Stanley is optional in Seattle

There was interesting television viewing Monday night on the NHL front, as the NHL playoffs went prime time in some markets and no time in others.

While watching the CBC’s first period intermission of Monday night’s game four coverage, the ever popular Don Cherry cheerfully announced he would be on NBC during the second intermission. Sure to be a not to miss presentation of Canadian bombast on American airwaves we feverishly worked the clicker to mark our spot as the second period drew to a close.

Zap zap we went to KING out of Seattle, the NBC station of choice for most of those in BC, but alas for Don, he was nowhere to be found. KING had apparently chosen not to broadcast the Stanley Cup, instead running its regular fare of entertainment, which during Cherry’s time of conquest, would be the local newsmagazine showing Evening magazine. (For fans of Cherry and voyeurs everywhere, the CBC provided a simulcast of the wrath of Grapes with Hull)

Following that the night belonged to a one hour documentary on how to beat cancer and two hours of Dateline. A scan ahead to Wednesday shows that Stanley has no home in Seattle again, as The Best of Evening magazine and more Datelines will fill in the air time as the Ducks and Sens battle it out for game five.

There’s been occasional talk of Seattle as a possible expansion candidate for the NHL one day, but one has to wonder about the “footprint” for the sport if the league’s production of the finals that now "barters" its time, can’t even manage to make it to air in one of the large markets in the top fifteen for television viewing in the US.

Never mind the declining ratings, in Seattle there are no ratings, the question is how many other markets are following Seattle’s lead?