The NHL has released it’s National television schedule. Providing, that is, that there is a season in 2012-2013. (I’m choosing to remain hopeful.)
NBC and NBC Sports will be entering their second season of a ten year agreement with the NHL. This is the largest media rights deal in league history. This will mark the eighth consecutive season that both networks have served as a National TV partner of the NHL in the United States. Ten of these games will feature the Tampa Bay Lightning. (Oh, goodie. I can’t wait for these. I love the NBC Sports commentators. Especially Pierre. PPPFFFFTTTT yeah, right, and Nathan Horton’s my favorite player, too! For those of you who share the love, do what I do. Turn the game on TV, hit mute, and livestream Dave Mishkin on Lightning radio. Even if it’s a couple of seconds off, it’s better than listening to those morons.)
The NHL Network-U.S. will air seventy-eight live games. They will be focusing on Thursday nights and Saturdays, including fourteen doubleheaders and three tripleheaders. (Oh, boy! Hockey!! I’m getting so excited just thinking about all of this hockey goodness! I pray I’m not getting excited over nothing. Yes, I know. I used a double negative. Sue me.) They will show three Tampa bay Lightning games, all three will be held at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
The CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada will be entering it’s sixtieth season. Wow. One hundred and one regular season games will be shown on the network. Five of them will be with the Lightning.
TSN will show two hundred and thirty-seven regular season NHL games. This includes ten Tampa Bay Lightning games. Seven of these will be on TSN, three will air on TSN2.
RDS will cover all eighty-two regular season Montreal Canadiens games. Four of those will be against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Here is the Tampa Bay National TV schedule in all Eastern times:
Date                         Â
Thursday, November 1            7:00 p.m.         vs. Winnipeg Jets                         CBC
Saturday, November 10           7:00 p.m.         vs. Ottawa Senators                      CBC
Wednesday, November 21      7:30 p.m.         at Carolina Hurricanes                   NBC Sports Group and TSN2
Tuesday, November 27           7:30 p.m.         at Montreal Canadiens                   TSN and RDS
Saturday, December 1            3:00 p.m.         at Winnipeg Jets
CBC
Thursday, December 27          7:30 p.m.         vs. Montreal Canadiens                 RDS
Tuesday, January 8                 7:30 p.m.         at Pittsburgh Penguins                  NBC Sports Group and TSN
Friday, January 11                  7:30 p.m.         vs. Washington Capitals                NHL Network
Tuesday, January 15               7:00 p.m.         vs. Toronto Maple Leafs               TSN
Tuesday, January 22               7:30 p.m.         at Montreal Canadiens                   RDS
Thursday, February 14             7:30 p.m.         vs. San Jose Sharks                     NBC Sports Group and TSN
Thursday, February 21             7:30 p.m.         vs. Boston Bruins
NHL Network
Sunday, February 24               7:30 p.m.         at Pittsburgh Penguins                  NBC Sports Group and TSN2
Tuesday, February 26              7:30 p.m.         vs. Buffalo Sabres                        NBC Sports Group and TSN
Thursday, February 28             7:30 p.m.         vs. Pittsburgh Penguins                NHL Network
Tuesday, March 5                   7:30 p.m.         at New Jersey Devils                     NBC Sports Group and TSN2
Saturday, March 9                   7:00 p.m.         vs. Montreal Canadiens                 RDS and CBC
Wednesday, March 20             7:30 p.m.         at Toronto Maple Leafs                 TSN
Saturday, March 23                 7:00 p.m.         at Ottawa Senators
CBC
Tuesday, March 26                  7:30 p.m.         vs. Buffalo Sabres                        NBC Sports Group and TSN