As the NHL winds down on another calendar year, I have been thinking about the ongoing ad campaign you seen on ESPN+ sometimes, between all the cancer medications and the one that I think is for adidas with the annoying song. This ad is from the NHL, not exactly known for the best track record in the marketing department, and it's basically pitched as, "You are living through one of the greatest eras in the history of hockey, so you might as well watch and go to games and all that kind of thing."

I like to think I'm inured against whatever pitches the NHL is making to me on a purely commercial basis, but this one works because it's so self-evidently true. Even 10 years ago, everyone in the league would be talking 24/7 about how, say, David Pastrnak is playing the game these days. It would b