NHL Facing Criticism For Missing the Mark With Matthew Tkachuk College GameDay Appearance

If the NHL was truly in favor of "growing the sport", the league would've capitalized on the chance to market themselves to potentially millions of new fans.

What kick-started this entire discourse was the appearance of Florida Panthers superstar Matthew Tkachuk on ESPN's weekly show, College GameDay. As this week's guest, Tkachuk talked football with the show's hosts, and made his picks for the week.

The Stanley Cup Champion's appearance on the show came as a surprise to some, as hockey players don't tend to see too much screen time outside of NHL related events. Tkachuk being on College GameDay was a huge opportunity for the NHL to grow the game in front of millions.

Tkachuk's fiesty antics on the ice for both the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion Panthers, as well as the United States Men's National Team surely played a part in his invitation to the show. His play made headlines, and for the first time in what felt like forever, eyes were on hockey again.

What should've been a slam dunk for the NHL turned out to be nothing but a missed opportunity.

A piece from The Hockey Writers tore into the NHL for their lack of promotion around the event. With the new NHL season right around the corner, the NHL missed an opportunity to use one of the most widely watched events in sports television to get people interested in hockey.

The NHL's PR account on X posted a minor promotional graphic prior to the event, in place of what should've been a full blown marketing campaign.

The NHL needs to learn from moments like these if they hope to grow the sport any further.