(SP) – ESPN announced today that it will have one lone reporter dedicated to the entire sport of ice hockey, naming a link off of their website to NHL.com to the position.
“I think NHL.com has proven over the last 20 or so years to be a great source of hockey news,” said ESPN president John Skipper. “We’re excited to add a link to it on our website to serve hockey fans.”
Some hockey fans hoped the world’s largest sports network would invest more in the sport after broadcasting the World Cup of Hockey last September, but recent cost-cutting at ESPN decimated the network’s already paltry hockey staff. However, Skipper says ESPN has not abandoned the sport, even though it draws ratings below those of other sports.
“In addition to putting one link to NHL.com somewhere on our site,” said the network’s president, “we fully plan to announce the winner of the Stanley Cup on our scroll on the bottom of ESPN2 within 24 hours of the decisive game.”
As of press time, a small, 6-font link to NHL.com was found three-quarters of the way down the site’s NBA page under a video in which Stephen A. Smith opined on whether LeBron James or Russell Westbrook would be a better long-term replacement for Tom Brady.
