While you are likely sweltering where you are, the TV people are already thinking about the 2011-2012 NHL TV schedule. And therefore, so are we.
NBC comes in with 0 games featuring Canadian-based teams once again. Yawn! Versus (the NBC Sports Network as of January 2) has about the same number of games featuring Canadian-based teams with the same numbers for each team.
Vancouver, which almost won the Stanley Cup in 2011, goes from 1 appearance to 2. Wow! One of those appearances is Opening Night, which might (hopefully) be a CBC simulcast. The other is January 2, a 5 pm local start, which will air after the Winter Classic in Philadelphia. If the weather screws up like Pittsburgh did last year, this game telecast may be in jeopardy.
Toronto gets 2 games again. One early season game hosting Colorado and a March road trip to Pittsburgh, the latter likely to be a TSN simulcast. And Winnipeg gets a game on March 5, hosting Buffalo. Ed Olczyk should call that game for the NBC Sports Network, given his ties to Winnipeg.
Les Habs, the Montréal Canadiens, have 6 appearances, more than all the other Canadian teams combined. Three of them will be carried by an American crew to be sure, the early season games. The last three are almost certain to be TSN or CBC simulcasts. All 6 games take place at the Bell Centre.
Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa are shut out from U.S. basic cable. The Flames had the one appearance last year during the Heritage Classic.
No surprises from the Versus/NBC/NBC Sports Network except … that the Canucks deserve more national prominence. Winning the Western Conference title should merit more than 2 lousy games.
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As for the NHL Network, the games below reflect live telecasts, which means no late Hockey Night in Canada telecasts are on the list. Those should be tape-delayed once again as will numerous TSN telecasts throughout the season.
Highlights:
The return of the Jets will be live on October 9 in what should be a CBC simulcast.
The channel does appear to be skipping HNIC during the free Center Ice previews. So once again, the first 3 weeks aren't on as is the last week of the season. Fine by us.
The NHL Network will skip additional Saturday nights at this point: November 12, December 17, December 31, February 4 (though that could be a free preview week), February 18, and March 17.
February 11 is Hockey Day in Canada, and the NHL Network will carry one of the afternoon games and the prime time game live. The afternoon slot has two simultaneous games because of having a seventh Canadian team.
The channel is carrying a few Saturday matinees, some of which will be CBC simulcasts.
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Overall, nothing has significantly changed. The NHL Network refuses to carry the second HNIC game live. We can only hope that they can get rid of the stupid bar that shows you the score of the game you are watching.
Canadian teams on Versus/NBC Sports Network |
Day |
Date |
Teams |
Time (Eastern) |
Thursday |
10/6 |
Pittsburgh @ Vancouver* |
10 pm |
Monday |
10/17 |
Colorado @ Toronto |
7 pm |
Monday |
11/14 |
Buffalo @ Montréal |
7 pm |
Monday |
11/21 |
Boston @ Montréal |
7:30 pm |
Monday |
1/2 |
San Jose @ Vancouver |
8 pm |
Sunday |
1/15 |
N.Y. Rangers @ Montréal |
7 pm |
Wednesday |
1/25 |
Detroit @ Montréal+ |
7:30 pm |
Wednesday |
2/15 |
Boston @ Montréal+ |
7:30 pm |
Sunday |
2/19 |
New Jersey @ Montréal* |
6 pm |
Monday |
3/5 |
Buffalo @ Winnipeg |
8 pm |
Wednesday |
3/7 |
Toronto @ Pittsburgh+ |
7:30 pm |
Here are the NHL Network live scheduled telecasts (all times Eastern):
October
09 Montréal @ Winnipeg 5 pm*
22 Minnesota @ Vancouver 4 pm
27 Montréal @ Boston 7 pm
