The NBCSN schedule is a little light, even with its favourite matchup featuring Boston in Montréal. The channel follows Connor McDavid and Edmonton to San Jose, hoping the channel passes up the temptation of a NBC Sports California simulcast.
As for the NHL Network, there is a solid amount of Hockey Night in Canada and Hometown Hockey games. Both Alberta teams are on the road in the desert. The lone U.S. Thanksgiving game in Montréal is on the schedule.
There are a lot of games on U.S. Thanksgiving Eve on TV in Canada.
The November 24 Hometown Hockey is normally a day game out of respect for the Grey Cup. Rogers and the NHL have put that game at night in 2019. Edmonton (the NHL team) could be in competition with Edmonton (the CFL team).
Rogers Sportsnet will have a fun challenge on November 2 to cover all 7 Canadian teams playing in 7 different locations in the same day.
NBCSN
November 5
Boston @ Montréal, 7:30p
November 19
Edmonton @ San Jose, 10:30p
NHL Network
November 2
Toronto @ Philadelphia, 7p (HNIC)
November 3
Calgary @ Washington, 7p (HH)
November 10
Toronto @ Chicago, 7p (HH)
November 16
Toronto @ Pittsburgh, 7p (HNIC)
November 17
Calgary @ Las Vegas, 7p (HH)
November 23
NY Rangers @ Montréal, 7p (HNIC)
November 24
Edmonton @ Arizona, 8p (HH)
November 28
New Jersey @ Montréal, 7p
ESPN+
November 2
Ottawa @ Boston, 7p
Winnipeg @ Las Vegas, 10p
November 4
Arizona @ Edmonton, 9p
November 7
Las Vegas @ Toronto, 7p
November 8
Vancouver @ Winnipeg, 8p
New Jersey @ Edmonton, 9p
November 9
St. Louis @ Calgary, 10p
November 10
New Jersey @ Vancouver, 4p
November 11
Ottawa @ Carolina, 7p
November 12
Columbus @ Montréal, 7p
Edmonton @ San Jose, 10:30p
November 13
Dallas @ Calgary, 9:30p
November 15
Boston @ Toronto, 7p
November 19
Toronto @ Las Vegas, 10p
November 22
NY Rangers @ Ottawa, 7:30p
November 23
Calgary @ Philadelphia, 1p
November 26
Boston @ Montréal, 7p
November 27
Edmonton @ Colorado, 10p
Hockey Night in Canada
November 2
Toronto @ Philadelphia, 7p/Montréal @ Dallas, 7p/Ottawa @ Boston, 7p/Calgary @ Columbus, 7p
Vancouver @ San Jose, 10p/Winnipeg @ Las Vegas, 10pNovember 9
Philadelphia @ Toronto, 7p/Los Angeles @ Montréal, 7p/Carolina @ Ottawa, 7p
St. Louis @ Calgary, 10pNovember 16
Toronto @ Pittsburgh, 7p/New Jersey @ Montréal, 7p/Ottawa @ Buffalo, 7p
Colorado @ Vancouver, 10pNovember 23
Toronto @ Colorado, 7p/NY Rangers @ Montréal, 7p/Columbus @ Winnipeg, 7p
Edmonton @ Las Vegas, 10pNovember 30
Philadelphia @ Montréal, 3p/Buffalo @ Toronto, 7p/Ottawa @ Calgary, 7p
Vancouver @ Edmonton, 10p/Winnipeg @ Los Angeles, 10p
Hometown Hockey
November 3 Calgary @ Washington, 7p (Strathroy-Caradoc, ON)
November 10 Toronto @ Chicago, 7p (Welland, ON)
November 17 Calgary @ Las Vegas, 8p (Dauphin, MB)
November 24 Edmonton @ Arizona, 8p (Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, AB)
Rogers Sportsnet national telecasts
November 2 Edmonton @ Pittsburgh, 1p
November 6 St. Louis @ Edmonton, 8:30p
November 10 Edmonton @ Anaheim, 9p
November 13 Toronto @ NY Islanders, 7p/Ottawa @ New Jersey, 7p/Dallas @ Calgary, 9:30p
November 19 Colorado @ Calgary, 9p
November 20 Ottawa @ Montréal, 7p
November 23 Vancouver @ Washington, 12:30p
November 27 Toronto @ Detroit, 7p/Vancouver @ Pittsburgh, 7p/Boston @ Ottawa, 7p
November 28 New Jersey @ Montréal, 7p
Brian Burke is now the de factor replacement in Rogers Sportsnet studio shows. Burke is cranky but smart and explains things well. Sportsnet will love Burke as long as he doesn't criticise the league as a general concept.
