The NHL should scrap its awards show. There, I said it.
Seriously, what’s the point of continuing to be the lone sport with a show like this? Just look at what Major League Baseball has been doing this past week or so: Announcing an award winner every day and keeping their sport in the spotlight. With an award show that is hardly cared about and usually features several terrible bands playing their hit du jour, it cheapens what the awards should be about.
Why not do what the NBA does, handing out awards during the playoffs. Since the guys who win are more than likely to be involved in the post-season, it could provide a nice boost to the player and by doing it in front of their home crowds, the fans would go wild.
You might even get to see the weird sight of an MVP who got bounced in the first round get cheered and jeered on during a random team’s second-round matchup – like Dirk Nowitzki a couple of seasons ago.
The worst part about the NHL awards show is that it keeps trying to get bigger and better – while failing at it. Holding it in Vegas? Totally cliché. Adding more bands to play? They have terrible taste in music. Does the NHL have any idea about the economic climate right now, because it’s not so hot.
This thing is a meaningless luxury and the NHL – yet again – should take advice from the other major sports leagues in North America and do away with the unnecessary pageantry of a dumb, over-the-top ceremony.