Ever since Comcast became the parent company of NBC and rebranded VERSUS as NBC Sports Network, there’s been a bit of a change in the way the NHL does business on cable. The league’s policy used to be pretty simple: each team gets up to eight appearances on VERSUS, and up to four on NBC. For the past two seasons, however, the league and the networks have had different rules in places.
NHL schedule 2013: Local broadcasts vs. national exclusives on NBC
The 2013 schedule of NBC Sports Network games divided into ones that will air nationally, and ones that will be held for regional sports networks in the home markets, but go out to the rest of the country.
Ronald Martinez
Here are those rules, as best I understand them, for the 2013 season (going back to 82 games next season will likely change them again:
- Each team can appear up to 15 times on NBC and NBC Sports Network in some combination or another.
- Each team can only appear exclusively on the two networks a combined seven times.
That means every regional sports network that counts itself as a rightsholder of an NHL team can broadcast no fewer than 41 games in 2013, essentially getting half-a-season back after the lockout. What that also means, however, is that NBCSN will have a very confusing schedule this year.
I’ve done my best to try and sort it out. Here are the games that will air exclusively in both home markets.
Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET - Boston vs. NY Rangers
Jan. 27, 8 p.m. ET - Minnesota vs. St. Louis
Jan. 30, 8 p.m. ET - Chicago vs. Minnesota
Feb. 4, 9 p.m. ET - Dallas vs. Colorado
Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m. ET - Boston vs. Montreal
Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m. ET - New Jersey vs. Pittsburgh
Feb. 11, 9 p.m. ET - Los Angeles vs. St. Louis
Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. ET - St. Louis vs. Detroit
Feb. 17, 6 p.m. ET - Washington vs. NY Rangers
Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET - Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh
Feb. 20, 10 p.m. ET - St. Louis vs. Colorado
Feb. 25, 8 p.m. ET - Dallas vs. Nashville
Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m. ET - Washington vs. Philadelphia
Mar. 3, 7:30 p.m. ET - Montreal vs. Boston
Mar. 6, 8 p.m. ET - Colorado vs. Chicago
Mar. 10, 7:30 p.m. ET - Buffalo vs. Philadelphia
Mar. 13, 7:30 p.m. ET - Philadelphia vs. New Jersey
Mar. 17, 7:30 p.m. ET - Buffalo vs. Philadelphia
Mar. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET - Minnesota vs. Detroit
Mar. 24, 7 p.m. ET - Washington vs. NY Rangers
Mar. 25, 8 p.m. ET - Los Angeles vs. Chicago
Mar. 27, 7 p.m. ET - Montreal vs. Boston
Mar. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET - Washington vs. Philadelphia
Apr. 3, 7:30 p.m. ET - Pittsburgh vs. NY Rangers
Apr. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET - New Jersey vs. Buffalo
Apr. 10, 7:30 p.m. ET - Boston vs. New Jersey
Apr. 17, 7:30 p.m. ET - Buffalo vs. Boston
Apr. 21, 7:30 p.m. ET - Flex Game TBD (St. Louis vs. Colorado OR New Jersey vs. NY Rangers)
Apr. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET - Los Angeles vs. Detroit
Apr. 27, 7 p.m. ET - Flex Game TBD (New Jersey vs. NY Rangers OR San Jose vs. Los Angeles)
Apr. 27, 10 p.m. ET - Phoenix vs. Anaheim
Here are games that will feature one (or both) local markets blacked out from the NBC Sports Network broadcast will feature a * next to the team name.
Jan. 20, 10 p.m. ET - Chicago* vs. Phoenix
Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m. ET - Detroit* vs. Columbus
Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m. ET - Philadelphia* vs. New Jersey
Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m. ET - NY Islanders vs. Pittsburgh*
Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m. ET - Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia*
Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m. ET - NY Rangers* vs. Boston*
Feb. 19, 8 p.m. ET - San Jose* vs. St. Louis
Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET - Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh*
Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET - Boston* vs. NY Islanders
Feb. 27, 10 p.m. ET - Detroit* vs. Los Angeles
Mar. 4, 7:30 p.m. ET - Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh*
Mar. 5, 7:30 p.m. ET - Philadelphia* vs. NY Rangers*
Mar. 12, 7:30 p.m. ET - Boston* vs. Pittsburgh*
Mar. 18, 7:30 p.m. ET - Philadelphia* vs. Tampa Bay
Mar. 19, 7:30 p.m. ET - Pittsburgh vs. Washington*
Mar. 25, 8 p.m. ET - Los Angeles vs. Chicago*
Mar. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET - Philadelphia* vs. NY Rangers*
Apr. 1, 7:30 p.m. ET - Colorado vs. Detroit*
Apr. 2, 7:30 p.m. ET - Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh*
Apr. 9, 8 p.m. ET - Chicago* vs. Minnesota
Apr. 11, 7:30 p.m. ET - Pittsburgh vs. Tampa Bay
Apr. 14, 7:30 p.m. ET - Detroit* vs. Nashville
Apr. 15, 8 p.m. ET - Dallas vs. Chicago*
Apr. 16, 7:30 p.m. ET - NY Rangers* vs. Philadelphia*
Apr. 18, 7:30 p.m. ET - New Jersey* vs. Philadelphia*
Apr. 22, 7:30 p.m. ET - Phoenix vs. Detroit*
Apr. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET - Boston* vs. Philadelphia*
Apr. 25, 7:30 p.m. ET - Pittsburgh* vs. New Jersey*
There’s a slight chance I made a mistake or two when compiling this list, it got a bit dizzying. If there are any noticed, feel free to point them out in the comments or just send over an e-mail.
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