Bob Frid-Imagn Images
The NHL has a three-day holiday break, with no games Tuesday through Thursday this week.
But there’s always the question on Christmas Day about whether or not the NHL should follow the NBA and NFL by playing games as well.
Let’s break things down and look at the pros and cons of playing games on Dec. 25.
Pro: Watching games on Christmas could be a family activity, the same way the IIHF World Junior Championship is for junior hockey lovers on Boxing Day. Who wouldn’t want some NHL action as they’re celebrating Christmas? You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’d say “no” to that question. And for that reason, Christmas games make a lot of sense.
Con: The NBA and NFL already play games on Christmas, and they’d overshadow any NHL games that would be played the same day. We know the NFL and NBA do bigger TV numbers than the NHL, and trying to compete with those leagues would likely result in worse ratings for the NHL. The NHL needs to stay in its lane, and pushing games beyond the Christmas break is probably the best thing.
Pro: Getting tickets to a Christmas NHL game would be a terrific gift for any hockey fan. Picture waking up on Christmas morning, opening up a present and finding two tickets to a game later that day. You’d be thrilled whether you were a kid getting tickets to see your favorite team from Santa or an adult who just loves themselves some hockey. Either way, you’d have to figure the games played on Christmas would be sellouts, as there would almost always be no work obligations to worry about that day or on Boxing Day. And the thrill of landing tickets for a Christmas game could also be a holiday tradition.
Con: Not having a break would be unfair to NHL players, team employees, and the media, who work the NHL grind from September through June. Those people aren’t robots you can just plug into any work situation. These are human beings with their own families to celebrate Christmas and the holidays with. Giving teams and players a few days off is an important gesture from the NHL, and there’s not sufficient reason for the league to change that approach.
Pros: In co-operation with the NHL’s schedule-maker, the league could put together some high-profile matchups. Imagine the Leafs playing the Canadiens on Christmas Day. Imagine the New York Rangers versus New York Islanders. Imagine the Chicago Blackhawks versus Detroit Red Wings. That could add to the rivalries that already exist between those teams.
Con: Christmas games would probably be pushed to the side of most people’s lives because the holiday comes first, and Christmas games would come in a distant second, no matter who might be playing. Family is most important for most people, and trying to interfere with that connection by shoehorning games into people’s lives is not the best strategy to grow the game.
Do you think the NHL should play games on Dec. 25? Let us know in the comments or directly at our forum.
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