NBC and NBCSN waited an extra few weeks before making their 2018-19 NHL broadcast schedule public. On Monday, Oiler fans in the US and hockey fans in the country looking for more of Connor McDavid were pleasantly surprised. The network announced their full schedule, which includes seven appearances by the Edmonton Oilers.
The seven games will be a single-season record for the Oilers on the NBC family on networks. Prior to this season, the record for Edmonton was just three games, which took place last year. Prior to that, the Oilers hadn’t been scheduled to play on NBC or NBCSN since the 2007-08 season.
Oiler fans can thank Connor McDavid for this new found popularity in the States. Bottom line is, McDavid has taken the reign from Crosby as the single best player in the NHL, and people want to see him play. I’ve seen countless fans of other teams complain about the lack of McDavid they get to see on a yearly basis. He’s electric and highly entertaining; people want to see him play.
NBC is also, FINALLY, doing what other networks in the States have done for years with the NBA, NFL and MLB. They are showcasing the league’s star players. Along with McDavid, Auston Matthews will get his largest exposure on National TV this season, while players like Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Patrice Bergeron, Jack Eichel, Nikita Kucherov, Anze Kopitar, Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, Joe Thornton and Rasmus Dahlin will get a steady dose of NBC/NBCSN action.
It’s a long overdue movement for the network, and I believe it is a huge step in the right direction as the NHL tries its very best to boost the popularity of the league and the sport. Show the best teams and the best players the most. It’ll make the TV product better, and in turn will help draw in the casual fan a little bit more.
It’s no different than ESPN and TNT showcasing the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and LeBron James year after year.
Edmonton’s Games:
The Oilers will appears on NBCSN’s marquee night, Wednesday, on three occasions during the season as part of ‘Wednesday Night Hockey’. All in all, they’ll appears as the road team five times on the network, while also hosting a pair of games.
Two marquee head-to-head matchups will also be featured on NBCSN, as McDavid Vs. Crosby and McDavid Vs. Taylor Hall will get the national spotlight.
Here are all seven of Edmonton’s NBCSN games:
November 6th: At Tampa Bay (7:30 pm est)
November 20th: At San Jose (10:30 pm est)
December 5th: At St. Louis (8:00 pm est)
January 22nd: Vs. Detroit (9:00 pm est)
February 13th: At Pittsburgh (8:00 pm est)
March 13th: Vs. New Jersey (9:30 pm est)
March 17th: At Vegas (10:30 pm est)
The Oilers will not appear on the main NBC network this season. They have not played there since Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.
Hockey Night In Canada:
Here’s the list of games that Edmonton will play this coming season on the ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ package, along with other National TV games in Canada:
October 20th: Vs. Nashville (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
November 3rd: At Detroit (HNIC, 7:00 pm est)
November 17th: At Calgary (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
November 18th: Vs. Vegas (SN, 8:00 pm est)
December 1st: Vs. Vegas (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
December 5th: At St. Louis (SN, 8:00 pm est)
December 9th: Vs. Calgary (SN, 9:00 pm est)
December 22nd: Vs. Tampa Bay (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
January 5th: At Los Angeles (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
January 6th: At Anaheim (SN, 8:00 pm est)
January 12th: Vs. Arizona (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
January 19th: Vs. Calgary (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
February 3rd: At Montreal (SN, 2:00 pm est)
February 9th: Vs. San Jose (HNIC, 7:00 pm est)
February 13th: At Pittsburgh (SN, 8:00 pm est)
February 16th: At New York Islanders (HNIC, 7:00 pm est)
February 23rd: At Anaheim (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
February 27th: At Toronto (SN, 7:00 pm est)
March 9th: Vs. Toronto (HNIC, 7:00 pm est)
March 16th: At Arizona (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
March 30th: Vs. Anaheim (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
April 6th: At Calgary (HNIC, 10:00 pm est)
Time Change:
Last schedule note has nothing to do with TV, but rather time. Edmonton’s game in Columbus on Saturday, March 2nd, has been moved up an hour from 2:00 pm est to 1:00 pm est, meaning Alberta natives can see the game live at 11:00 am on that Saturday morning.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
