A hockey fan can make no bigger commitment to the game without leaving the living room than subscribing to the NHL Center Ice package, which includes every non-national hockey broadcast and some Carolina Hurricanes games that aren't carried locally.

At $169, it's like putting a price tag on love of the game.

But this fall, when the NHL launched the NHL Network on this side of the border, Center Ice subscribers on cable in the Triangle and across the country got some sticker shock.

For most Time Warner Cable customers -- even Center Ice subscribers -- to get the NHL Network, they have to fork out another $3.50 a month for an additional sports package. (The good news: That also includes the Game Show Network).

Meanwhile, live games carried on the NHL Network are blacked out on Center Ice, so the fans spending the most money to watch hockey are actually getting less of it -- 50 games less.

A Time Warner spokesman said it costs a lot to carry the NHL Network, so the cost is passed along to the customers who want it. In most U.S. markets, there probably aren't many compared to those who want to watch "The Real World" on MTV, so it's hard to argue with that from a business standpoint.

Center Ice subscribers, though, are already paying once to watch hockey. Dish Network and DirecTV give the NHL Network free to any Center Ice subscriber, but that's their choice. It's not mandated by the league.

"It's up to cable operators like Time Warner to decide how they want to package the network to the best advantage of their fans and their customers," said Jody Shapiro, the NHL's group vice president for television and media ventures.

"We would love it to be on the broadest package possible and available to the most people, and we encourage them to do that. Ultimately, it's a function of our interests, the cable distributor's business plan and the interest level in the market."

Translation: In order to get this network out there, which was goal No. 1, we weren't going to haggle over cable companies charging extra for it. (MASN and Time Warner have been waging that battle for more than a year, with no end in sight.)

But Center Ice subscribers represent the hardest of the hard-core. It was worth fighting harder for their interests.

And the NHL Network is worth fighting for. It's a rare treat for hockey fans, the next-best thing to living in Canada.

The nightly highlight show alone is probably worth $3.50 a month -- but that's a tough sell to anyone already paying $169 a year to watch hockey.

Shouldn't the NHL be catering to the best fans it has, not letting cable operators squeeze more money out of them?