NHL Recession-Proof?

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday that despite the financial game of Chutes-and-Ladders being played around the globe, the league remains in a "growth mode," according to a report on nhl.com.

"We're acutely aware of what's going on out there, but it hasn't yet impacted us," Bettman stated as he sat in on the Vancouver Canucks vs. Washington Capitals hockey tilt in the District of Columbia.

According to the league, both season ticket and individual game ticket sales have increased over last year (4 percent and 13 percent, respectively).

Certainly, Bettman must take a cautious approach to these figures. Should the financial markets continue to struggle, Americans and Canadians will continue to consider reining in their discretionary spending, and that includes NHL team tickets. (The average ticket price for the 2008-09 season being $49.66.) Another point to ponder: With the season just under way, all 30 NHL teams are in playoff contention; as the season wears on, some teams (ahem! Toronto Maple Leafs) will be out of the mix and arguably lose a substantial amount of individual ticket sales. Bettman can't be naive enough to think that ticket sales will continue to grow at such a clip.

Like the NBA, which just announced layoffs, the NHL is also vulnerable to a concoction of economic recession + poor performance + tepid markets. Bettman beware.