Will the NHL Be Able to Capitalize on the Olympic Hockey Buzz?

The Olympic hockey tournament at the Vancouver games became the talk of the entire games. The question now is whether or not the NHL will be able to capitalize on this huge surge of interest and regain some of the popularity that has crumbled away over the past 10 to 15 years.

Surely there were other great storylines in Vancouver, but the dream match-up between Canada and the United States, the single last event of the Olympics, was center stage with all eyes drawn in. The gold medal game averaged more than 27.5 million viewers, with nearly 53 million viewers catching at least some of the game according to Nielson.

There was a convergence of many great factors that allowed hockey to rise up to that level, albeit briefly. It was the Olympics, it was nationalism and it was nationalism against the huge pride of our northern neighbors in the game they cherish and invented. Not to be overlooked though is that there was some truly great hockey being played.

However two weeks have passed and while there were a few moments of broad interest in the NHL - Sidney Crosby's reception in Pittsburgh, goaltender Ryan Miller's reception in Pittsburgh that same night, Canadian coach Mike Babcock going back to his day job coaching the Detroit Red Wings the very next day after the clinching game and so forth - there hasn't been much since. What can the NHL do to really take advantage of the huge buzz that the Olympic hockey tournament created?

More Television Time - Obviously the league needs to be on national TV more. You can't showcase the best teams, build momentum and fan interest, grow your stars and compel an audience when you show up for one game per week on NBC. Versus isn't a bad home for some games every week, but there needs to be more than 2 hours of hockey on network or major cable TV every week in order to keep the buzz going.

Showcase the New American Stars - The USA hockey team in Vancouver was all about fresh faces, energy and young players. Goaltender Ryan Miller was the star and MVP of the tournament. Zach Parise, one of the best young players and goal scorers over the past few seasons in the NHL, finally got a chance to reach an audience outside of the realm of the New Jersey Turnpike. Patrick Kane was able to showcase the speed and ability that has helped revive the Chicago Blackhawks and so on.

Let's see more of these guys. You can't just ride Crosby and Ovechkin, as great and as marketable as they and the rivalry between them and their teams are. Americans love American stars, and everybody was introduced to the best of the best over the Olympics. Keep 'em coming.

Start Switching to Olympic Style Hockey - You can't replicate the talent level that was on display with all of the marquee teams in the Olympic hockey tournament. However, you can replicate the style of play by banning some of the goonery that's commonplace in the NHL. (You could also consider reducing your team count, getting rid of those thinned out rosters and unhealthy franchise as well).

Open, free flowing hockey with extended periods of uninterrupted play, skill players getting a chance to display their skills, crisp passes and quick breaks define the way that Olympic hockey is played. That's a good thing, and the NHL needs to take note and make some changes.

Will the NHL be able to harvest any new fans from the millions that feverishly watched hockey over two weeks during the Vancouver Olympics? The potential is there, but it's up to the league to strike while the iron is hot and figure out a game plan as soon as possible.