Meanwhile, Versus is emerging as a significant entity in the sports broadcast industry. In its first year broadcasting the NHL, the cable network increased by more than five million subscribers, and its time periods jumped by double and triple digits in the ratings, thanks to its hockey coverage.

"When we got the NHL, it was a complete game-changer for our business," Harvey says. "Ask anyone - they'd kill to have the numbers we had in our first season."

When the network inked its deal with the league last year, it only had six weeks to integrate an existing NHL schedule into its broadcast lineup. Everything from assembling a broadcast team to developing a marketing campaign was done in shotgun fashion.

"Nobody knew what was going to happen," Harvey says. "Imagine what you've got to get done to present a couple of games on a major sport in a short amount of time. What we accomplished gives me a lot of hope for season two."

Now, Versus has had the proper amount of preparation time to devote itself to six hours of coverage per NHL telecast, which includes shoulder programming, doubleheaders, and wrap-up shows. Never before has the NHL been covered so extensively, and it's that type of attention that Bettman believes will eventually boost the ratings.

"Versus is committed to a growing game, and we are more important to Versus than we were to any other of our prior partners," he says. "Instead of being one among many, like most sports are on other networks, Versus gives us an opportunity to shine."

This season, Versus is airing 54 games, including 24 that are on when no other game is scheduled, giving the league a true game-of-the-week, akin to ESPN's Monday Night Football.

"The sports broadcasting world is constantly changing, and there is always hope in sight," Bradley says. "Who thought 20 years ago that the NFL would be on ESPN, or that TNT would have the NBA?"