This is the second year where the NHL Network spoon fed its schedule. So this is our second annual analysis of the schedule that has been to be done at the end of the season.
NHL Network games in 2015-2016 season analysis
We complained last year that the schedule took a significant nosedive in the second half of the year and blamed that on a lack of interest in non-playoff teams regardless of which side of the border. Turns out that the NHL Network carried more games with Canadian teams last season with 0 playoff teams as opposed to this year's 5 playoff teams. The NHL Network is becoming less relevant. Yes, the logic is that if you blow off live games in person, you can take that money and invest in NHL Center Ice. Next year might just be that season.
The NHL Network had 2 cancellations, though the first Saturday (during the NHL Center Ice free preview) was as a result of NBCSN thanks to the Auston Matthews 4-goal debut. The January 7 Toronto/Montréal game was blown off for a team after its winning streak collapsed in a game that should have been on NBCSN instead. There was one late addition with the Ottawa Senators in late March.
Yes, there was a push late in the year but understand that every game from April 3 to the end of the season was available through the NHL Center Ice free preview.
October 16 Buffalo @ Edmonton 7p (HH)
October 23 Edmonton @ Winnipeg 3p (HC)
October 24 Calgary @ Chicago 8:30p
November 4 Winnipeg @ Detroit 7:30p
November 7 Vancouver @ NY Islanders 7:30p
November 12 Toronto @ Pittsburgh 7p (HNIC)
November 19 Toronto @ Montréal 7p (HNIC)
November 20 Calgary @ Detroit (HH)
November 24 Carolina @ Montréal
November 26 Washington @ Toronto 7p (HNIC)
November 27 Ottawa @ NY Rangers
December 10 Toronto @ Boston 7p (HNIC)
December 12 Boston @ Montréal 7:30p
December 17 Montréal @ Washington 7p (HNIC)
January 9 Montréal @ Washington 7:30p
January 22 Vancouver @ Chicago 7:30p (HH)
February 11 St. Louis @ Montréal 7p (HNIC)
February 14 Vancouver @ Pittsburgh 7p
February 18 Edmonton @ Chicago 7p (HNIC)
February 24 Edmonton @ Washington 7p
March 4 Montréal @ NY Rangers 7p (HNIC)
March 9 Philadelphia @ Toronto 7:30p
March 23 Pittsburgh @ Ottawa 7:30p
April 1 Toronto @ Detroit 7p (HNIC)
April 3 Toronto @ Buffalo 7p
April 8 NY Rangers @ Ottawa 12:30p (HNIC)
April 8 Pittsburgh @ Toronto 7p (HNIC)
April 8 Calgary @ San Jose, 10p (HNIC)
Hockey Night in Canada
The HNIC telecasts dropped from 13 to 11. Toronto had 6 telecasts, all but 2 before December 11. Montréal had 4 thanks to the lone Toronto-Montréal telecast. The NHL Network went 56 days without a HNIC telecast. The CBC ban went from December 10-March 4. Literally, the only consolation is that Edmonton got its first HNIC telecast on the network. Calgary got a rare late HNIC game on the final Saturday of the season.
November 12 Toronto @ Pittsburgh 7p
November 19 Toronto @ Montréal 7p
November 26 Washington @ Toronto 7p
December 10 Toronto @ Boston 7p
December 17 Montréal @ Washington 7p
February 11 St. Louis @ Montréal 7p
February 18 Edmonton @ Chicago 7p
March 4 Montréal @ NY Rangers 7p
April 1 Toronto @ Detroit 7p
April 8 Pittsburgh @ Toronto, 7p
April 8 Calgary @ San Jose, 10p
Hometown Hockey
We complained last season that the NHL Network showed only 8 Hometown Hockey telecasts and 0 after January 3. This year was extremely embarrassing with only 3 telecasts. The channel didn't carry a single Eastern team in this showcase. Edmonton and Calgary got their first Hometown Hockey telecasts on the NHL Network. I attended Hometown Hockey in Windsor during the November 20 telecast and was blacked out for the lone 2017 calendar appearance. NHL Network, this is pathetic.
October 16 Buffalo @ Edmonton 7p
November 20 Calgary @ Detroit 7:30p
January 22 Vancouver @ Chicago 7:30p
Montréal Canadiens
The Montréal Canadiens went from 15 telecasts to 7. HNIC accounted for 4 games; 4 of the 7 came from the Bell Centre. Last season, the NHL Network carried 7 games just from the Bell Centre.
November 19 Toronto @ Montréal 7p (HNIC)
November 24 Carolina @ Montréal
December 12 Boston @ Montréal 7:30p
December 17 Montréal @ Washington 7p (HNIC)
January 9 Montréal @ Washington 7:30p
February 11 St. Louis @ Montréal 7p (HNIC)
March 4 Montréal @ NY Rangers 7p (HNIC)
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs were really bad last year but still had 8 telecasts. This year with a better and exciting team, the number stayed at 8 telecasts, though 3 came in the last 9 days. The NHL Network had an almost 3-month ban on the team when the Leafs were driving for a playoff appearance. Last year, we noted that the Maple Leafs only had 2 appearances between December and March. This year, the team also had 2 appearances in that stretch. The NHL Network seemed to go out of its way to not carry Toronto games this season.