The NBC team would love to have someone such as Burke in the studio. Milbury has elements of cranky and smart but NBC underutilises its studio people. The network is actually using Milbury more as a colour analyst, even if the Toronto Maple Leafs aren't playing. Milbury is ill-suited for the role.
Nick Kypreos hasn't been missed. Having him gone makes the studio crew more efficient and nice to watch.
2019 Heritage Classic preview: NHL comes to Regina
2019 Heritage Classic wrapup
We had a lot of fun covering the 2019 Heritage Classic from Regina within the last week. The ice was great, the crowd was loud, and the action was tense.
We delved into the history of the NHL in Saskatchewan with indoor games in Saskatoon in the early 1990s. You can likely guess who quashed that really great idea.
Sadly, we know Gary Bettman won't allow another Heritage Classic for a long time. There aren't too many non-NHL market options for a Heritage Classic. Tim Hortons Field for a Buffalo-Toronto game would be outstanding. Halifax would be fun if the city had a stadium but can't figure out how to get a CFL stadium.
We want a game in Montréal. Olympic Stadium is ideal but not technically outdoors (unless the roof is being fixed). Stade Saputo and Molson Stadium would work but the capacity might not be strong enough for the NHL.
---
NBCSN might have received pressure from the NHL to carry the Vancouver Canucks home opener. The feed got to the game within the first minute. The LA Kings play-by-play guy and Vancouver area resident Ray Ferraro did their best to spotlight Vancouver's young core. Elias Petterson, winner of the Calder Trophy, had to be introduced to the NBCSN audience.
We think NBCSN only carried the game because of the Canucks celebrating 50 years in the league. The October 9 date was 49 years to the day of the first Vancouver Canucks game, also against Los Angeles. Vancouver's expansion sibling, the Buffalo Sabres, are on NBCSN all the time.
So glad NBCSN used a real crew instead of a Philadelphia simulcast. We appreciate the TSN love for the games, especially in Canada.
October 9 Los Angeles @ Vancouver, 10p: Alex Faust/Ray Ferraro
October 15 Tampa Bay @ Montréal, 7p: Gord Miller/Pierre McGuire
October 16 Philadelphia @ Edmonton, 9:30p: Chris Cuthbert/Ray Ferraro
October 26 Calgary @ Winnipeg, 10p: Jim Hughson/Craig Simpson (CBC simulcast)
Canadian political ads from fall 2019 NHL Center Ice free preview
The NHL Center Ice free preview went as advertised. Maybe we are mellowing or the meds are finally kicking in, but a week feels like enough. The service stopped running those idiotic promos that blocked out the first commercial in the break.
We ran a bunch of political ads earlier this month and will run the rest of the ads next week.
Our guide to the NHL Canadian teams coverage
NHL the month in preview October 2019
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
Checking in on the CBC promos, the live nature of Battle of the Blades means that the Atlantic provinces as well as Newfoundland and Labrador air the program at the same time as the Eastern Time Zone viewers. Dragons' Den airs before Battle of the Blades on CBC New Brunswick-East but after in the rest of the country. The show also got visual mentions during the opening night of the Rogers Sportsnet coverage.
Vote Compass is a CBC News service where you could log on to see how your views compared to party leaders at votecompass.cbc.ca.
The first 2 promos in the 2nd period in the October 19 game aired back-to-back, a violation in spirit of running the CBC promos.
There was a technical DVR glitch in the first half of the 3rd period on October 19. Whatever promos in the 3rd period aired in that time. We apologise for the inconvenience.
October 5 early game: Battle of the Blades; Vote Compass (1st); World Track & Field Championships; Still Standing (2nd); Tallboyz; Vote Compass (3rd)
October 19 early game: Canada Votes 2019 (1st); Still Standing; Great Canadian Baking Show; Battle of the Blades (2nd); [None recorded] (3rd)
October 26 late game: Battle of the Blades (1st); Great Canadian Baking Show; Battle of the Blades; Still Standing (2nd); Battle of the Blades; Grand Slam of Curling (3rd)
Comments