The Battle of Alberta is one of the finest NHL rivalries. Yet before the final year of the existence of NBCSN as well as the previous history of the NHL Network, they had banned the Battle of Alberta from a live game telecast. Both outlets have been highly cautious about carrying any live game from Alberta soil.
The NHL Network showed 5 of those games. ESPN+, which hasn't had a ban, had 3 games. NBCSN had a whole game and a 3rd period look-in. That accounted for the 10 games the teams played against each other.
2021 and COVID-19 changed all that. Too bad a pandemic had to come to change those minds.
ESPN and TNT/Turner will have the games next year along with the NHL Network. Hopefully, the new outlets will be less afraid to carry teams and matchups from Canada.
The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic did lead to changes in the NHL Network and ESPN+ schedules.
The Vancouver Canucks had more games hosting Winnipeg (3) on the NHL Network in 2021 than combined appearances on U.S. television in 2019-2020 (NHLN 1 NBCSN 1).
Hometown Hockey was a non-factor. Not wanting super spreader events in Canada was a good thing. We hope to see that back in the fall of 2021 or as soon as safety can be assured.
We are running this feature before the season actually ends. We will update the story on the very off chance there are changes.
NHL Network, NBCSN, and ESPN+ games in 2019-2020 season analysis
NHL Network, NBCSN, and ESPN+ games in 2018-2019 season analysis
NHL Network and NBCSN games in 2017-2018 season analysis
NHL Network games in 2016-2017 season analysis
NHL Network games in 2015-2016 season analysis
NHL Network
The NHL Network carried 31 live all-Canadian matchups, 22 of them on Hockey Night in Canada. 3 of the games not on Saturdays involved the specific Winnipeg Jets in Vancouver scenario.
The lone NHL Network showcase game was on Hockey Day in Canada, which felt very wrong on so many levels. Then again, the NHL Network showcase people had more respect for the Canadian teams than the NBCSN telecasts involving American announcers.
The channel carried 5 Battle of Alberta games. Until 2021, the rivalry had been banned from the network and games rarely carried from the Alberta province.
The channel lost a HNIC game in April and voluntarily removed another HNIC game in April. The February 13 late game was added due to a COVID-19 cancellation. Some of those games were added at the very end in May.
Without counting the game in the list, we should acknowledge the February 9 Edmonton at Ottawa game, where NBCSN showed the first 2 periods and the 3rd period was on the NHL Network, all via TSN5. The game was a pickup due to another COVID-19 cancellation.
NHL Network 2021
January 16 Montréal @ Edmonton, 7p (HNIC)/Vancouver @ Calgary, 10p (HNIC)
January 23 Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 10p (HNIC)
January 24 Toronto @ Calgary, 4p
January 25 Ottawa @ Vancouver, 10p
January 30 Toronto @ Edmonton, 7p (HNIC)/Vancouver @ Winnipeg, 10p HNIC)
February 6 Vancouver @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)/Edmonton @ Calgary, 10p (HNIC)
February 13 Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 3p (HNIC)/Montréal @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)/
Calgary @ Vancouver, 10p (HNIC)
February 19 Winnipeg @ Vancouver, 10p
February 20 Calgary @ Edmonton, 10p (HNIC)
February 21 Winnipeg @ Vancouver, 10p
February 27 Toronto @ Edmonton, 7p (HNIC)
March 6 Toronto @ Vancouver, 7p (HNIC)/Calgary @ Edmonton, 10p (HNIC)
March 13 Edmonton @ Vancouver, 10p (HNIC)
March 22 Winnipeg @ Vancouver, 10p
March 27 Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)/Winnipeg @ Calgary, 10p (HNIC)
April 10 Edmonton @ Calgary, 10p (HNIC)
April 24 Toronto @ Winnipeg, 7p (HNIC)
May 1 Edmonton @ Calgary, 10p (HNIC)
May 8 Montréal @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)/Vancouver @ Edmonton, 10p (HNIC)
May 12 Edmonton @ Montréal, 5p
May 14 Toronto @ Winnipeg, 8p
May 15 Vancouver @ Edmonton, 3:30p
May 16 Calgary @ Vancouver, 10:30p
Down the stretch for the end of the 2021 NHL regular season
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
NBCSN
NBCSN managed in the last year of its contract and existence to set some new Canadian records for NBCUniversal. The channel carried all 7 Canadian teams at least once, carried 4 Canadian teams in a single calendar day, and finally broke its ban on the Battle of Alberta.