November 12 Toronto @ Pittsburgh 7p (HNIC)
November 19 Toronto @ Montréal 7p (HNIC)
November 26 Washington @ Toronto 7p (HNIC)
December 10 Toronto @ Boston 7p (HNIC)
March 9 Philadelphia @ Toronto 7:30p
April 1 Toronto @ Detroit 7p (HNIC)
April 3 Toronto @ Buffalo 7p
April 8 Pittsburgh @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)
And the rest
Like last year, the other 5 teams combined for 12 telecasts. Edmonton had a look-in on NBCSN but otherwise the NHL Network was the only option. The numbers are boosted a bit because the NHL Network was required to carry the Heritage Classic. Other than the Heritage Classic, there were 0 all-Canadian matchups in this group. Including the Heritage Classic, only 3 games aired on Canadian soil.
We did get out first Edmonton game on Hockey Night in Canada on the NHL Network, even if that did air during the free preview. The Edmonton Oilers became the belle of the ball with 4 telecasts, up from 1 last season. That does include the Heritage Classic. The Oilers actually disappeared between the Heritage Classic to February 18 but had 2 road appearances in 6 days. Edmonton also had a rare home game on U.S. television, a Hometown Hockey game in October. All the Oilers games came in NHL Center Ice free previews.
Ottawa stayed at 3 games, same as last year, with a much better team, but only once before March 23. Vancouver had 3 games up from 2 last year. Calgary also had 3 games up from 2 games with a playoff-bound team. The Flames even had a extremely rare home game last season, but played 2 games in the U.S. Midwest this season and a late HNIC addition in San Jose.
Winnipeg was down from 4 games to 2, including the Heritage Classic. The Jets disappeared after November 4.
- Edmonton Oilers (4 games): A very rare home game for Hometown Hockey against Buffalo (October 16), on the road for the Heritage Classic in Winnipeg (October 23) and February road games in Chicago (February 18) for Hockey Night in Canada and Washington (February 24).
- Ottawa Senators (3 games): A trip on U.S. Thanksgiving weekend to Madison Square Garden (November 27), a rare home game with Pittsburgh on March 23, and a Saturday home matinee against the New York Rangers in the final weekend.
- Vancouver Canucks (3 games): For the second year in a row, the NHL Network is afraid to show a game from Rogers Place. Road games in Brooklyn (November 7), Chicago for Hometown Hockey (January 22), and Valentine's Day in Pittsburgh.
- Calgary Flames (3 games): Road games early in the year along the Great Lakes in Chicago (October 24) and Hometown Hockey in Detroit (November 20) followed by a months-long gap before a late HNIC game in San Jose (April 8).
- Winnipeg Jets (2 games): The Heritage Classic on October 23 and a road game in Detroit (November 4).
NBCSN
In the original schedule, NBCSN had 5 Montréal games and no other Canadian teams. In the end, the Canadiens were on for 4 games. NBCSN picked up the CBC feed on October 15, a game that was going to be on the NHL Network. NBCSN also gave us a look-in on the Toronto-Edmonton game on November 29 with the TSN4 feed that covered 23:37 of the game.
This was the first time that the channel has a) shown 2 Canadian teams in the regular season (outside of Heritage Classic required telecasts) at the same time; b) shown the Edmonton Oilers at all; c) shown Edmonton at all; d) shown a Canadian team other than Montréal or Toronto in years.
To NBCSN's credit, they showed Canadian feeds for those special telecasts. If the channel was so excited about the Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews, NBCSN should have shown a whole game beyond the NHL Center Ice free preview. The channel used to schedule the Maple Leafs and did carry one late season game last year.
NBC carried the Centennial Classic with third-rate announcers. Last year, when the Montréal Canadiens were in the Winter Classic, NBCSN showed 4 Montréal games in and around the outdoor game. The Toronto Maple Leafs got 0 games from NBCSN and the NHL Network.
Last season, NBCSN scheduled and cancelled the Edmonton telecast on March 1. A look-in was nice but the Oilers deserve a whole game on the network. Only 2 of the games aired on Canadian soil, both in Montréal.
Edmonton and Ottawa got late-season additions during the NHL Center Ice free preview; the Oilers, like the Winnipeg Jets last season, made the cut to get the game on TV in Los Angeles. The April 7 game in Montréal was scheduled, but like the Edmonton game, was on the schedule to get the game on U.S. television.
The March 14 game also marked the only time NBCSN carried the Chicago voices on a game. Pat Foley was being punished for truthful, relevant criticisms of playoff starting times for Central Time Zone teams.
October 15 Boston @ Toronto 7p (HNIC)
November 29 Toronto @ Edmonton 10p (TSN4 very joined in progress)
January 12 Montréal @ Minnesota 8p
February 12 Montréal @ Boston 7:30p
March 14 Chicago @ Montréal 7:30p
April 4 Edmonton @ Los Angeles 10:30p
April 6 Ottawa @ Boston 7p
April 7 Tampa Bay @ Montréal 7:30p
Auston Matthews rescues win for Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017 Centennial Classic
The Toronto Maple Leafs became the third Canadian team to be on New Year's Day on NBC with the 2017 Centennial Classic.
logos credit: NHL Network/NBCSN
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