TNT reunites Rick Tocchet and the studio crew with a trip to Vancouver (8) as the Canucks host Anaheim. Tocchet left the panel to be the Vancouver coach. The U.S. channel has the reigning Stanley Cup champs in Toronto (15). One of Gary Bettman's favourite desert teams (the one with 5,000 home seats) travels to Edmonton where the crowd will be about 4x the size (22).
ESPN takes the month of March off from Canadian teams. Cowards.
NHL Network starts out March with rare (for them) coverage of Toronto in Vancouver on Hockey Night in Canada (4). The U.S. channel also throws in an all-Canadian matchup (that isn't Toronto-Montréal) with Connor McDavid in Toronto on Hockey Night in Canada (11).
The other 3 telecasts for the month involve the Habs hosting Colorado (13) and a pair of Toronto Maple Leafs games, hosting Carolina (17) and in Nashville (26).
The NHL Network isn't carrying Hockey Night in Canada games on the last 2 weekends of the month since ABC is invading the Saturday night space. Given the "growth" that only exists in Gary Bettman's mind, the U.S. channel is not allowed to carry a second national game at the same time. The ABC telecasts in Canada (via cable or satellite) cut into the audience for Sportsnet and CBC for the Saturday night games.
While ESPN blows off Canada for March, ESPN+/Hulu loves Connor McDavid, just not in Edmonton. The channel features Oilers road games in Buffalo (6), which was a late addition, Boston (9), and Las Vegas (28). Rogers Arena is a nice place. They are invited to come north of the border.
The other game in March is the John Tavares bowl from Long Island (21).
Rogers Sportsnet has been better about this in the 2022-2023 season but is pulling an exclusive on the Toronto at Vancouver game (4) to promote SN Now subscriptions. This is also a loss for NHL fans in Buffalo and western Washington who can't watch the game via CBC on cable. CBC viewers will get Edmonton at Winnipeg that night.
The NHL trade deadline is March 3. We have more on the coverage later in this story.
TNT
March 8
Anaheim @ Vancouver, 10p
March 15
Colorado @ Toronto, 7p
March 22
Arizona @ Edmonton, 10:30p
NHL Network
March 4
Toronto @ Vancouver, 7p (HNIC)
March 11
Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)
March 13
Colorado @ Montréal, 7:30p
March 17
Carolina @ Toronto, 7p
March 26
Toronto @ Nashville, 6p
ESPN+/Hulu
March 6
Edmonton @ Buffalo, 7:30p
March 9
Edmonton @ Boston, 7:30p
March 21
Toronto @ NY Islanders, 7:30p
March 28
Edmonton @ Las Vegas, 10p
Hockey Night in Canada
March 4
Toronto @ Vancouver, 7p/Columbus @ Ottawa, 7p/Edmonton @ Winnipeg, 7p/
Minnesota @ Calgary, 10pMarch 11
Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p/New Jersey @ Montréal, 7p/Winnipeg @ Florida, 7p/
Ottawa @ Vancouver, 10pMarch 18
Toronto @ Ottawa, 7p/Montréal @ Tampa Bay, 7p/
Dallas @ Calgary, 10p/Vancouver @ Los Angeles, 10pMarch 25
Toronto @ Carolina, 7p/Columbus @ Montréal, 7p/Ottawa @ New Jersey, 7p/Vancouver @ Dallas, 7p/
Las Vegas @ Edmonton, 10p
Rogers Sportsnet national telecasts
March 1 Toronto @ Edmonton, 8p
March 6 Edmonton @ Buffalo, 7:30p/San Jose @ Winnipeg, 7:30p
March 8 Minnesota @ Winnipeg, 7:30p/Anaheim @ Vancouver, 10p
March 9 Edmonton @ Boston, 7:30p
March 13 Colorado @ Montréal, 7:30p/Buffalo @ Toronto, 7:30p
March 14 Calgary @ Arizona, 10p
March 15 Colorado @ Toronto, 7p
March 16 Calgary @ Las Vegas, 10p
March 18 Edmonton @ Seattle, 4p
March 22 Arizona @ Edmonton, 10:30p
March 25 San Jose @ Calgary, 4p
March 27 Florida @ Ottawa, 7p/Montréal @ Buffalo, 7p
March 28 Edmonton @ Las Vegas, 10p
March 29 Florida @ Toronto, 7:30p
March 31 Calgary @ Vancouver, 10p
NHL the month in preview February 2023
NHL the month in preview January 2023
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid hit the 50 goals mark for the first time in his career, only taking 61 games to accomplish the feat. Rooting on some level for an Edmonton-Toronto Stanley Cup final and have lots of scoring.
NHL the month in preview December 2022
We generally ignore the NHL All-Star Game due to the inconsistency of the event and the oddity of some of the events within the weekend. A chance to take a break from thinking about hockey.
We also generally ignore this time because of the lack of interest in Canada. For only the 4th time in the 2000s, the NHL All-Star Game will be on Canadian soil. The 2024 NHL All-Star Game will be at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on February 2-3, 2024.
Ottawa, well Kanata, is the last Canadian city to host the All-Star Game back in 2012. This has been the only appearance in the Ottawa region.
Montréal has hosted 12 All-Star games, only 3 since 1970: 1975, 1993, and 2009. The latter is the only time at the Bell Centre.
This will be the 9th All-Star game for Toronto, only the second since 1970. Toronto hosted the 2000 All-Star Game at the then Air Canada Centre.
Vancouver has hosted 2 All-Star games: 1977 at the old Pacific Coliseum and 1998 in what was then General Motors Place. The NHL All-Star Game has only been on Alberta soil twice: 1985 at the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary and 1989 at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton.
