NHL games on a Saturday night. And you don't attract new viewers by focusing on the salary cap.

More about what takes place on the ice and less about what happens in the back rooms would be welcome, assuming the new Sportsnet product isn't all about cheerleading and ignoring key issues such as concussions and escalating violence.

Rogers unveiled the meat of its new property on Tuesday night and it is indeed an ambitious plan.

Basically, viewers will get 500 NHL games on 13 channels and as many as seven on Saturday nights. If the schedule works out, Canadian teams will be featured in most of those Saturday broadcasts. The featured games, likely involving the Leafs, Canucks and Canadiens, will be on CBC and City.

There will be two other exclusive national packages, one on Sunday night and the other on Wednesday. The Wednesday package will air on Sportsnet while Sunday's games will be on City -- meaning there will be more games on conventional television than ever.

There will also be a huge digital presence, with games and shows available on multiple platforms. There will be a new studio, a 13,000-square-foot unit under construction at the CBC, that Moore says will be more like an NFL facility. It will be home to expanded pre-game shows, among other things.

And, yes, Ron MacLean and Don Cherry will be in that studio -- at least for now. "I have spoken to them the day we did the deal," he said. "I have a long history with both of them. They both know what my thinking is on them."

Moore also said that there will be other new faces in that studio and behind microphones. In addition to existing Sportsnet and CBC employees, Moore said he will hire others in the business and expects to have his team finalized and under contract by mid-April.

Moore also touched on Rogers' relationship with rival TSN. For one, there won't be any games sublicensed to its chief competitor -- at least not next season. "This is not just about Sportsnet," Moore said. "It's about all the things we can do with this property with Rogers. Along with the Blue Jays and Major League Baseball, this positions us for what we set as a goal three years ago, which was to become the No. 1 sports media destination in Canada. When you pay that kind of money, you want a certain amount of exclusivity."

As for buying back the old Hockey Night In Canada theme that now belongs to TSN, Moore would only say: "Its value is not what it was five years ago."