| Radio, TV

NHL broadcast schedule 2014-15: Who owns rights to what games

Are you pissed because you just saw RDS, TSN or Sportsnet blacked out during an NHL game? This post explains what’s going on and what you can do about it.

Updated Sept. 5 with Rogers-Canadiens regional deal, as well as additional national games for Oilers, Flames and Canucks. Also includes information about out-of-region coverage where two Canadian teams face each other, and information about where some games are national in one language but regional in the other.

The final piece of the puzzle as far as the NHL schedule is concerned has finally been revealed with the publishing of regional broadcast schedules. This allows us to break down who will broadcast what where, and I’ve done so below for the seven Canadian NHL teams.

As previously announced, Rogers has all the national rights to NHL games, which includes all Saturday night games and all playoff games. Beyond that, it gets a bit complicated (some games are national in one language but not the other, for example). Regional games will be viewable in the team’s region (here’s a map of the teams’ regions), but those outside will need to fork out cash for NHL Centre Ice or NHL GameCentre to see all their team’s games. (Or maybe not? Rogers still gives me a coy “details will be announced in the coming weeks” when I ask about that.)

TSN has decided to assign its three regional rights packages to specific channels: Jets on TSN3, Leafs on TSN4 and Senators on TSN5. The five-channel TSN system launches on Monday on every major TV provider in Canada except Videotron (which tells me it’s in discussions to add the other three channels).

Below are how the TV and radio rights break down for each team. They include regular-season games only. Preseason games are regional, and subject to separate deals. All playoff games are national, so their rights are owned by Rogers in English and TVA in French.

Radio rights are not subject to regional blackouts. Listed is their local station only and does not include affiliates.

Montreal Canadiens

TV broadcast region: Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario east of Belleville/Pembroke.

The Canadiens see the biggest change in terms of rights because RDS is no longer the only game in town. It used to carry all Habs games nationally, but in the Rogers deal it lost the national rights to TVA Sports. It managed to get the exclusive on regional rights, but that will mean the network is blacked out west of Belleville/Pembroke, Ont. during those games.

It’s also noteworthy that what constitutes a national game varies by language (other teams below also see this issue). There are 32 40 national games in English but only 22 in French. Those extra 18 games carried nationally by Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360 and City will be regional on RDS in French.

There’s still no deal for English-language regional TV rights. Rumour is neither Bell nor Rogers is interested at the price the Canadiens want. Bell’s TSN Habs channel has been shut down. UPDATE (Sept. 2): Rogers has picked up all Canadiens regular-season regional games.

  • National TV (English):
    • 22 Saturday games on Hockey Night in Canada (first four are on City)
    • 4 Sunday games on City
    • 2 Sunday games on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
    • 1 Monday game on Sportsnet One
    • 6 Wednesday games on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
    • 4 Thursday games on Sportsnet 360
    • 1 Friday game on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
  • National TV (French):
    • 1 Wednesday night game on TVA Sports (season opener)
    • 21 Saturday night games on TVA Sports
  • National U.S. TV:
    • 11 games on NHL Network
    • 2 games on NBC Sports Network
  • Regional TV (English):
    • 39 games on Sportsnet East
    • 3 games on City Montreal
    • 2 games also on TSN5 (against Senators Jan. 15 and March 12)
  • Other regions (English):
    • 2 games also on TSN3 (against Jets Nov. 11 and March 26)
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet Flames (against Flames Oct. 28)
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet West (against Oilers Feb. 12)
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet Pacific (against Canucks Dec. 9)
  • Regional TV (French): 60 games on RDS, plus all seven preseason games
  • Radio (English): All 82 games on TSN Radio 690
  • Radio (French): All 82 games on CHMP 98.5

All games against the Maple Leafs are national in both languages.

Ottawa Senators

TV broadcast region: Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario east of Belleville/Pembroke.

The Senators’ regional rights in English have shifted from Sportsnet to TSN. But the more interesting thing here is on the French side. Whereas before Senators games were afterthoughts in French, something to program when nothing else was on (or in TVA Sports’s case, a way to get into the NHL while RDS has a lock on the Canadiens’ rights), competition has pushed both networks to add more games. RDS has maxed out the regional rights, which means all but six Senators regular-season games will air in French. (The six are all Saturday games that TVA Sports doesn’t have room for on its two channels.)

