Red Wings Near Top of League For TV Audiences

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The NHL released its US national TV schedule for the upcoming year with games hosted on TNT, ESPN, ABC, and their respective streaming service partners.

Certainly, the league isn’t shy about showing favorites with the range of nationally broadcast games in an expanded, 84 game schedule ranging from all of zero games to 20 for a single team available to the entire American audience.

The Red Wings, despite missing the playoffs last year, have more nationally televised games than the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes.

Leading the league with 20 games apiece are the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, followed by the Philadelphia Flyers at 19 and the New York Rangers with 18.

Detroit, Washington, Minnesota, and Chicago each have 17 nationally broadcast games split across the various networks on the schedule. Calgary and Ottawa will have zero nationally broadcast games next year, while the Carolina Hurricanes will lace up their skates 12 times for a major network audience.

Last year, the Red Wings had 16 games broadcast across the US on national channels. The Red Wings’ offseason of upheaval and projections to finish in the bottom half of the league hasn’t seemed to deter the NHL from putting Hockeytown in the spotlight.

The love isn’t spread as much to some of the other original six teams, however. The Toronto Maple Leafs only have three nationally televised games, despite selecting Gavin McKenna No. 1 overall in the most recent NHL Entry Draft.

Nationally televised games are something of a blessing and a curse for all hockey fans, but especially Red Wings faithful. The team has one of the best local radio and television crews in the league, including Ken Kal, Mickey Redmond, Ken Daniels, and the recently retired Paul Woods. Games on the major networks just aren’t called the same, and it’s hard to beat this particular crew.

The Red Wings will have seven games with NHL on TNT’s crew and will have ten games split across the various Disney subsidiaries.

However, for out-of-state fans, getting to see your favorite team on TV is a rare sight.

Even if you have to put up with Lucas Raymond being (I think) confused for a member of Canada’s 2018 Bronze Medal squad, it’s worth getting to see the Red Wings without needing a subscription.

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