Saturday night is an evening when all (or most) of Canada tunes into CBC. That's the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. CBC's most popular program, for decades, has been Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC). Out on the snow swept prairies (or in icy downtown Toronto), people stay indoors to enjoy the national pastime.
For anyone who has seen HNIC, the programs have a festive aura which goes beyond the game. Color commentary by such eminence grises as Don Cherry create an impact and the chance for conversations to go all through the week. Cherry is a celebrity, a Runyonesque character, who makes sense and sensation all in the same diatribes (or whatever one might call them). It is high value entertainment.
The CBC evening program is carried on the NHL Network (a paid subscription down here in the lower 48). Don't ask me about Alaska. Do they have TV up there, or do they just look through their living room windows to see Russia? Too bad for the Yukon, those Alaska mountains obscure the view.
But tonight, HNIC cannot be seen in the New York area. Even though two regional teams are playing in Canada (Devils vs. Montreal, and Rangers vs. Toronto), the NHL Network is black. Or it was black. Both games are now finished (Rangers lost in OT, Devils won in OT). Why black?
Because Madison Square Garden's network (MSG) out-muscles CBS and the NHL Network. The Rangers and Devils games are carried on MSG (and MSG+).
MSG is a regional cable network, based only in the New York area. Nobody south of Trenton or north of Hartford really gives a hoot about MSG (other than as an additive in their Chinese food). MSG Network was owned by Cablevision and ITT, until ITT bowed out and, then last month, Cablevision sold its 50% share to Madison Square Garden, Inc.
CBC is a Canadian crown corporation, which means that it is technically owned by the sovereign of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth. It is comparable to NPR here in the United States. CBC competes with CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX and the rest of the private communications industry.
So, in the corner wearing the Maple Leaf red boxers we have the nation of Canada and her royal highness. And in the other corner, the challenger wearing blue shorts (get it, Rangers fans?) we have Madison Square Garden. Try to find a square garden on the map, if you will. There was one, once. My grandfather watched fights there. But no longer.
From 7pm to 10pm on Saturday night, the "Pennsylvania Plaza" crowd turned the lights off on CBC and Hockey Night in Canada. So there, Canada. And your royal highness.
Pennsylvania? Is this confusing or what? MSG lives atop Pennsylvania Station, which was at one time the hub of the Pennsylvania RR, the arch-rival of the New York Central, whose hub was Grand Central Station. So the real New Yorkers aren't really responsible. It is the invaders from Pennsylvania, combined with some deep pockets. They wrote contracts with Cablevision and Canada loses.
Few care about the loss, except for hockey buffs who love the game and the CBC tradition. So, just imagine. If the Devils or Rangers ever meet Calgary, Edmonton or Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Finals, we will watch on MSG, NBC or FOX. CBC won't stand a chance. Our poor Canadian cousins will watch on CBC.
At the moment, Vancouver and the Devils are looking strong. Think about it. Robert Luongo vs. Martin Brodeur. The first string Olympic goalie against the second string Olympic goalie, benched after his first game. If it happens, fans in the New York area won't be able to tune in Don Cherry. Calisse!
Oh, lest we forget. The back-up Olympic goalie just posted his 41st season victory and 598th career win. The team that he plays on, the ones who wear Devil red, clinched a playoff spot and preserved their lead in the Atlantic Division over Pittsburgh. The Devils are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games, the Penguins are 4-3-3 in the same period, and the Devils have one game in hand. The race for the finish is getting warm.
Hockey Rules!
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