(from today's Bangor Daily News, by Larry Mahoney)
 
Hockey East Commissioner Stu Haskell and the commissioners of the other
three Division I leagues - the WCHA's Otto Breitenbach, the CCHA's Bill
Beagan, and the ECAC's Clayton Chapman - will meet with ESPN
representatives within the next three weeks in an attempt to work out a
Game-of-the-Week deal.
 
"The four of us have met two or three times over the last year and a
half and explored various possibilities for expanding the national
interest in college hockey," explained Haskell.  "And we kept coming
back to television."
 
"What we've done is put together a tape, compiled of footage from our
leagues, and we're going to take it with us to ESPN," added Haskell.
"We want to interest a national carrier."
 
National television has shied away from hockey, pro as well as college,
because it is a regional sport;  it's difficult to fill the two between
periods time slots;  and it is tough for the cameras to follow the puck.
 
ESPN used to air NHL games but lost the contract to SportsChannel.
Local cable stations such as WSBK-TV (TV-38) and the New England Sports
Network televise the local NHL team (Boston Bruins).
 
College hockey is carried primarily by NESN in the East and Prime
Network in the Midwest.  The two networks are affiliated and they
sometimes share their college hockey telecasts.
 
But it's not the same as receiving the kind of national exposure ESPN
can provide.
 
"We feel that if the product could receive national exposure, we're
confident there would be a sufficient number of viewers to warrant the
gamble.  We don't feel it would be an unreasonable gamble," said
Haskell.  "We think it would catch on.  There is so much basketball on
TV, this would be an extremely attractive alternative and more people
would watch than they think."
 
Haskell said their proposal would be "flexible."
 
"We would be willing to reschedule particular games to put them at a
time ESPN could carry them, as long as those times are reasonable," said
Haskell.  "We obviously wouldn't go for a 3 a.m.  game, but it might be
necessary to play a Friday afternoon game."
 
Haskell said an attractive schedule of games would be put together,
including intersectional and league games, to showcase "the color and
enthusiasm for the sport" in college hockey arenas.
 
He also indicated that they aren't seeking substantial rights fees.
 
"At this point in time, I don't think we'd be very demanding when it
comes to money," said Haskell.  "If they agreed to do it and it caught
on, we could talk about that later."
 
Haskell doesn't see the production expense of hockey, which he estimates
at $12,000-15,000 per game, to be a major stumbling block for ESPN.
 
Haskell said ESPN representatives have always been willing to listen to
proposals like this one even if they don't accept them.  He approached
them a year ago to see if they would be willing to televise an
early-season tournament over a three day span which would have had the
defending ECAC league champ meeting the Hockey East titlist in one game,
the WCHA and CCHA champs meeting in another, and the winners of the two
games squaring off.  The games would be played at home rinks on an
alternating basis.
 
But the idea was nixed.
 
Besides ESPN, there are two other national cable groups: SportsChannel
and the Prime Network.
 
However, Haskell said if ESPN isn't interested, the commissioners will
decide whether to approach the other cable groups.
 
He said the commissioners were exploring other projects to promote
college hockey but didn't want to divulge any of them as yet.
 
...