It’s official: the Chicago Blackhawks have surged to the top of Chicago’s sports chain (I didn’t think it was possible either, but wow!)
Last night’s thrilling Game 6 between the Blackhawks and the Vancouver Canucks scored a 7.8 household rating on Comcast SportsNet, which is believed to be the highest-rating ever for a hockey game on the regional sports channel.
The third period – in which the Hawks cliched victory by scoring an unbeliveable number of goals – peaked around a 12.6 around 10:30 p.m.
With the victory, the Hawks move on to the Western Conference finals for the first time since the lockout-shortened season of 1994-95, where they will face the winner of the Detroit Red Wings-Anaheim Ducks series. All games are airing exclusively on Versus, which Comcast subscribers can find on Channel 48.
The Hawks lost the ’95 Confrence Finals to Detroit in five games. The Red Wings went to the Stanley Cup Finals and was swept by a hot New Jersey Devils team (it was Fox’s first Finals series, glowing puck and all.)
For the ten Blackhawks playoff games airing on CSN this season, ratings were up 150 percent from 2002’s Hawks-St. Louis Blues plyoff series (which aired on predecessor Fox Sports Chicago.)
Yes, it’s nice to have hockey back in Chicago!