The National Hockey League is about to hit the stretch run of its season. The trade deadline (March 8th) is fast approaching and teams are scrambling to see what they should do.
The games leading up to that day are going to separate the buyers from the sellers. That includes the games on Sunday which is a very special day for the hockey community.
It is the annual Hockey Day in America celebration. This is designed to get people across the United States to enjoy the incredible game of hockey.
The NHL did a great job having compelling games all day. It starts with the New Jersey Devils taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning. New Jersey trails Tampa in the Wild card standings by 5 points with two games in hand. This is a huge matchup.
Hockey Day in America has a great game to kick it off on Sunday
This is a game being hosted on TNT so the whole country could see it. After that, TNT will be broadcasting a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. The battle of Pennsylvania has big-time meaning this year.
The Flyers are trying to hang onto their playoff spot as they have had a surprisingly good year. As for the Penguins, they are fighting for a playoff spot but are well below the line. These points are pivotal.
The other huge matchup that fans can find on NHL Network is the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings.
Ahead of the game, the Hawks are going to retire Chris Chelios’s number seven. One of the greatest defensemen (and American-born players) ever is finally getting that honor from Chicago.
It is taking place against Detroit which is the team the Hawks traded him to during his career causing a ton of controversy. That is also the team that currently employs Blackhawks legend Patrick Kane.
Kane is making his long-awaited return to the United Center after being traded away last season. He will be in the road locker room for the first time. Lately, Kane has been on fire so it should be interesting to see how he plays in a game like this.
The buzz at the United Center will be legit. Guys like Connor Bedard, Kevin Korchinski, and Alex Vlasic amongst others are going to feel that energy in the building for the first time ever. It should be an incredible night celebrating the game in Chicago.
In addition to these big storyline games, there are four other big games taking place. The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Buffalo Sabres, the New York Rangers visit the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Arizona Coyotes visit the Winnipeg Jets, and the Nashville Predators visit the Anaheim Ducks.
Hockey is an incredible sport and Americans deserve to love it as much as they do football, basketball, and baseball. Days like “Hockey Day in America” are great ways to promote the beautiful game. Hopefully, everybody will enjoy it.