Is the Glass Half Empty or Full for the NHL?

The NHL had to be feeling great Monday morning. Sunday?s All-Star game, a wide-open offensive celebration, saw its first overtime game since 2003, with Alexei Kovalev of the Canadians getting two huge goals in regulation, and then one in the shootout to give the East a 12-11 win over the West. The game?s excitement was an extension of the sunny outlook from the league. As television popularity continues to increase, and sponsors continue to get on-board (the NHL activated $10 million in sponsorship dollars alone for the ASG), the NHL would appear to be rising above its larger Big-4 brothers, in some senses, as the NFL, NBA, and MLB deal with the downturn in the economy. The All-Star Game seemed to add more zing to the NHL?s increasing popularity coming off the Outdoor Winter Classic game between the Red Wings and Blackhawks on New Year?s Day from historic Wrigley Field in Chicago. Yes, the NHL is touting a slight increase in revenues this year, which flies in the face of the rece...