NHL Ratings Are Roaring - and the All-U.S. Final Only Helps

The NHL is already sitting near record viewership levels, and now it gets the cleanest possible Stanley Cup Final matchup for the American TV crowd. That is the sort of timing a commissioner could order if the schedule were a little more obedient. The piece looks at how the league has built momentum and why this Final gives it another shot to turn a strong run into something even bigger. For a league that has spent years fighting for eyeballs, this is about as good a setup as it gets.