Looking for More Fans, NHL Opens Season with Game 7 of Stanley Cup Finals

The NHL has been lost among the casual sports fan in recent years. Some blame the contract with the lesser viewed channel Versus, while others blame the season long lockout for the 2004-05 season. To remedy the limited fan base, the NHL began this season with game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, as this is typically a highly watched game.

"I can't believe we didn't think of this before," said a league spokesman. "NASCAR starts the season with their 'Super Bowl' (the Daytona 500), so we said, why not? Besides, it doesn't get much better than game 7. The drama, the excitement, two great teams. It was awesome!"

Unfortunately, this plan appears to have backfired. By determining the Stanley Cup champion on opening night, the NHL is now left with a 7 month string of completely meaningless games. Even more meaningless than usual.