Yes, the Red Wings' TV ratings are down 21.8% this year. That's not good and I have no idea why that is. It's the third biggest drop in the NHL this year. We had previously argued that the Wings weren't selling out, but those fans were still watching the hockey games on TV. So how do you explain this drop? I can't.

But what people aren't saying is that the Wings still have one of the highest ratings in 2008-09 according to Sports Business Journal.

• Buffalo Sabres - 8.87
• Pittsburgh Penguins - 6.14
• Detroit Red Wings - 3.70
• Philadelphia Flyers & Minnesota Wild - 2.22

While the direction the Wings' TV ratings are heading in is certainly not encouraging, the Wings are still one of the top three NHL teams in terms of U.S. TV ratings. So it's not quite as bad as some are making it out to be. A concern? Yes. But the end of the world as we know it? Definitely not.