The Senators are the only other NHL team that will have regular broadcasts of games in both languages on both TV and radio.

There are 29 national games in English. Among them, 22 are also national in French (six others would be national if TVA Sports picked them up).

  • National TV (English):
    • 18 Saturday games on Hockey Night in Canada
    • 5 Wednesday games on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
    • 6 Sunday games on City
  • National TV (French):
    • 4 Saturday games on TVA Sports
    • 8 Saturday games on TVA Sports 2
    • 6 Sunday games on TVA Sports
    • 4 Wednesday games on TVA Sports
  • National U.S. TV:
    • 4 games on NHL Network
  • Regional TV (English):
  • Other regions (English):
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet Oilers (against Oilers Nov. 13)
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet Pacific (against Canucks Nov. 11)
  • Regional TV (French):
    • 30 games, plus three preseason games, on RDS
    • 21 games on RDS2
    • 3 games on RDS Info
  • Radio (English): All 82 games on TSN Radio 1200
  • Radio (French): All 82 games on 94.5 Unique FM

Note that the Feb. 18 game against the Canadiens is national in English (Sportsnet) but regional in French. All matches against the Maple Leafs, Jets and Flames are national.

Toronto Maple Leafs

TV broadcast region: Ontario west of Belleville/Pembroke.

The Leafs, owned by Bell and Rogers, split their regional rights between them on both TV and radio. The new arrangement also means that Leafs TV, a regional channel owned by the team, will no longer be airing regular-season Leafs games. It promises to still air postgame shows, analysis shows, weeks in review and other Leafs-related programming.

A total of 46 games are national in at least one language. Of them, 40 are national in English and 27 are being broadcast nationally by TVA Sports or TVA Sports 2.

Rogers is also broadcasting three preseason Leafs games nationally.

  • National TV (English):
    • 24 Saturday night games on Hockey Night in Canada
    • 12 Wednesday night games on Sportsnet
    • 4 Sunday games on City
  • National TV (French):
    • 25 games on TVA Sports
    • 2 games on TVA Sports 2
  • National U.S. TV:
    • 12 games on NHL Network
    • 2 games on NBC Sports Network
  • Regional TV (English):
  • Other regions (English):
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet West (against Oilers March 16)
  • Regional TV (French): No broadcast deal announced
  • Radio (English):
  • Radio (French): No broadcast deal announced

Note that six games are national in French but regional in English. All games against the Canadiens, Senators, Jets, Flames and Canucks are national.

Winnipeg Jets

TV broadcast region: Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Nunavut.

Bell has the lock on regional Jets games. The TSN Jets channel is being shut down, and those games will move to the new TSN3.

A total of 26 games are national in at least one language. Of them, 22 are national in English and five are broadcast nationally on TVA Sports or TVA Sports 2.

  • National TV (English):
    • 14 Saturday games on Hockey Night in Canada
    • 4 Wednesday games on Sportsnet E/O/W/P and/or Sportsnet One
    • 1 Tuesday game on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
    • 3 Sunday games on City
  • National TV (French):
    • 4 games on TVA Sports (2 Sunday, 1 Monday, 1 Wednesday)
    • 1 Friday game on TVA Sports 2
  • National U.S. TV:
    • 1 game on NHL Network
  • Regional TV (English): 60 games on TSN3, plus six preseason games
  • Other regions (English):
    • 2 games also on Sportsnet West (against Canucks Feb. 3 and April 4)
  • Regional TV (French): No broadcast deal announced
  • Other regions (French):
    • 2 games also on RDS (against Canadiens Nov. 11 and March 26)
  • Radio (English): All 82 games on TSN Radio 1290
  • Radio (French): No broadcast deal announced

Note that four games are national in French but regional in English. All games against the Senators and Maple Leafs are national.

Calgary Flames

TV broadcast region: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Nunavut.

Rogers has the rights to all 82 Flames games, of which 32 will be national. A total of 35 games will be national in either language, of which 32 are national in English and 11 will be broadcast nationally on TVA Sports or TVA Sports 2.

