Interesting tidbit in today's NHL release about increases in Versus' viewership during the first round: Raleigh up 100 percent from last year.
Six of the eight U.S. markets not in the playoffs that saw an increase, but Raleigh saw the biggest improvement of all of them. Sounds impressive, but a few caveats:
One, the Hurricanes were in the playoffs last year, so half the time hockey fans here were watching FS Carolinas, not Versus (which carried only Games 6 of the Carolina-New Jersey series, a feed unavailable in this market).
Two, if there weren't many people watching, it doesn't take that many new viewers to double it. And with so many ex-Canes playing in the first round, fans here at least had players to follow.
Three, it could just be the drawing power of Hurricanes play-by-play man John Forslund, who called the Pittsburgh-Ottawa series for Versus. No comparable increases were reported by NBC or NHL.com. Hmm.
Still, it's a good sign for the Triangle as an NHL market. You take those where you can. And maybe those numbers will help the Hurricanes actually get a game on Versus next year.
Despite making it to the Eastern Conference finals, the Hurricanes were ignored by the NHL's U.S. cable partner this season, a serious snub even by the low standards the network previously set for televising the Hurricanes.
To recap: In the five seasons since the lockout, Versus has scheduled a total of 11 Hurricanes games for national coverage. (A few games were added or dropped later in the year.) And that doesn't include Opening Night 2007, when Versus exercised its national exclusive to prevent Carolina's first game from being aired locally by FS Carolinas -- or anyone on this side of the border, for that matter.
As Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said after last summer's shutout, "It's disappointing every year."
This turned into an anti-Versus rant, which wasn't where it started, especially on a day when the Versus PR staff was extremely prompt and helpful in confirming Aaron Ward's studio appearance this weekend and Forslund's future schedule.
But maybe it'll be the last one, if these increased ratings get things moving in the right direction.
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at (919) 829-8947, @LukeDeCock on Twitter or 
Comments
The Positive
Wed, 05/12/2010 - 14:28 — PeteMossThe positive that I see locally is that instead of having the Canes on Versus, we get to hear John and Tripp with our Canes perspective as opposed to a national announcer. I'd rather watch the Canes on FSCR than VS any day. Still is a bummer how we get shunned every year so we can have Ovechkin and Crosby routinely shoved down our throats. I vaguely remember one year when we were playing in Atlanta towards the end of the season, a game with playoff implications, the game was originally a national game only to be pulled for one of the "big market teams" and at such a late date FSCR already had commitments or either the game was blacked out due to the national game. Grrrrrrrrrr!
while late
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 09:08 — esteban1949getting in on this...but i too like and enjoy Johnny " sidburns" Forslund more so than Mr, Nick who does mostly or had done mostly the devils and caps games on Verses...the crew Verses has working with John are god but If i had my way it would be John 7 Eddie they both have the extras that we fans like and appreciate...not that Doc Emerick is a slop or a bum...hew is good..but johny has that something extra..and NO it's NOT Tripp...Thanks Luke..
The Canes are Good,My Grandkids are Better, and Life is Great !!
Go Canes !!
Good old Craig, a 9th round
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 10:41 — ctillGood old Craig, a 9th round draft pick by Hartford. Always good on the PK. I still remember his throat-slashing gesture from 2004 or thereabouts -- a bit out of character for a Harvard student.
VERSUS
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 09:56 — louis12580Yes, it is quite disappointing that the network choses not to televise any Canes games. I can understand showing the games featuring Detroit, Washington, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and the Rangers. Those are all teams with a national following (although Pittsburgh are johnny-come-late.) Those are teams, save for the Rangers, with star power and that can make for better viewership. Maybe if the team showed more consistency their game against any of the above mentioned teams would be shown. On the John Forslund side, did anyone hear his call the other night on Craig Adams' goal? That play got the "that's hockey (no baby, though)" treatment.
It is fun to listen to
Thu, 05/06/2010 - 22:01 — ctillIt is fun to listen to Forslund regardless of whose game he is calling. The Canes are very fortunate to have top-shelf broadcasters in Kaiton and Forslund.
As for Versus, I stayed in a Sheraton in the vicinity of Washington DC on Tuesday night. No Versus on their in-house cable. Sigh.