We've gotten through several big NHL events so far this year. First, the Frozen Frenzy saw all thirty-two teams play on one night early in the season, with puck drops occurring in extremely close proximity to one another. Then, the Global Series saw the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators battle in Sweden, with each team winning one of the two games played. After that, the Winter Classic saw the New York Rangers remain undefeated in outdoor games, defeating the Florida Panthers 5-1.
Now, it's Canada's turn to step into the NHL's spotlight, as Hockey Day in Canada returns for it's 25th running.
The annual broadcast will see four games, all featuring Canadian teams/rivalries, broadcasted on national television; CBC will broadcast three of the games, while Sportsnet and CityTV will broadcast the other.
The four games will see the Calgary Flames host the New York Islanders, the Toronto Maple Leafs travelling to Winnipeg to play the Jets, the Montreal Canadiens renewing their division rivalry with the Ottawa Senators, and the Edmonton Oilers paying ex-Oiler Evander Kane and the Canucks a visit.
The broadcast will also highlight Canadian hockey stories, with a focus on those featuring New Brunswick; Moncton is serving as the host of Hockey Day in Canada's broadcast this season.
But what exactly is Hockey Day in Canada, what is its significance in Canadian hockey, and what's on tap for this year?
Since its inaugural edition in 2000, Hockey Day in Canada has served as an annual celebration of the game. The broadcast tends to feature discussions of the game and its significance for Canadian culture, highlights of the year's host community, and sometimes a broadcast of a pond hockey game. Hockey Day in Canada has also included content from Canada's junior leagues; under Sportsnet, the broadcast would actually air a junior hockey league game as part of the weekend's coverage.
This year's edition of Hockey Day in Canada is going to be hosted by Moncton, and there's a whole schedule of events outside of the four games set to be aired. On the Thursday, a live taping of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet's hockey podcast featuring insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas, is set to take place at Gallagher's Irish Pub. On Friday, an Alumni game is set to take place at Avenir Centre, home of the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats. The game is set to feature key figures like Sportsnet broadcaster Ron MacLean, ex-Vancouver Canuck Kevin Bieksa, Stanley Cup winner Adam Graves, and ex-University of Alberta varsity hockey player Danielle Alexander.
Saturday afternoon will see the main Hockey Day in Canada broadcast take place, with a pre-show parade planned for 11:00 am at Moncton Market.
With four high-stakes matches set to be broadcast, and with New Brunswick hockey earning the national spotlight, this year's Hockey Day in Canada airing could easily become a memorable one.