I don't think the streak brought back some mad hockey fans that were otherwise pouting in a corner not watching, but I do think it go hockey coverage on some outlets that it wasn't before. Say what you will about ESPN, SI, etc, but the uber-casual sports fan is still watching those, and got more hockey coverage than they otherwise would. Lebron wasn't tweeting about other hockey teams, and that's certainly not a close-knit frequent hockey watching audience following him. I get why the wording ruffled feathers, but I also understand the perception that the Hawks did a lot to increase hockey awareness.