A barren, hockeyless land

So I have learned that there is no International Hockey World Championship coverage at all in the US. Because ESPN refused to buy coverage (claiming something to do with the hockey strike), and because the other TV channels couldn't afford to.

The only way to watch online (as far as I can see) is through Mediazone. This costs $7.99 per quarter final game, and $9.99 per semi/medal game. Or $39.99 for an all-access pass. Fox cut a deal with Mediazone to offer coverage for a bargain: $34.99, but the Fox Sports Grill in town isn't even showing it.

I sucked it up and spent the ten-spot on the Gold medal game since Canada (more or less undeservedly) made it to the finals. God knows where Mediazone got their commentators, but the experience was a far cry from Hockey Night in Canada, or TSN. One commentator had a British accent, and the other sounded Dutch. Or South African. Or something. All of these countries known for their hockey, of course.

The live streaming was decent, I suppose, but deficiencies (either on my end or theirs) tended to make the whole game look like a slow-mo replay. I could rarely see the puck, as it moved faster than the transmission could show.

In future, I will hunt out a good sports bar with a satellite dish that carries TSN and I will arrange to watch all the games there. I recommend that any sports bar in a non-Hockey town that is looking to carve a niche should really try to cater to all of us Canadian ex-pats who love and miss hockey -- even if just because it reminds us of home.