The Edmonton Oilers factor into both TNT games in December. The Oilers host Sidney Crosby and his team tonight on December 1. Edmonton goes to Los Angeles on December 22.
Montréal and Chicago dominate the NHL Network December lineup. The U.S. channel has Les Canadiens on Hockey Night in Canada in Nashville (4) and hosting Boston (18). Chicago is on tap in Toronto for Hockey Night in Canada (11) and hosting Calgary on Hometown Hockey (13).
A bit surprised that the Ottawa Senators Saturday matinee (11) isn't part of the NHL Network showcase. The channel chose to have no showcase game over showing Ottawa.
The NHL Network has been extremely reticent about its upcoming schedule this season. We will update this story if the channel adds more games.
The lone ESPN+/Hulu game has the Habs in a 2021 Stanley Cup final rematch on December 28.
The NHL takes a holiday break from December 24-26.
You might recall that Rogers Sportsnet gave itself exclusivity over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday nights a few times last season. The December 18 Toronto-Vancouver game will be on Sportsnet only and not on CBC. CBC and Citytv will carry different games that night. Rogers Sportsnet is doing this on purpose to get Canadians to subscribe. This will be one of several times where this will happen.
Toronto at Winnipeg in hockey on December 5 will start at 7 pm Central, an hour later than scheduled. The game was moved back to accommodate the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hosting the CFL West Division final. The football game starts earlier at 3 pm Central. The NHL team plays downtown while the CFL team plays 10 km (6 miles) south of the arena.
TNT
December 1
Pittsburgh @ Edmonton, 10p
December 22
Edmonton @ Los Angeles, 10p
NHL Network
December 4
Montréal @ Nashville, 7p (HNIC)
December 11
Chicago @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)
December 13
Calgary @ Chicago, 7:30p (HH)
December 18
Ottawa @ PhiladelphiaToronto @ Vancouver,Boston @ Montréal, 7p (HNIC)
ESPN+/Hulu
December 28
Montréal @ Tampa Bay, 7p
Hockey Night in Canada
December 4
Toronto @ Minnesota, 7p/Montréal @ Nashville, 7p/Colorado @ Ottawa, 7p/Pittsburgh @ Vancouver, 10p
December 11
Chicago @ Toronto, 7p/Montréal @ St. Louis, 7p/Carolina @ Edmonton, 10p/Boston @ Calgary, 10p
December 18
Toronto @ Vancouver, 7p/ Boston @ Montréal, 7p/Ottawa @ Philadelphia, 7p/Edmonton @ Seattle, 10p/Columbus @ Calgary, 10p
Hometown Hockey
December 6 Los Angeles @ Vancouver, 10p (Pembroke, ON)
December 13 Calgary @ Chicago, 7:30p(Sydney, NS)
December 20 Montréal @ NY Islanders, 7p/Anaheim @ Edmonton, 9:30p(studio only)
December 27 Toronto @ Columbus, 7p/Ottawa @ Washington, 7p/Edmonton @ Calgary, 10p(studio only)
Rogers Sportsnet national telecasts
December 1 Colorado @ Toronto, 7:30p/Vancouver @ Ottawa, 7:30p/Pittsburgh @ Edmonton, 10p
December 3 Calgary @ Anaheim, 10p
December 5 Calgary @ Las Vegas, 10p
December 7 Calgary @ San Jose, 10:30p
December 8 Boston @ Vancouver, 9p
December 9 Boston @ Edmonton, 9p
December 14 Calgary @ Nashville, 8p
December 16 Columbus @ Edmonton, 9p
December 22 Montréal @ NY Rangers, 7p/Edmonton @ Los Angeles, 10p
December 23 Edmonton @ San Jose, 10p
December 29 Boston @ Ottawa, 7:30p/Chicago @ Winnipeg, 7:30p/Pittsburgh @ Toronto, 7:30p/Edmonton @ St. Louis, 8:30p/Vancouver @ Anaheim, 10:30p
December 31 Edmonton @ New Jersey, 1p
The Ottawa Senators lost 3 games to postponement due to a COVID-19 outbreak. San Jose and Pittsburgh had similar outbreaks but no postponements. The postponed games were a road game in New Jersey (16) and home games with Nashville (18) and New York Rangers (20). The latter game was a NHL Network showcase game.
We knew this might happen even with vaccinated players.
The NHL Network replacement game knocked out the Sportsnet pregame on that Saturday (20). The U.S. channel blew off the Sportsnet pregame (27) without an obvious reason.
The road game in New Jersey has been rescheduled for December 6. The New York Islanders also had postponed games at the end of this month.
I’m grateful to have the support of everyone at @hometownhockey_ who encouraged me say what was in my heart last night.
— Tara Slone (@TaraSlone) November 2, 2021
Some thoughts on the NHL’s broken culture. pic.twitter.com/DkhJ7S2jOL
Given how much pressure Gary Bettman has put on Rogers to not say anything negative about the NHL, this was necessary music (from a musician).
"And anybody who thinks that this culture is not deeply broken is wrong." Kudos to Tara Slone for saying what needs to be said. More needs to be said but this was a good start.
For those tempted to think of Kyle Beach as ancient news (2010), Slone brought up (not by name) Logan Mailloux, who was convicted in Sweden for photographing and circulating a compromising photo of a young woman without her consent. Mailloux asked NHL teams not to draft him. The Montréal Canadiens drafted Mailloux in the 1st round in late July.