For those counting at home, Gary Bettman has been the NHL commissioner for 4 NHL All-Star games on Canadian soil with the fifth coming in 2024.
Winnipeg and Quebec City never hosted a NHL All-Star game.
Canadian ads from fall 2022 NHL Center Ice free preview
NHL the month in preview November 2022
NHL the month in preview October 2022
The 2023 trade deadline coverage starts on Friday. Let's start in Canada.
TSN
TradeCentre, the consensus best NHL trade coverage, starts at the earliest time at 8 am (All times Eastern Standard). Coverage starts at 8 am on TSN1, TSN4, and TSN5. TSN3 joins the coverage in progress around noon.
Rogers Sportsnet
Hockey Central Trade Deadline, while the second best in Canada, is still better than anything in the United States. Sportsnet's coverage starts at 10 am.
NHL Network
After years of aligning with TSN, the U.S. network jumped to the Sportsnet coverage. The U.S. channel carries the Sportsnet coverage until 2 pm. At 2 pm, an hour before the deadline, the NHL Network switches over to its own coverage with NHL Tonight: 2023 Trade Deadline Day.
ESPN family
TradeCentre from TSN runs on ESPN+ starting at 8 am. That is the good news for U.S. readers. The bad news is that The Point from ESPN runs its own trade coverage starting at 2 pm on ESPN2.
Analysis
The idea is that U.S. fans lose the best coverage at the most important time of the trade deadline. The Canadian outlets are faster at picking up trades with less filler. If you are stuck below the 49th parallel, we suggest TradeCentre on ESPN+ and switching to the NHL Network coverage at 2 pm.
TSN has an advantage over Sportsnet. The NHL Network coverage is decidedly better than ESPN's in-house results, based off last year.
Trades of note
Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari going from St. Louis to Toronto is significant, provided lightning can strike twice in O'Reilly's case. Veteran leadership from player who have crashed through the first-round blunders: let's hope that helps.
The Montréal Canadiens rolled a huge gamble in acquiring Shea Weber for a younger and less injury prone P.K. Subban. The Habs even got Evgenii Dadonov for Weber's contract for the unofficially retired Canadiens defenceman in 2022.
Weber's contract went from Las Vegas to Arizona about a week ago with a 5th round pick for Dysin Mayo. Weber will never wear the sweaters of these teams. As long as Montréal isn't paying the bills. Thanks, salary cap.
Canadian film review: Black Ice
We reviewed Black Ice, the really intriguing documentary on Black ice hockey players and racism. You can find the film on Crave in Canada. The film definitely deserves a U.S. release at some point. TSN showed the film and the NHL Network should fight hard to get the film on its channel.
Tracking the NHL 2022 media changes
February 7 Edmonton @ Detroit, 7:30p Bob Wischusen/Chris Chelios/Mark Messier ESPN+/Hulu
February 15 Chicago @ Toronto, 7p Brendan Burke/Darren Pang/Jackie Redmond TNT
February 19 Edmonton @ Colorado, 3p Bob Wischusen/Brian Boucher/Leah Hextall ESPN+/Hulu
February 19 Toronto @ Chicago, 6p Mike Monaco/Kevin Weekes/Emily Kaplan ESPN+/Hulu
February 21 Toronto @ Buffalo, 7:30p John Buccigross/Brian Boucher/Ryan Callahan ESPN+/Hulu
February 23 Calgary @ Las Vegas, 9p Mike Monaco/Cassie Campbell-Pascall/Emily Kaplan ESPN
A bit surprised Eddie Olczyk didn't cover a Chicago-Toronto game for TNT. He played for both franchises.
We sort of forgive the use of Brian Boucher for the Oilers game (19) since Ray Ferraro worked the outdoor game the night before. Doesn't explain the additional game in Buffalo (21). Kevin Weekes was solid in the Maple Leafs game in Chicago (19). This is how a former NHL goalie should provide analysis.
Fun to hear Cassie Campbell-Pascall on a game on ESPN involving a Canadian team. Campbell-Pascall used to provide analysis on Flames games until this season.
On the Canadian side, Victor Findlay may get some good opportunities to fill in for Bryan Mudryk on Montréal telecasts on TSN2. Mudryk also covers curling for TSN. Last season, Dan Robertson jumped up from Canadiens radio to fill in on the TV side. Robertson left to call the Winnipeg Jets games on TSN3.
Yet Robertson called the Habs game in New Jersey for TSN2. The Jets and Canadiens were in the greater NYC area so with an off day, he called a Montréal game.
2022 NHL preseason schedule
Our guide to the NHL Canadian teams coverage
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
The NHL Network usually cuts back on Canadian teams in the second half of the season. The U.S. channel went 3 weeks without carrying a single Canadian team. There was only a single HNIC game in February on the NHL Network.
The 2023 Junos, once again with host Simu Liu, will be on March 13 on CBC. Plan B made its debut Monday night.
The ski and snowboarding promo ran before the start of the 2nd period, a technical violation.
February 25 early game: 2023 Junos; Son of a Critch (1st); FIS freestyle ski and snowboarding; 2023 Junos (2nd); Canada's Ultimate Challenge; Plan B (3rd)
photo credits: NHL; TSN; Black Ice
Quebec City sort of had an All-Star Game.
What they had instead was what they called Rendez-vous '87, a two game series between an NHL All-Star team and the Soviet Union national team.
Considering the gimmicky stuff the NHL does nowadays, it may as well count as one.
Posted by: Kyle | March 01, 2023 at 07:51 AM
You are absolutely correct in everything you said. I debated about mentioning that. A significant moment at the end of the Cold War.
I was counting official All-Star Games. Yet your point is highly valid. Why we have a comments section. Thanks for this.
Posted by: Chad | March 01, 2023 at 09:47 AM