Happy New Year!! Welcome to 2024. TNT is backloading its Canadian team schedule so the channel won't have any Canadian teams in January. March will be incredible on Wednesdays and Sundays.
ESPN had so much fun with the New York City metro area that the channel will showcase its other favourite Canadian team as Toronto visits Belmont (11).
ESPN+/Hulu keeps with its very boring profile with Toronto and Edmonton on the road. The Maple Leafs are in Los Angeles (2) and the Oilers are in Chicago (9).
NHL Network is heavy on Hockey Night in Canada in January. Toronto only gets a single HNIC game, hosting Colorado (13). The New York Rangers get 2 games involving Canadian teams with eastern road trips to Montréal (6) and Ottawa (27). The Canadiens also factor in the lone Hockey Day in Canada game with the Habs in Boston (20).
The NHL Network has a pair of Showcase games in Philadelphia involving Calgary (6) and Ottawa (21). The Senators also get a Monday night game, hosting Nashville (29). Ottawa has 3 games in 8 days, 2 at home, on the NHL Network. TNT has had a single Senators road game in the history of the contract while ESPN doesn't know there is a team in Ottawa.
Hockey Day in Canada will be in Victoria, BC on January 20. The 7 Canadian teams and Boston will be in action.
A reminder for our U.S. readers that games not on a major channel or the NHL Network are available on ESPN+.
ESPN
January 11
Toronto @ NY Islanders, 7p
NHL Network
January 6
Calgary @ Philadelphia, 1p (NHLN Showcase)
NY Rangers @ Montréal, 7p (HNIC)
January 13
Colorado @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)
January 20
Montréal @ Boston, 7p (HNIC)
January 21
Ottawa @ Philadelphia, 1p (NHLN Showcase)
January 27
NY Rangers @ Ottawa, 7p (HNIC)
January 29
Nashville @ Ottawa, 7p
ESPN+/Hulu
January 2
Toronto @ Los Angeles, 10:30p
January 9
Edmonton @ Chicago, 8:30p
Hockey Night in Canada
January 6
Toronto @ San Jose, 7p/NY Rangers @ Montréal, 7p/Vancouver @ New Jersey, 7p
Ottawa @ Edmonton, 10pJanuary 13
Colorado @ Toronto, 7p/Edmonton @ Montréal, 7p/Philadelphia @ Winnipeg, 7p
Calgary @ Las Vegas, 10pJanuary 20 (Hockey Day in Canada)
Winnipeg @ Ottawa, 3p/Toronto @ Vancouver, 7p/Montréal @ Boston, 7p
Edmonton @ Calgary, 10pJanuary 27
Toronto @ Winnipeg, 7p/NY Rangers @ Ottawa, 7p/Montréal @ Pittsburgh, 7p
Chicago @ Calgary, 10p/Columbus @ Vancouver, 10p
Rogers Sportsnet national telecasts
January 2 Philadelphia @ Edmonton, 9p
January 3 Toronto @ Anaheim, 9p
January 6 Calgary @ Philadelphia, 1p
January 7 Calgary @ Chicago, 3p
January 8 Vancouver @ NY Rangers, 7p
January 9 Edmonton @ Chicago, 8:30p
January 10 Montréal @ Philadelphia, 7p
January 11 Calgary @ Arizona, 9p
January 13 Vancouver @ Buffalo, 4p
January 15 Colorado @ Montréal, 7p
January 16 Toronto @ Edmonton, 9p/Arizona @ Calgary, 9p
January 17 Montréal @ New Jersey, 7p
January 18 Seattle @ Edmonton, 9p
January 22 Winnipeg @ Boston, 7p/Chicago @ Vancouver, 10p
January 23 St. Louis @ Calgary, 9p
January 24 Winnipeg @ Toronto, 7p
January 25 Chicago @ Edmonton, 9p
January 27 Nashville @ Edmonton, 4p
January 29 Nashville @ Ottawa, 7p
January 31 Ottawa @ Detroit, 7p
News Release: D.J. Smith has been relieved of his head coaching duties; Jacques Martin has been named #Sens interim head coach. Daniel Alfredsson joins the team’s coaching staff as an assistant coach: https://t.co/UtadFrrkEG pic.twitter.com/LZiNGB5Mbm
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) December 18, 2023
Canada has 7 NHL teams and 2 of them fired their coach before Christmas Day. The Edmonton Oilers had expectations and panicked into making a coaching decision. The Ottawa Senators? Haven't seen the NHL playoffs since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference (Wales) final in 2017.
D.J. Smith was assured he wasn't in danger just because the team brought in Jacques Martin as an advisor. Martin is the new interim coach. The team also added Daniel Alfredsson as an assistant coach. Alfredsson was on the bench in his native Sweden as the Sens went 2-0 in Stockholm in November. Assistant coach Davis Payne also got the ax.
