The NHL Superstar Conundrum

NHL aficionados, for a second, if you could please remove those rose-covered glasses, with NHL logo on each lense. Let's face facts, with Sidney Crosby still sidelined, the NHL doesn't have a legit cross-over Superstar to hang their hat on as Posterchild for the league. If you think otherwise, let me ask you, who is, "that guy"? You know, the player the NHL embraces as a face of the league, in the mold of Tim Tebow from this past NFL season.

Oh sure, Ovi will tease us for a few stretches but is he a legit superstar? Maybe three years ago, Ovechkin was that guy. Three years ago he scored 60 goals and entertained us with hysterical quotes or dangerous hijinx. Now, with his scoring at a career low and a growing frustrated demeanour, how recognized is Ovechkin outside the NHL fraternity?

Before you start shouting at your computer monitors yelling, "what about Stamkos, Malkin or Claude Giroux?". Remember, Superstar isn't defned merely by their ability to put the, "biscuit in the basket", rather a true Superstar will have star power that carries over into mainstream pop culture and a recognizable face by non-hockey enthusiasts. For instance, we know Johnathan Toews is a wonderful player, one of the best in the league, but is he a Superstar?

Do you recognize this NHL "Superstar"?  Didn't think so. It's Claude Giroux

Why doesn't the NHL have "that guy"? Let's take a look at a few reasons. And because I'm a solutions-oriented guy, I provide a solution to each of these obstacles.

Language Barriers
In no other of the big 4 North American pro sports leagues are language barriers more prevalent than in the NHL. Because of the heavy European influence in the NHL, 20% (or more) of the league speaks severely broken English or none at all. During a stretch, not only was Alexander Ovechkin a productive scorer but also displayed a charismatic personality. However, It's hard to ask Ovi to be your product's spokesperson when he can barely string together three sentences in English. There may be several other charasmatic players like Ovechkin but their personalities are submerged under their inability to communicate these personalities to an English audience.
Solution - Provide visual platforms for these players who don't speak fluent English. For example...

Bland Personalities
I'm as proud of a Canadian as you'll find but Canadians don't usually exude a ton of personality; the NHL has a massive Canadian contingency. I hate to harp on poor Johnny Toews but he is the best example. He should be a legitimate star in the world of sports. He's an extremely productive kid who led the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup after a 50-year drought. He plays in the big hockey market of Chicago and when he's clean-shaven, he's an attractive guy. So what are the missing ingredients? Well, He's not usually clean-shaven and often sports these hideous patches on the side of his face. But most importantly, he has the personality of a bottle of mustard

Who is the NHL's version of Brian Wilson? They haven't found him

The sad fact is that many players DO have extremely engaging, charismatic and larger-than-life personalities. However, many of these players are fourth-liners or healthy scratches that play in non-hockey markets like Phoenix. Paul Bissonnette aka @BizNasty2point0 is a perfect example of this. He's a wildly entertaining character but he's lucky to get a shift in any given game let alone goals to rise to Superstar level.
Solution - Dig deep and scour the league to find a productive player that has a similar character to San Francisco Reliever Brian Wilson or when all else fails, date a Kardashian (Isn't Kim available?).

Lack of Exposure:
I've come to the realization that hockey in the United States will most likely always be a niche sport. Hockey is a predominantly cold-weather sport, which doesn't suit the twenty-something warm-weather States. Plus, if Frankfurt Kentucky parents are deciding what sport little Jimmy will be participating in for the coming year, they could opt to pay $1000 on hockey registration and equipment or they could pay a fraction of that price and buy their kid a ball glove or baskeball and register them in one of those sports. From a minor sports perspective, hockey and the NHL are already behind the eight ball in terms of popularity.

With Crosby on the shelf, Stamkos is the most prolific scorer in the league. Why don't we see more of him? Oh right, he plays in Tampa. Not exactly the hot-bed of hockey in North America. Also, like Toews, Stamkos isn't a real intriguing character. I'm sure there is a small part of Gary Bettman that would love to see Stamkos embrace the inner "bad boy" inside or declare he's, "taking his talents to 'The Big Apple'" in a similar setting to, 'The Decision' circa Lebron James 2010.
Solution: Give a greater effort in cultivating minor hockey programs across the United States

15 years ago, the NHL didn't need to cultivate Superstars; Superstars were born from their torrid scoring paces. Gretzky, Jagr, Hull and Lemieux were breaking records with each shift. Also, tough and blue-collar players like Mark Messier and Eric Lindros embodied what it meant to be a leader in professional sports. The game has changed dramatically to the point where most records will never be broken and quiet leaders like Nik Lidstrom have replaced the brash leaders of the Messier ilk. Marketing from the NHL needs to create Superstars in their league if they want the league to rise in popularity.

I mean, can the NHL ever cultivate an NHL Superstar that can repeat this brilliance?(#2 on the Top 10)