HOCKEY: Former NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly Hopes To Strengthen Appeal Of Sport

In the eyes of the mainstream sports media, college hockey rests in the gigantic shadows cast by college football and men's college basketball.

Frankly, on a major network such as ESPN, for example, women's college basketball garners far more publicity than does college ice hockey. But, could a recent hiring suggest that college hockey is going to fight to shoehorn its way into the mainstream sports media? Perhaps change is in the air as college hockey fights to position itself more favorably among the top college sports in this country.

It seems that former National Hockey League Players Association executive director Paul Kelly has been tabbed to become the executive director of College Hockey Inc., an organization that works to advance the virtues of U.S. college hockey (especially with regard to some of the major NCAA Division I conferences around the country).

"I am very pleased to undertake this exciting new venture," Kelly said in a statement that was released in regard to his appointment. "It will be a privilege to represent the many fine schools and elite athletes that play hockey on the college level here in the United States. College hockey not only grooms well-rounded future NHL stars, but it is essential to the overall growth of this great sport."

Hopefully Kelly can find some ways to promote college hockey, help it get more respect from the mainstream sports media and maybe even (fingers crossed) get EA Sports or someone to create a college hockey video game. I am all in favor of a college hockey video game, but they better make sure they create an authentic looking Ewigleben Ice Arena for Ferris State University.

TSN:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=299269

Inside College Hockey:
http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/Napkins/napkin_0807.htm

U.S. College Hockey Online:
http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id,17552/ReportFormerNHLPAChiefKellyHiredtoRunCollegeHockeyInc.html