Your humble narrator had seen Smith's name on Twitter where fans were calling for him to be fired. The Senators were off to a terrible start even with not playing as many games as other teams. Did Smith get fired because people thought the team would be better or just got tired of losing.
New Ottawa owner Michael Andlauer and new director of hockey operations Steve Staios may have just wanted their own person in the hot seat as the coach. General manager Pierre Dorion already got fired earlier this season.
Martin has quite a legacy as the longest tenured coach in franchise history. He led the Senators from 1996 through 2004 with 8 straight playoff appearances.
Ottawa will have to get used to another head coach unless Martin, 71, is hanging around for awhile.
NHL the month in preview December 2023
NHL the month in preview November 2023
Anthony Beauvillier appeared to be the obvious prize in the Vancouver Canucks deal that sent Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders. Horvat quickly signed a long extension to stay on Long Island.
When Vancouver traded Anthony Beauvillier to Chicago for a lowly conditional 2024 5th-round draft pick, the move felt like a punch in the gut. Yes, the Canucks also acquired Aatu Räty and a conditional first-round pick in 2023 on January 30. Vancouver traded that pick in March to Detroit for Filip Hronek and a 4th-round pick in 2023 with Vancouver also trading a 2nd-round pick in 2023.
Hronek has worked out well in Vancouver this season.
Days later, Vancouver traded the pick acquired from Chicago and a 3rd-round pick in 2026 to Calgary for defenceman Nikita Zadorov.
Beauvillier will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the NHL season and has a $4.15 million cap hit. Zadorov is also set to become an UFA at the end of this season and on the books for $3.75 million.
The Vancouver success in this part of the deal will depend on how well Zadorov plays AND whether the Canucks can re-sign the defenceman.
Horvat had a connection with Vancouver Canucks fans because he was the lone return for goaltender Cory Schneider. Vancouver traded Schneider on June 30, 2013 to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for the 9th overall pick in the 2013 draft, which the Canucks used to draft Horvat.
Zadarov might be a better asset than Beauvillier, especially if he stays. Theoretically, all the NHL teams have the same salary cap yet some teams do a lot better with juggling the numbers.
Alex DeBrincat leaves the Ottawa Senators in part to search for a nearby Chipotle
One of the reasons why Patrick Kane picked Detroit for his destination was being reunited with Alex DeBrincat. We knew DeBrincat wanted out of Ottawa rather badly. Would Patrick Kane's bond with DeBrincat be strong enough to have lured Kane to Ottawa? Probably not.
Detroit is far enough west yet with an eastern travel schedule (less West Coast travel). Kane wasn't likely going to any Canadian team, including the Maple Leafs. Kane in a Senators uniform would have been fun to the fans in Canada's capital (to quote John Forslund).
Happy Holidays 2023 includes the final Letterkenny season
Today marks the beginning of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). We love that there is more Canadian representation in this women's hockey league. We talked about the league briefly in our holidays notebook.
We have the PWHL schedules for CBC Sports, Rogers Sportsnet, and TSN. The CBC Sports schedule included streaming with some games, such as the opener, on CBC television. Sportsnet says other games will be added to its schedule. A few of the TSN telecasts will only be on TSN+.
All 3 will have the league opener in Toronto today along with Ici Télé and Ici Tou.TV through Radio-Canada.
There are regional deals for the 3 U.S. teams with MSG Networks (New York), Bally Sports North (Minnesota), and NESN (Boston).
The PWHL will also make games available on its YouTube channel outside of Canada.
NHL the month in preview October 2023
We miss the kids' intros on the Hockey Night in Canada coverage. Gave those young hockey players a chance at glory by being on national television. The kids were likely dumped due to the sharp increase in gambling ads. Would rather see kids get a highlight of their childhood over stupid gambling ads.
We've seen Rogers gut so much of what CBC's Hockey Night in Canada so special since 2014.
Tracking the NHL 2023 media changes
2023 NHL preseason schedule
Your humble narrator came close to meeting Youppi! in 2002 at Olympic Stadium in Montréal. Youppi! was near us as his role as the mascot of the Montréal Expos (MLB). In 2023, you can get a more personalised experience with Youppi! though you will have to shell out $195 Canadian.
The profits reportedly go to the Montréal Canadiens Children's Foundation, though that wasn't part of the original presentation to fans. The "Fur on Demand" package offered a brief visit and photo session bearing confetti, a personalized sign, and a gift bag of Youppi! merchandise.
The Ticketmaster Web site notes that "It is always possible to meet him at Chez Youppi! in section 105 before the match and during intermissions."
Another reason to bring back Les Expos: the return of Youppi! to his first love of baseball.
