The NHL is happy with its niche market though. The league doesn't seem like it wants to do anything about it. You guys might not think it's that big of a deal but if your leagues playoffs aren't on a major network I think it's quite telling.
And I believe face time makes a huge difference. Fans knowing what a player looks like is kind of vital. Football has the same issue but football players have so many more sponsorships, etc. To me playoff hockey is very very exciting. But there's no way in hell you can convince me that regular season NHL is better than regular season NBA. None. And I'm trying to be as impartial as possible.