U.S. national TV broadcast schedule released for 2023-24 NHL season
Bedard, Crosby featured in opening night tripleheader on ESPN; TNT to carry Winter Classic
ByNHL.com @NHLdotcom
Hockey fans will not have to wait long to see Connor Bedard on the national TV stage.
The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and his Chicago Blackhawks will be part of an ESPN opening night tripleheader Oct. 10. To make things even more intriguing, he will be facing Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson and the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh (8 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN+, TVAS).
In addition to Blackhawks vs. Penguins, ESPN's opening night slate will see the Nashville Predators play at the Tampa Bay Lightning (5:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, TVAS) and the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights host the Seattle Kraken (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, TVAS).
TNT begins its coverage with a doubleheader the next night. The first game will see Bedard and the Blackhawks visit the Boston Bruins (7:30 p.m. ET; TNT) and the second game has Pierre-Luc Dubois and the Los Angeles Kings hosting Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche (10:30 p.m. ET; TNT).
In total, 100 exclusive regular-season games are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN+, ABC and Hulu, which also will telecast the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. TNT will broadcast 62 exclusive regular-season games.
Other highlights of the national schedule include:
-- A Thanksgiving Showdown doubleheader on Friday, Nov. 24 with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Penguins (6 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS) and the Minnesota Wild hosting the Colorado Avalanche (8:30 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS).
-- The 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Stadium in Seattle (3 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS).
-- The 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by Draft Kings on Feb. 2 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+) and the 2024 NHL Honda All-Star Game on Feb. 3 (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+) at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
-- The two-day 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the New Jersey Devils playing the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 17 (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, TVAS2), and the New York Rangers and New York Islanders facing off on Feb. 18 (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, TVAS).
-- A Presidents' Day doubleheader Feb. 19 featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs visiting the St. Louis Blues (1 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+) and the Detroit Red Wings visiting the Kraken (3:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+).
