Dear NHL,

This is a new (possibly) recurring feature where I level with the NHL and try and be serious for a moment. First letter, after the jump.

Dear NHL,

The NHL is a unique brand of entertainment. Combining the fast pace of soccer with the physicality of Arena Football and the pugilism of boxing every now and then, the sport is pretty universally entertaining. However, ever since the lockout in the 1994-95 season, hockey has been viewed in the American markets as the 4th of the big four (of course, referring to baseball, basketball, and football along with hockey), despite having been near the top just a year prior.

So where is this going? As I said, the NHL is a unique brand of entertainment. And the hardcore fans are probably the best of any sport. Though I don't frequently check, I know that there is a broad group of fans that run blogs devoted to the greatness that is hockey, with no real expectations. I include myself in this group.

My question is...why not reach out to this community. Not only do the fans help to grow the sport, but the blogging community probably represent a good deal of your internet traffic as well. So why not seek out bloggers to do an interview with? The majority of the community would likely be excited to have an opportunity to speak with higher ups in the team they blog about or the NHL in general. I regularly bash Gary Bettman, but given a chance to speak with him would try to find fair questions to ask, and still answer my burning questions.

Anyway, I hate to drag on, so I will leave you with this, NHL. You have such a great presence in the blog-o-rama...why not reach out? Why not take a chance to be on the cutting edge? I know you probably will never read this, but one can always hope