NHL the month in preview January 2020

Editor's note: The January 29 Calgary game in Edmonton is now a national telecast in Canada.

NBCSN gives us an all-Canadian matchup with Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews and their respective Edmonton-Toronto teams. Like the December 17 Toronto Maple Leafs game, Chris Cuthbert is calling the game on TSN4 while Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro are in the Czech Republic.

The NHL Network might have set a record for a pair of Hometown Hockey games in January. Ottawa has 2 games, both on the road, in the month. Your humble narrator is hoping for backup games on the weekend leading up to the All-Star Game break.

ESPN+ goes pretty light on Canadian teams until after the All-Star Game break.

The NHL All-Star Game break runs January 23-26. The last NHL All-Star Game on Canadian soil was in 2012 in Ottawa. We haven't seen a midseason NHL Center Ice free preview in years.

NBCSN

January 6
Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p

NHL Network

January 4
Pittsburgh @ Montréal, 7p (HNIC)
January 10
Ottawa @ Detroit, 7:30p
January 12
Toronto @ Florida, 7p (HH)
January 18
Chicago @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)
January 19
Winnipeg @ Chicago, 7p (HH)
January 28
Ottawa @ Buffalo, 7p

ESPN+

January 2
Chicago @ Vancouver, 10p
January 4
Edmonton @ Boston, 1p
NY Islanders @ Toronto, 7p
January 14
Nashville @ Edmonton, 9p
January 16
Montréal @ Philadelphia, 7p
January 17
Tampa Bay @ Winnipeg, 8p
January 27
Washington @ Montréal, 7p
St. Louis @ Vancouver, 10p
January 28
St. Louis @ Calgary, 9p
January 29
Vancouver @ San Jose, 10:30p
January 30
Montréal @ Buffalo, 7p

Hockey Night in Canada

January 4

NY Islanders @ Toronto, 7p/Pittsburgh @ Montréal, 7p/Tampa Bay @ Ottawa, 7p
NY Rangers @ Vancouver, 10p

January 11

Montréal @ Ottawa, 7p
Edmonton @ Calgary, 10p

January 18

Chicago @ Toronto, 7p/Las Vegas @ Montréal, 7p
San Jose @ Vancouver, 10p

Hometown Hockey

January 5 Calgary @ Minnesota, 7p (Cobourg, ON)

January 12 Toronto @ Florida, 7p (Vaughan, ON)

January 19 Winnipeg @ Chicago, 7p (Hamilton, ON)

Rogers Sportsnet national telecasts

January 4 Edmonton @ Boston, 1p

January 8 Winnipeg @ Toronto, 7:30p

January 11 Vancouver @ Buffalo, 1p

January 15 Chicago @ Montréal, 7p

January 18 Arizona @ Edmonton, 3p

January 22 Winnipeg @ Columbus, 7:30p

January 28 St. Louis @ Calgary, 9p

January 29 Toronto @ Dallas, 7:30p/Calgary @ Edmonton, 10p

Bill Peters resigns as Calgary Flames head coach in light of racial slurs against player

What little chance Bill Peters had in keeping his job as coach of the Calgary Flames disappeared after his apology letter. Geoff Ward should remain the interim coach for the rest of the season to give some continuity to the Flames.

Canada keeps talking about having conversations on racial issues, in and out of sports. Here's to hoping that happens. This isn't just about "hockey is for everyone" but the idea that any sport or organisation should want the best people and make them feel included.

NHL the month in preview December 2019

You might recall last year when the Canadian sports media was obsessed with the William Nylander holdout and last-minute signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. This year, Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi had a similar holdout and missed the December 1 deadline, so he can't play in the NHL this season.

Puljujarvi has been playing with SM-Liiga’s Karpat in Finland and hasn't show much interest in playing for Edmonton. He complained about not being high enough on the depth chart for the Oilers. Puljujarvi is coming off his entry-level contract.

Edmonton hasn't shown any interest in trading Puljujarvi's NHL rights. Puljujarvi had 17 goals and 37 points in 139 NHL games.

Why is Meng Wanzhou still in Canada?

We are now in 2020. Meng Wanzhou is still in Canada. Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig are still trapped in unspeakable conditions in China. Huawei is still sponsoring Hockey Night in Canada on Rogers Sportsnet.

Contracts are contracts but the idea that a Chinese company that has essentially kidnapped Canadians has such a prominent role in one of Canada's leading institutions would seem to be a good enough reason to break a contract.