NHL the month in preview November 2021
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The pressure on Canadian NHL teams is part of why no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since 1993. The Montréal Canadiens have been the most successful Canadian team in the playoffs in the last 2 seasons. The team has legitimately good reasons why the team is off to a struggling start. Yet the team underwent a cleansing almost at the level of the Edmonton Elks in the CFL.
Former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton is the new executive vice president of hockey operations. Assistant GM Scott Mellanby resigned over not getting a promotion. The team let go general manager Marc Bergevin, assistant general manager Trevor Timmins, and senior VP of communications Paul Wilson.
The requirement for the coach and general manager to be bilingual in French and English limits the pool of candidates. As Air Canada found out this fall, there are a few jobs in Canada that require bilingualism. Governor General Mary Simon is bilingual but not in French. The Habs are the only NHL team where that is a requirement; presumably that would also be true if the Quebec Nordiques return to the NHL.
This was the final year on Bergevin's contract. Few expected him to return but he was expected to last through the end of the season. Montréal is hosting the NHL draft so that timing might be a consideration.
There are some who are thrilled that Bergevin and others are gone just based on the drafting of Logan Mailloux in July. This will never be listed as the reason but some solace can be found.
We don't know if Gorton is bilingual but his position may not require that since the GM and coach deal more with the media. Gorton has a good resume and perhaps this layer will improve the team in the long term.
The Montréal Canadiens had a 6-15-2 record with all these changes. No Carey Price, Shea Weber, and several others.
Last season, the team fired coach Claude Julien with a 9-5-4 record. Dominique Ducharme went 15-16-5 but had an extraordinary playoff run.
"I strongly believe that this organization needs a fresh start." We get owner Geoff Molson wants results. Some patience would be good, though getting players healthy will help as well.
An update on the Rogers Hometown Hockey stop in Greater Sudbury —
— Rogers Hometown Hockey (@hometownhockey_) November 10, 2021
Due to increasing COVID case numbers in the area, this weekend’s Rogers Hometown Hockey festival and broadcast have been postponed. pic.twitter.com/ukF79T3uzh
Hometown Hockey had to miss a weekend due to COVID-19 numbers in Sudbury. Feel certain the tour will make its way back to the Nickel City. With the crowd gathering being a key point of the show, this may not be the only postponement this winter. That happened to be a Monday where there were no Canadian teams in action.
Hometown Hockey normally travels throughout Canada, not just Ontario. The idea of a Monday night would be that Ron MacLean would have more time in between Hockey Night in Canada.
So far, the HH crew has been rather close to Toronto in a time of year where flying is fine. There is an argument that this is pandemic-related but like so many moves in a pandemic, some of those moves are a way to do things on the cheap.
The Hometown Hockey page allows you to filter stops based on province. That is only Ontario until December 11-13.
Don't know the work of 2 of these people. Some back bench fill-ins on #HNIC. @Sportsnet @NHL https://t.co/51DkKeeBSN
— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) November 13, 2021
November 13 had a few missing pieces on Hockey Night in Canada: Elliotte Friedman and Kelly Hrudey in the studio; John Bartlett, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Louie DeBrusk, Jason York among others in the field. Rob Faulds and Sam Consentino were brought into help. Craig MacTavish helped out in the studio.
A difference between hockey and football in Canada is you can find hockey announcers somewhere.
Rick Ball and Garry Galley ended up together in Ottawa as Calgary was in that direction. This is my new favourite combination who will almost never work together again.
Tracking the NHL 2021 media changes
2021 NHL preseason schedule
Our guide to the NHL Canadian teams coverage
November 6 Tampa Bay @ Ottawa, 2p E.J. Hradek/Stu Grimson NHL Network
November 12 Edmonton @ Buffalo, 7p John Buccigross/Ryan Callahan/AJ Mleczko ESPN+/Hulu
November 23 Edmonton @ Dallas, 8:30p Bob Wischusen/AJ Mleczko ESPN+/Hulu
November 24 Toronto @ Los Angeles, 10p Kenny Albert/Eddie Olczyk/Keith Jones TNT
E.J. Hradek is a strong contributor to the U.S. channel. Play by play isn't his strength; then again, the NHL Network doesn't want strong play by play. Hradek isn't bad but does need to get better.
The scheduled NHL Network Showcase game on November 20 was postponed due to the COVID-19 situation with the Ottawa Senators.
The ESPN crews have been solid. You feel how much John Buccigross loves hockey. AJ Mleczko is more comfortable with ESPN than with NBCSN. Ryan Callahan was fine and that was fine.
The Oilers game in Dallas was my introduction to Bob Wischusen. He did fine.
Even if the TNT crew are veterans of the old NBCSN regime, they sound better and more comfortable at TNT. They were way more interesting to listen to in the Maple Leafs big win.
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
The November 20 game had plenty of opportunities to air 6 CBC promos. The U.S. feed may have lost one; so hard to tell.
Sort Of played at the Toronto International Film Festival and has been streaming on CBC Gem. The show debuted on CBC television on November 9.
The Buzzer is a daily CBC Sports e-mail newsletter. Olympic Channel is available on CBC Gem.
War of the Worlds is a British (and French) seat filler.
November 6 early game: Great Canadian Baking Show (1st); Strays; War of the Worlds; Dragons' Den (2nd); Sort Of; The Buzzer (3rd)
November 20 early game: CBC Gem; Olympic Channel (1st); CBC Listen; The Buzzer (2nd); Olympic Channel (3rd)
photo credit: NHL
Twitter captures: @TaraSlone; @hometownhockey_; @canadian_xing