TV Ratings: Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final averages 4.77 million US viewers

NBC has announced the television ratings for Game 1 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final between the Manhattan-based New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings, two teams that play in huge television markets.

According to the network, the first game of the championship series averaged 4.77 million US viewers and peaked at 5.7 million.

That's a healthy cume and average, although the ratings dipped slightly when compared with Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, which averaged 6.36 million viewers. Chicago and Boston, whose teams contested the Stanley Cup Final a year ago, may not be able to hang with L.A. and New York in terms of the raw size of their television market, but those cities are ravenous about hockey.

The good news for the NHL and NBC is that a 4.77 million average is higher than any other Stanley Cup Final Game 1 since 1999, NBC beat the other networks from 8-11 p.m. in key demographics, and New York delivered its best NHL rating ever for the peacock. 

Also, as Awful Announcing's Steve Lepore explained earlier this week, Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final will have NBC's broadcast of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday as a lead. Last year the Belmont Stakes drew over 20 million viewers, so Game 2 should result in a big ratings victory for the network and some major exposure for the NHL.

It's all gravy for the NHL these days, it seems.