On The Tube On Sept. 13, 1994, Bettman announced a new deal with the Fox Network, giving the league a regular network broadcast partner for the first time in years. Fox decided not to renew its deal after averaging 2.6 million viewers in the final year. In August 1998, ESPN -- which originally entered a five-year deal with the NHL in September 1992 that was later extended -- and ABC agreed to a five-year deal which expires after the 2003-04 season. According to a recent report in the Toronto Globe & Mail, the money from ESPN/ABC, CBC, TSN and RDS, plus revenue from the NHL's Center Ice pay-per-view service, yields $6-8 million per team.

Fox tried to sell hockey to the masses on TV with its glowing puck.