29 Ottawa @ N.Y. Rangers 3 pm*; Boston @ Montréal 7 pm*
November
05 Montréal @ N.Y. Rangers 7 pm*
19 N.Y. Rangers @ Montréal 7 pm*
26 Pittsburgh @ Montréal 7 pm*
December
03 Montréal @ Los Angeles 3:30 pm*; Toronto @ Boston 7 pm*
10 Montréal @ New Jersey 3 pm*
15 Philadelphia @ Montréal 7:30 pm+
January
01 Calgary @ Nashville 6 pm
07 Vancouver @ Boston 1 pm; Detroit @ Toronto 7 pm*
12 Montréal @ Boston 7 pm+
14 N.Y. Rangers @ Toronto 7 pm*
20 Montréal @ Pittsburgh 7 pm
21 San Jose @ Vancouver 4 pm; Montréal @ Toronto 7 pm*
February
09 Toronto @ Philadelphia 7 pm+
11 Winnipeg @ Pittsburgh 2 pm*; Montréal @ Toronto 7 pm*
23 Vancouver @ Detroit 7:30 pm
25 Washington @ Toronto 7 pm*
March
03 Toronto @ Montréal 7 pm*
10 Philadelphia @ Toronto 7 pm*
24 Montréal @ Philadelphia 7 pm*
30 Montréal @ N.Y. Rangers 7:30 pm+
31 Montréal @ Washington 7 pm*
* games available on CBC/+ games available on TSN
CBC 2011-2012 schedule
October 6
7 pm Montréal @ Toronto/10 pm Pittsburgh @ Vancouver
October 8
7 pm Ottawa @ Toronto/10 pm Pittsburgh @ Calgary
October 9
5 pm Montréal @ Winnipeg
October 15
7 pm Calgary @ Toronto, Colorado @ Montréal, Ottawa @ Washington, Winnipeg @ Phoenix
10 pm Vancouver @ Edmonton
October 22
7 pm Toronto @ Montréal, Columbus @ Ottawa, Carolina @ Winnipeg
10 pm N.Y. Rangers @ Edmonton
October 29
3 pm Ottawa @ N.Y. Rangers
7 pm Pittsburgh @ Toronto, Boston @ Montréal, Winnipeg @ Tampa Bay
10 pm Washington @ Vancouver
November 5
7 pm Boston @ Toronto, Buffalo @ Ottawa, Winnipeg @ New Jersey, Montréal @ N.Y. Rangers
10 pm Edmonton @ Phoenix
November 12
7 pm Ottawa @ Toronto, Winnipeg @ Columbus, Montréal @ Nashville
10 pm Calgary @ Colorado
November 19
3 pm Philadelphia @ Winnipeg
7 pm Washington @ Toronto, N.Y. Rangers @ Montréal
10 pm Chicago @ Edmonton
November 26
7 pm Edmonton @ Colorado, Winnipeg @ Boston, Pittsburgh @ Montréal
10 pm Vancouver @ San Jose
December 3
3:30 pm Montréal @ Los Angeles
7 pm Toronto @ Boston, Ottawa @ Washington, New Jersey @ Winnipeg
10 pm Calgary @ Edmonton
December 10
1 pm Montréal @ New Jersey
7 pm Vancouver @ Ottawa, Winnipeg @ Detroit/10 pm Edmonton @ Calgary
December 17
7 pm Vancouver @ Toronto, New Jersey @ Montréal, Anaheim @ Winnipeg
10 pm Edmonton @ San Jose
December 31
7 pm Montréal @ Florida, Ottawa @ Buffalo, Toronto @ Winnipeg
10 pm Vancouver @ Los Angeles
January 7
7 pm Winnipeg @ Buffalo, Detroit @ Toronto, Tampa Bay @ Montréal
10 pm Minnesota @ Calgary
January 14
3 pm New Jersey @ Winnipeg
7 pm N.Y. Rangers @ Toronto, Ottawa @ Montréal/10 pm Los Angeles @ Calgary
January 21
7 pm Montréal @ Toronto, Florida @ Winnipeg/10 pm Calgary @ Edmonton
February 4
2 pm Washington @ Montréal/7 pm Toronto @ Ottawa/10 pm Detroit @ Edmonton
February 5
2 pm Winnipeg @ Montréal
February 11
2 pm Winnipeg @ Pittsburgh, Edmonton @ Ottawa/7 pm Montréal @ Toronto
10 pm Vancouver @ Calgary
February 18
7 pm Toronto @ Vancouver/10 pm Calgary @ Los Angeles
February 19
6 pm New Jersey @ Montréal
February 25
2 pm St. Louis @ Winnipeg/7 pm Washington @ Toronto, Boston @ Ottawa
10 pm Philadelphia @ Calgary
March 1
7 pm Minnesota @ Montréal
March 3
7 pm Toronto @ Montréal/10 pm Buffalo @ Vancouver
March 10
7 pm Philadelphia @ Toronto, Buffalo @ Ottawa/10 pm Montréal @ Vancouver
March 16
7 pm Montréal @ Ottawa
March 17
7 pm N.Y. Islanders @ Montréal, Toronto @ Ottawa/10 pm Columbus @ Vancouver
March 24
7 pm N.Y. Rangers @ Toronto, Pittsburgh @ Ottawa, Montréal @ Philadelphia, Winnipeg @ Nashville/10 pm Vancouver @ Colorado
March 31
1 pm Ottawa @ Philadelphia
7 pm Buffalo @ Toronto, Montréal @ Washington, Winnipeg @ Tampa Bay
10 pm Calgary @ Vancouver
April 7
3 pm Ottawa @ New Jersey/7 pm Toronto @ Montréal, Tampa Bay @ Winnipeg
10 pm Edmonton @ Vancouver