Bobby Taylor has been the color analyst for the Tampa Bay Lightning for 15 seasons. Recently, the former backup goaltender called a game for SunSports that his favored team lost, but a game that he still considered a win for the NHL.

"It was end-to-end action," Taylor said of the Lightning's 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Nov. 26. "There were a couple of fights, lots of bodychecks, great goaltending. And the fans gave us a standing ovation."

So here's the question:

If fans cheer wildly in an NHL arena in the 21st century, does it still make a sound in the greater North American sports world?

"I think the league is pretty darn healthy," said former high-scoring forward Bernie Federko, a television analyst on FSN Midwest for the St. Louis Blues. "The game has recovered quite well."

"There's a lot of good things happening, and if we can survive the economic situation, we're in for good times," said Steve Coates, a television analyst on Comcast Sportsnet for the Philadelphia Flyers.

That is sure to be the league's message on New Year's Day at chilly Wrigley Field in Chicago. There, the NHL will hold one of the showcase events of its season, the second annual outdoor Winter Classic broadcast on NBC, this time featuring the resurgent Blackhawks and the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. Last season's inaugural Classic at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium between the Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, also telecast on NBC, attracted 71,000 fans and drew the highest rating (2.6) and share (5) of any regular-season game since 1996.

(NBC Sports is a partner in the joint venture that runs NBCSports.com.)

The NHL will spin another strong showing as another sign of its recovery from the lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season, and as proof that it can compete nationally for attention as well as regionally. There certainly are indications that the league is making progress, validating Commissioner Gary Bettman's recent assertion that it is still in "growth mode." Attendance is up slightly overall, even in a tough economy. Further, NHL teams are drawing much closer to capacity than the NBA in several cities, including Philadelphia, New York, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Washington and Chicago.

Many of those not attending are watching. Nielsen ratings from early in this season have shown major upticks for a dozen U.S.-based teams, including Washington, Chicago, San Jose, Colorado, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York (Rangers), Columbus, Pittsburgh and Boston.

Winter Classic: Wings 6, Blackhawks 4      Video: Highlights  |  Slideshow: Top images Red Wings' firepower overwhelms Blackhawks Opinion: Cubs' curse hurts Blackhawks Expert: Outdoor game breath of fresh air Opinion: Fenway or Yankee Stadium next? Outdoor game shows how NHL trying to grow Clement: Future is bright for Blackhawks Special section: NHL on NBC

Yet the NHL still pales in comparison to the NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball in terms of media attention, which has led many observers to classify it as a niche sport. Now that the league no longer has a television contract with ESPN, hockey gets buried deeper on that network's signature highlights show, SportsCenter. Many major newspapers, facing their own financial problems, have trimmed their NHL coverage, some pulling writers off the road. Electrifying young superstars such as Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin still don't get the same sort of prominent national endorsements as Peyton Manning or LeBron James or Derek Jeter. And you don't see many of the other quality players, such as Zach Parise or Ryan Getzlaf, becoming household names, even as they flourish following rule changes that have created a more free-flowing style of play.

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Denis Potvin, a Hall of Fame defenseman, frequently speaks to businessmen, like those who sell cold medicine.

"All they want to do is get their product on the top shelf at Publix (supermarket)," he said. "What do you think we want to do?"

They want more people in America talking about all their superstars, who are so skilled at going top shelf.

"My feeling is that right now, it's the best it's ever been, and certainly since the '90s," said Potvin, a color analyst on FSN Florida for the Florida Panthers. "I think the Lockout Effect, although still a bad memory for us, the players have adjusted now to the different kind of hockey that is required. The balance is better as well. We went through a period in the '90s with a lot of quick expansion, which hurt, but the teams have caught up. When you have more than 16, 17 teams that are highly competitive, that's a hell of a league."

That's partly due to the salary cap, which was instituted after the lockout. And Potvin is encouraged by the partnership established between the teams and the players, as a result of that work stoppage.

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