The channel only carried 6 games but managed to carry 4 Edmonton Oilers games. The non-Canadian announcers were definitely rooting for Edmonton at the expense of the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, and Ottawa Senators.
Toronto and Montréal had 2 games, including a game with each other. The other 4 Canadian teams got a single game.
Gord Miller and Mike Johnson called the January 20 game in Toronto; otherwise NBCSN used its regular people broadcasting from Stamford, CT.
ESPN and TNT will have the cable games in the next 7 NHL seasons in the United States.
January 20 Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p
January 21 Montréal @ Vancouver, 9:30p
February 17 Winnipeg @ Edmonton, 10p
March 17 Edmonton @ Calgary, 10p
April 7 Edmonton @ Ottawa, 5p/Montréal @ Toronto, 7:30p
ESPN+
If you kept your ESPN+ subscription going after the CFL, you got quite a lot of NHL games. ESPN+ hadn't been afraid to show the Battle of Alberta. This year, the service showed 3 of those games.
As you may know, ESPN+ will show a lot more games starting with the new U.S. TV deal in the fall.
The schedule accounts for games postponed thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Rather good numbers for a 56-game schedule.
| Team | Overall | Home | Road |
| Toronto | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Montréal | 13 | 9 | 4 |
| Ottawa | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| Winnipeg | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Calgary | 21 | 12 | 9 |
| Edmonton | 18 | 9 | 9 |
| Vancouver | 18 | 8 | 10 |
January 14 Vancouver @ Edmonton, 9p
January 16 Toronto @ Ottawa, 7p
January 18 Vancouver @ Calgary, 9p
January 18 Montréal @ Edmonton, 9p
January 20 Montréal @ Vancouver, 10p
January 22 Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p
January 24 Edmonton @ Winnipeg, 9p
February 1 Calgary @ Winnipeg, 8p
February 2 Ottawa @ Edmonton, 10p
February 9 Winnipeg @ Calgary, 10p
February 11 Edmonton @ Montréal, 7p
February 15 Calgary @ Vancouver, 10p
February 19 Edmonton @ Calgary, 9p
February 20 Toronto @ Montréal, 7p
February 23 Edmonton @ Vancouver, 10p
March 1 Calgary @ Ottawa, 7p
March 1 Toronto @ Edmonton, 10p
March 2 Vancouver @ Winnipeg, 8p
March 6 Winnipeg @ Montréal, 7p
March 7 Ottawa @ Calgary, 9:30p
March 8 Ottawa @ Edmonton, 9p
March 10 Montréal @ Vancouver, 11p
March 12 Ottawa @ Edmonton, 9p
March 15 Montréal @ Winnipeg, 8p
March 15 Edmonton @ Calgary, 9p
March 19 Vancouver @ Montréal, 7p
March 19 Calgary @ Toronto, 7p
March 20 Calgary @ Toronto, 7p
March 26 Winnipeg @ Calgary, 10p
March 29 Winnipeg @ Calgary, 10p
April 2 Calgary @ Edmonton, 9p
April 4 Toronto @ Calgary, 9p
April 5 Edmonton @ Montréal, 7p
April 12 Toronto @ Montréal, 7p
April 16 Calgary @ Montréal, 6p
April 19 Ottawa @ Calgary, 9p
April 20 Toronto @ Vancouver, 9p
April 29 Vancouver @ Toronto, 7:30p
April 30 Winnipeg @ Montréal, 7p
May 4 Edmonton @ Vancouver, 10p
May 6 Vancouver @ Edmonton, 9p
May 9 Ottawa @ Calgary, 8p
May 10 Edmonton @ Montréal, 7p
May 11 Vancouver @ Winnipeg, 8p
May 13 Vancouver @ Calgary, 9p
May 15 Vancouver @ Edmonton 3:30p
May 16 Calgary @ Vancouver, 10:30p
May 18 Calgary @ Vancouver, 4p
May 19 Vancouver @ Calgary, 3:30p
logo credits: NHL Network/NBCSN/ESPN+
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