The NHL is looking to extend it's cable contract and is leaning toward re-signing with Versus, even though ESPN has expressed an interest in bringing the NHL back into the fold.

Of course, ESPN now has the NBA and really reduced the NHL to second class status when they acquired it a few years ago, forcing the league elsewhere.  I don't think the league wants that and I think, in his arrogance, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wants to be on a network where his sport is the star attraction. Thus Versus, which is owned by NBCU io whatever Comcast is calling it this week.

The problem is Versus has a much smaller cable footprint, getting into fewer homes and putting fewer eyes in front of TVs to watch it.  Add to that the crappy programming they have when hockey isn't on (they formerly employed Brett Favre's picture buddy Jenn Sterger for crying out loud) and you know why hockey is in a total cable vacuum.

I'm sure Comcast will use its' pull to keep hockey, especially since one of the teams in the league is owned by the chairman of Comcast Spectacor.  But unless they make Versus the MSNBC of sports, it's not much of a deal.

If hockey truly wanted to expand its' reach, it would crawl back to ESPN.  ESPN markets all their products well, despite treating the NHL one rung above women's college basketball and on equal footing with the WNBA or the Winter X Games.

The bottom line is, it is hard to have a footprint when your cable outlet has only sized 6 feet.  But for the NHL, I guess size six is better than going barefoot.