The Great Canadian Ratings Report: Connor McDavid, NHL-free night boost CHL fortunes

It might have been Canadians' penchant for watching hockey on Saturday nights, or it might have been the allure of the next great one, Connor McDavid.

Whatever the reason, junior hockey scored big time on Saturday. The Canadian Hockey League game between McDavid's Erie Otters and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds attracted an average of 478,000 viewers on Sportsnet, its biggest junior audience of any description in 10 years.

To be clear, that's not the biggest junior hockey audience in 10 years, or even six months. That title belongs to the world junior championship, which routinely draws huge ratings for TSN. But for a game that wasn't part of the world tournament, that's a pretty impressive number.

While the juniors benefitted from the NHL's decision to stage its lone Saturday playoff game at noon (thanks, NBC) and thus leaving Saturday night open, there has been a positive trend going on this season. Sportsnet is averaging 223,000 viewers for its CHL playoffs, more than double the 97,000 it averaged last spring.

Regular-season broadcasts didn't fare quite as well, averaging only 74,000 viewers. But that did represent a 9 per cent increase over last season.

 The success of the CHL this spring can be attributed to two factors. One is McDavid, who has grabbed the hockey world's attention, especially when his eventual landing spot was still up for grabs. (And don't underestimate the belief that divine intervention would somehow put him in Toronto, where the greatest concentration of eyeballs exist.)

The other factor was Sportsnet's decision to lock up the CHL for another 10 years and boost coverage last year. That was a bit of a gamble, seeing that 16 years of broadcasting CHL games had done little for Sportsnet. Ratings were generally low and never managed to ride the wave created by the world junior tournament.

This year, though, things were different -- and it looks like McDavid was the X factor. That's good news heading into Sportsnet's coverage of the Memorial Cup -- assuming McDavid's Otters advance.

Here are the most-watched English-language sports events on Canadian television last weekend, according to Numeris overnight ratings:

1. NHL, Canadiens at Lightning, Friday, CBC: 2,800,000

2. NHL, Lightning at Canadiens, Sunday, CBC: 2,500,000

3. NHL, Wild at Blackhawks, Sunday, CBC-Sportsnet 360: 1,300,000

4. NHL, Flames at Ducks, Sunday, Sportsnet: 873,000

5. MLB, Blue Jays at Indians, Saturday, Sporstnet One: 561,000

6. Hockey, Sault Ste. Marie at Erie, Saturday, Sportsnet: 478,000

7. NHL, Capitals at Rangers, Saturday, Sportsnet: 458,000 (NBC audience not measured)

8. World hockey, Canada vs. Germany, Sunday, TSN: 409,000

9. NHL, Wild at Blackhawks, Fridday, Sportsnet: 382,000

10. MLB, Blue Jays at Indians, Friday, Sportsnet One: 378,000

11. PGA, Cadillac Match Play final round, Sunday, Global: 269,000

12. Auto racing, NASCAR Geico 500, Sunday, TSN: 220,000 (Fox audience not measured)

13. Horse racing, Kentucky Derby, Saturday, TSN: 214,000 (NBC audience not measured)

14. PGA, Cadillac Match Play third round, Saturday, Global: 198,000

15. Soccer, West Brom at Manchester United, Saturday, Sportsnet: 190,000

16. NBA, Spurs at Clippers, Saturday, TSN: 182,000

17. World hockey, Canada vs. Latvia, Friday, TSN: 165,000

18. World hockey, Russia vs. Norway, Friday, TSN: 156,000

19. Soccer, Whitecaps at Portland, Saturday, TSN: 110,000

20. Soccer, Queen's Park at Liverpool, Saturday, Sportsnet: 92,000

21. Soccer, Toronto FC at Philadelphia, Saturday, TSN: 75,000

THREE TO WATCH

Backs to the wall: Coaches never like to hear games referred to as "must wins," so Michel Therrien and Alain Vigneault had best cover their ears for the next day or so. Therrien's Montreal Canadiens are down 2-0 in their NHL playoff series with Tampa Bay while Vigneault's New York Rangers are in danger of falling 3-1 in arrears of the Washington Capitals. The Habs and Lightning face off in Tampa Bay at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday (CBC) with the Caps and Rangers going at it at half an hour later (Sportsnet.)

Tiger's tale: As if the very presence of Tiger Woods wasn't enough to send the talking heads into a frenzy at The Players' Championship, his latest domestic issues sound send them off the scale. If he misses a putt, will it because he's losing his edge or because he was preoccupied with thoughts of lost love Lindsey Vonn? There will be some golf played at TPC Sawgrass, too. Thursday, 1 p.m. ET, Golf Channel.

Fear the Swiss: Team Canada is off to a great start at the world hockey championship tournament, which is a good thing considering what they have to face on Sunday: the Swiss. The world yodelling power looks more like a world hockey power every time they take on Canada and has broken Canuck hearts more than once. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, TSN.