The NHL is struggling. This isn't some sort of revelation, but it does explain why the salary cap has stayed stagnant so long. TV ratings have been released, and the results are <b>very</b> bleak. U.S. national TV viewership for the NHL is down 22 percent this season, according to Austin Karp results. Regular NHL games to date have averaged 373,000 viewers on ESPN / TNT in this 2nd season of the league's 7-year deal with Disney & Turner. The NHL averaged 478,000 viewers at this point last season. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/markjburns88/status/1620596541739372544?s=46&t=RrMM1Zj1-LS_MpvqbvUOiQ'>https://twitter.com/markjburns88/status/1620596541739372544?s=46&t=RrMM1Zj1-LS_MpvqbvUOiQ</a></blockquote></div> The trend is clear. The NHL isn't doing enough to keep people interested. If things don't turn around soon, the salary cap might stay flat for a good while longer. Source: <a href='https://www.habsfanatics.com/nhl-team/montreal-canadiens/We-have-just-learned-some-disturbing-news-for-Commissioner-Gary-Bettman' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>HabsFanatics</a>