CBC isn't perfect but can't even imagine the public broadcaster messing this up so badly where Hockey Night in Canada is involved.

Calgary voters say no to 2026 Winter Olympics

The Calgary Flames are getting a new arena. The funding is set for the replacement of the Saddledome. The new arena will be north of the Saddledome in the Victoria Park neighbourhood. The Calgary Event Centre will be part of the planned entertainment district bordering the Stampede grounds.

The Flames not having a new arena was a sticky point for NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, since the Flames were the only team without a new arena under Bettman's long dynasty (Madison Square Garden for the New York Rangers was significantly modified).

Calgary could have made some of that money back by hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics. The plebiscite, with about a 40% turnout, went with "no" by 56.4% of the vote. The Olympics bid would have helped get a replacement for McMahon Stadium, home of the CFL Calgary Stampeders (owned by the same organisation that owns the Flames).

Construction won't start until the third quarter of 2021 with scheduled completion in the spring of 2024. Seriously.

NHL the month in preview November 2019

NHL the month in preview October 2019

December 17 Buffalo @ Toronto, 7p: Kenny Albert/Pierre McGuire

Bad timing to have a Toronto Maple Leafs game on NBCSN with Chris Cuthbert calling the game on TSN4 and Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro flying to the Czech Republic. Even if Miller and Ferraro were on the continent, the TSN lineup was full that night with Habs (TSN2), Leafs (TSN4), and Senators (TSN5).

Albert and McGuire were about the best NBCSN could do under the circumstances, especially on a rare game on Canadian soil.

Odd how @NBCSN will embrace @cmcdavid97 vs. @AM34 next month, but @NHLNetwork runs scared since the channel won't carry all-Canadian matchups unless they are @MapleLeafs vs. @CanadiensMTL. @NHL should look into that.

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) December 14, 2019

The NHL Network has a logic to its schedule. That logic isn't noteworthy or useful. The channel can show a Canadian team against a U.S. team but not an all-Canadian matchup. The channel will carry a Toronto-Montréal game on Hockey Night in Canada. There was a Calgary-Toronto game on a Monday night last season, though the restrictions seem to apply more to Hockey Night in Canada.

When NBCSN looks more relevant and informed than the NHL Network, we have to wonder if the NHL Network is running a fever. The channel never responds to us on Twitter so we have no way to know.

We gave up tracking matinee games at the right time. The NHL Network has severely cut back on the number of games overall and especially for Canadian teams. Seems rather counterproductive.

As for Rogers Sportsnet, using Kevin Quinn on Hockey Night in Canada for a Montréal-Edmonton game on December 21 is unacceptable and unappealing. Quinn is the weak link in the lineup: using him with Edmonton versus a U.S. team isn't great. All-Canadian matchups deserve a more neutral announcer team. Rogers did let go Paul Romanuk but could use him as a fill-in instead of R.J. Broadhead or brought over John Shorthouse to help.  

Our guide to the NHL Canadian teams coverage

The 2020 World Juniors in Ostrava and Třinec in the Czech Republic take a break today for New Year's Day. Canada and United States were in Group B. The gold medal game will be on January 5. TSN in Canada and NHL Network in the United States continue to have the coverage. 

Canada defeated the United States 6-4 on Boxing Day in Ostrava to snap a 4-game losing streak against their neighbour. Alexis Lafreniere, Canada's best player, suffered a left knee injury in the 6-0 loss to Russia. The shutout against Canada was the first in over two decades. That was the only loss for Canada as the team won Group B. Canada will face Slovakia in a 1B/4A matchup. The groups cross over so 1A/4B and 2B/3A play along with 1B/4A and 2A/3B. The winners play each other. Those winners advance to the gold medal game.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

The first Still Standing season finale promo on December 7 came before the 2nd period started. 5 promos in a period is absolutely ridiculous. The Alpine Skiing was from Lake Louise, AB. Family Feud Canada debuted in the early timeslot but is running outside prime time.

December 7 early game: None (1st); Still Standing; Alpine Skiing; Family Feud Canada; Still Standing; Kim's Convenience (2nd); Family Feud Canada (3rd)

December 28 early game: Family Feud Canada; Kim's Convenience (1st); Coroner; Family Feud Canada; Kim's Convenience (2nd); Coroner (3rd)

Twitter capture: @canadian_xing