Kevin Allen of USA Today rolled out this upcoming season’s NBCSN broadcast schedule this morning and for once, the NHL and its broadcast rights holder finally did something smart.
Going into this upcoming season, we’re going to see more than just the usual, Pittsburgh, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago and LA.
Before we dive in, allow me to learn you guys a thing:
There’s a country 222 miles northeast of PPG Paints Arena called “Canada.” It declared its independence from the United Kingdom in 1867 and is generally considered America’s hat.
Now, for those of you that exclusively watch hockey on NBCSN, there’s seven teams in this hinterland to the north. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks; five of these seven will be featured on NBSCN broadcasts. Sorry to Senators and Canucks fans, but you will not be seeing time on the Peacock Network this season.
Let’s get to some takeaways, shall we?
RIP In Peace Wednesday Night Rivalry
To quote the great Doc Emrick once an OT goal is scored, “It’s over!!!”
NBCSN has decided to scrap the legendary format of Wednesday Night Rivalry for Wednesday Night Hockey. In a move a drunk toddler could’ve decided from their crib, they finally did something smart.
“Rivalry Night was successful but some of (the rivalries) don’t have the juice they once did when we started this 12 or 13 years ago.” – Sam Flood, President/Executive Producer, NBC Sports
Yeah, no shit Sammy boy. The Penguins and Sabres may have played an outdoor game once, but in no way shape or form are they rivals. Took eight years, but you’ve finally learned basic geography and history!
Penguins Still Draw
The Penguins will be on national television in some capacity fifteen times during the 2018-2019 campaign.
Their most frequent opponents will be the Caps, Blackhawks and Flyers. They face the Caps and Flyers three times and the Blackhawks twice.
Obviously, Wednesday Night Rivalry being dead is good news, but putting the Penguins vs. Flyers and/or Caps on national TV is a smart move. The rivalries are alive and well as we all know. The Caps finally got their revenge, the Penguins knocked the Flyers out and obviously Pens vs. Hawks will be a ratings monster no matter what.
Pittsburgh will also see games against the Avalanche, Rangers, Blue Jackets, Bruins, Oilers and Lightning.
College (Hockey) Game Day
Once again, the NHL and its rights holder have made a smart call.
“NBC plans to bring a roaming studio, and some of their top talent, to many of the doubleheader sites to add more flavor to the broadcasts.”
In the same vein as ESPN’s College Gameday, NBC and NBCSN will have a roaming studio coming live from some NHL markets.
This is a fantastic idea for all involved. I’m not a big college football guy (you go to a D2 school with a stadium smaller than your high school’s, chances are it won’t be your thing Saturday morning while nursing a hangover), but even I appreciate the pageantry that is College Game Day.
Vegas making the Cup Final might be the best thing to happen to the NHL, because it forced a lot of executives to embrace putting on a show. At the end of the day, sports is entertainment. If the NHL continues to embrace growing the entertainment side of the game while the hockey continues to take care of itself, it can only mean good things.
Star Power
While there’s no doubting that the past decade putting a mixture of the Penguins, Capitals, Bruins and Blackhawks has highlighted some true star power, markets like Tampa Bay, Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg and a few others have been shut out despite having some all-world players.
This changes this year. October 24, the Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets will face off on NBCSN in what will be a great game. You have Auston Matthews, John Tavares and the rest of the Leafs young talent against Patrik Laine’s Jets.
“We have dug deep to make sure we are touching all the right markets. We are touching Canada in a way we never have before.” – Sam Flood, President/Executive Producer, NBC Sports
Jeeze, Sam, at least buy Canada dinner first.
I know they are an American network, but when some of the best talent is in that country up north I told you about earlier, you have to showcase it if you want to grow your product. Say what you will about the NBA, but if LeBron started a team in Siberia, you bet your ass ESPN, TNT, ABC and the like would cover it. Cover the talent and the base expands.
Overall, it’s a good start for NBCSN. Personally, I’d like to see some more hockey-centric original programming. The demand for it may not be there yet, but expanding the talent pool for your roster is a good place to start.
The true test will be the 19-20 season and seeing if this experiment works and if they’re willing to build off it if it does or play it safe as they are so apt to do.
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