The NHL on NBC schedule does not look as compelling today as it did before the season started. What games are still worth tuning in for in 2019?
The NHL is currently entering the eighth year of its 10-year contract with NBC as an exclusive broadcaster of nationally televised games. Hockey fans in the United States have gotten used to listening to Doc Emrick and the crew for the biggest games of the regular season and playoffs.
This year, NBC Sports Network has announced an expanded national schedule that will see 109 regular season games broadcast on NBC and NBCSN. Teams on the rise such as the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche will be more visible for viewers around the country.
Of course, the gem of the regular season calendar is the Game of the Week that airs on network television. Traditionally, NBC broadcasts the game as a Sunday matinee, although there are exceptions such as the Thanksgiving Showdown and Stadium Series games.
Back before the season started, I ranked every game scheduled for the flagship NHL on NBC weekend matinee broadcasts for the 2018-19 season. Back then, I argued that there were some very intriguing matchups available for the league’s largest weekly audience.
As with many of my preseason predictions, this claim does not hold up at all when reflecting on it today. The struggles of teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers who will be heavily featured on the network make the schedule look a lot less compelling today.
In this article, I’ll re-rank the NHL on NBC schedule from worst to best before it begins in earnest with the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day. There are only twelve games to rank, as the Thanksgiving Showdown from November is already over.
For games that do not appear entirely riveting, I will also suggest a ‘flex’ game: if the NHL had a system of moving games around as the NFL does, what game from the same day would be better suited for that spot?
Keep in mind that this endeavor is entirely subjective, and it is possible that some of the games I rank towards the bottom of the list will be more exciting and intriguing than the ones at the top. That being said, let’s get to it!