Versus to NHL: You're stuck with us

Three more years of the NHL on Versus.
Sorry, eh.
That's what the network decided to do after agreeing the other day (and announcing it today) to carry games through the 2010-11 season, sure to alienate viewers even more who haven't bothered to add the channel to their dish or cable service in hopes the league would come to its senses and latch back onto ESPN.
That could still happen, but only if ESPN pushes the issue and strikes a deal seperately with Versus to pilfer some action.
Versus is paying $72.5 million for league rights this season. It'll cough up even more over the next three years.
Versus, when it was known as the Outdoor Life Network, started doing NHL games in 2005, following the league's lockout of the 2004-05 season. The network is owned by Comcast.
If ratings mean anything, Versus likes it end of the deal.
It has drawn a 0.3 rating so far this season. Last year, it was 0.2. So that's a 50 percent increase! And the network says it's making money off it.
“We’ve really benefited from our relationship with the NHL,” said Versus president Gavin Harvey. “It was a game-changer for us. We certainly feel we’ve seen great growth, but there’s major growth ahead. We feel positive momentum.”