A trailblazer for women in hockey. 💪
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 19, 2023
Thank you for all the incredible years, @CassieCampbell! ♥️ pic.twitter.com/PhFITUOuWV
We remember those games in Montréal in the CBC days where Mark Lee and Cassie Campbell-Pascall called those games on Hockey Night in Canada. Campbell-Pascall was a bit green yet you saw the potential.
Cassie Campbell-Pascall is leaving Rogers Sportsnet and ESPN to take on a role as a special advisor to the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Cassie Campbell-Pascall spent 16 years at Hockey Night Canada in a variety of roles: ice level reporter, game analyst, and studio analyst.
Campbell-Pascall also was a fill-in analyst on Calgary Flames games a while back and served recently as a studio analyst on Monday Night Hockey.
"The opportunity to join the PWHL, and continue to have an impact on the women's game, was one that I absolutely had to accept," said Campbell-Pascall in a statement from the PWHL. "I'm extremely pleased to take an active advisory role in the advancement of a top pro league that is so full of promise."
Campbell-Pascall won a gold medal in 2002 and 2006 at the Winter Olympics and a silver medal in 1998.
Cassie Campbell-Pascall will be missed on TV on both sides of the border yet we see this wonderful opportunity for her.
Dave Poulin is leaving TSN as the primary Habs colour analyst to be the senior vice president, hockey operations for the Ottawa Senators. Craig Button has covered Montréal games on TSN2 when they play out west and Mike Johnson has filled in with not doing Maple Leafs games, his primary responsibility at TSN4. Frank Corrado worked the Canadiens game last night on TSN2. Curious as to who will cover those games Poulin would have worked.
Poulin was named the Toronto Maple Leafs vice president of hockey operations in 2009. He was fired as an assistant GM in 2014.
Our guide to the NHL Canadian teams coverage
December 6 Carolina @ Edmonton, 9:30p John Forslund/Darren Pang/Aly Lozoff TNT
December 12 Chicago @ Edmonton, 10p John Buccigross/Ray Ferraro/Leah Hextall ESPN
December 16 Vancouver @ Minnesota, 2p EJ Hradek/Kevin Weekes NHLN
December 17 Vancouver @ Chicago, 3p EJ Hradek/Kevin Weekes NHLN
December 19 Edmonton @ NY Islanders, 7:30p John Buccigross/Ray Ferraro ESPN+/Hulu
December 21 Edmonton @ New Jersey, 7:30p Steve Levy/Ray Ferraro ESPN+/Hulu
December 22 Edmonton @ NY Rangers, 7:30p Bob Wischusen/Ray Ferraro/Emily Kaplan ESPN+/Hulu
Good for ESPN to have Ray Ferraro on all 3 Edmonton games in the NYC metro area on ESPN+. Ferraro had different play-by-play people for each game. The Oilers went 2-1, snapping a 3-game losing streak in the regional visit. A nice experiment by ESPN+.
TNT and Alex Faust would have made more sense as a West Coast alternative for the game in Edmonton. John Forslund doesn't usually like Canada (going back to the Versus days) and sometimes fakes like he is there, such as the 2023 Heritage Classic. At least this time, Forslund was in Edmonton on Canadian soil.
The NHL Network picked up the Vancouver feed for the Hughes brothers contest, featuring all 3 of them. All of them scored points in the New Jersey 6-5 win. The bonus for U.S. fans was getting Ray Ferraro on the Rogers Sportsnet Pacific feed.
ESPN did cover and over-emphasize the battle of the Connors (Bedard vs. McDavid) and made a rare trip to Canadian soil. TNT is not be afraid to go to Vancouver, unlike ESPN. Thanks to the NHL Network for rising to this occasion.
The NHL Network Showcase games are blacked out in local markets. This is a fact that I wasn't aware of until mid-December when Vancouver traveled to Chicago.
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
December is usually a terrible month for CBC promos during Hockey Night in Canada games. The only game on the U.S. side was after Christmas.
For those new readers, Rogers Sportsnet is required to air 6 CBC promos during Hockey Night in Canada. Ideally, there should be 2 promos per period, within game action and not next to a commercial. There is very little ideal about the current relationship. CBC gets the promos and no money for running Sportsnet programming for 7 hours on Saturday nights.
The PWHL opener on January 1 was on CBC and CBC Gem. The promos featured 2 new shows and a returning show.
Rogers Sportsnet claimed exclusivity of the Boston-Toronto game on December 2. CBC and Citytv carried the game from Montréal, including a celebration of the CFL champion Montréal Alouettes. Sportsnet pulled the same trick on December 9 so CBC covered the Montréal game while Citytv got the Ottawa game. The December 23 game had the Citytv feed.
December 30 early game: PWHL opener; CBC News (1st); Son of a Critch; One More Time; Wild Cards (2nd); PWHL opener (3rd)
photo credit: NHL
Twitter captures: @Senators; @Sportsnet
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