  • National TV (English):
    • 15 Saturday games on Hockey Night in Canada (2 CBC, 1 Sportsnet 360, 12 TBA)
    • 5 Wednesday games and one Monday game on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
    • 4 Sunday games on City
    • 1 Tuesday and 1 Thursday game on Sportsnet 360 (+1 preseason game)
    • 6 games on Sportsnet One (+1 preseason game)
  • National TV (French):
    • 4 games on TVA Sports (1 Tuesday, 1 Friday, 1 Saturday, 1 Sunday)
    • 7 games on TVA Sports 2 (1 Wednesday, 1 Thursday, 1 Friday, 4 Saturdays)
  • National U.S. TV:
    • 2 games on NHL Network
  • Regional TV (English):
    • 41 games on Sportsnet West
    • 9 games on Sportsnet Flames
  • Other regions (English):
    • 2 games also on TSN3 (against Jets Feb. 2 and April 11)
    • 2 games also on TSN4 (against Maple Leafs Dec. 9 and March 13)
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet East (against Canadiens Oct. 28)
  • Regional TV (French): No broadcast deal announced
  • Other regions (French):
    • 2 games also on RDS (against Canadiens Oct. 28 and Nov. 2)
  • Radio (English): All 82 games on Sportsnet 960 The Fan
  • Radio (French): No broadcast deal announced

Note that the Nov. 2 game against the Canadiens is national in English (City TV) but regional in French. Three games are national in French but regional in English. All games against the Senators and Oilers are national.

Edmonton Oilers

TV broadcast region: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Nunavut.

Rogers has the rights to all 82 Oilers games. A total of 34 games will be national in either language, of which 32 are national in English and 8 will be broadcast nationally on TVA Sports or TVA Sports 2.

  • National TV (English):
    • 12 Saturday games on Hockey Night in Canada
    • 9 Wednesday games on Sportsnet E/O/W/P and/or Sportsnet One
    • 6 games on Sportsnet 360
    • 1 Sunday game on City
    • 4 games on Sportsnet One
  • National TV (French):
    • 5 games on TVA Sports (1 Monday, 1 Tuesday, 3 Saturdays)
    • 3 games on TVA Sports 2 (1 Thursday, 2 Saturdays)
  • National U.S. TV:
    • 1 game on NHL Network
  • Regional TV (English):
    • 40 games on Sportsnet West
    • 10 games on Sportsnet Oilers
  • Other regions (English):
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet Vancouver Hockey (against Canucks Oct. 17)
    • 2 games also on TSN3 (against Jets Feb. 16 and March 23)
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet Ontario (against Maple Leafs March 16)
    • 1 game also on TSN5 (against Senators Nov. 13)
  • Regional TV (French): No broadcast deal announced
  • Other regions (French):
    • 2 games also on RDS (against Canadiens Oct. 27 and Feb. 12)
    • 1 game also on RDS2 (against Senators Nov. 13)
  • Radio (English): All 82 games on 630 CHED
  • Radio (French): No broadcast deal announced

Note that the Oct. 27 game against the Canadiens is national in English (Sportsnet One) but regional in French. Two games are national in French but regional in English. All games against the Flames are national.

Vancouver Canucks

TV broadcast region: British Columbia, Yukon.

Rogers has the rights to all 82 Canucks games, of which 26 34 will be national. A total of 36 games will be national in either language, with 34 national in English and 13 broadcast on TVA Sports or TVA Sports 2.

  • National TV (English):
    • 15 Saturday games on Hockey Night in Canada (first three on CBC)
    • 6 Sunday games on City
    • 1 Monday game on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
    • 1 Tuesday game on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
    • 4 Wednesday games on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
    • 3 Thursday games on Sportsnet 360
    • 1 Thursday game on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
    • 3 Friday games on Sportsnet E/O/W/P
  • National TV (French):
    • 6 games on TVA Sports (1 Tuesday, 1 Thursday, 1 Saturday, 3 Sundays)
    • 7 games on TVA Sports 2 (1 Wednesday, 1 Friday, 4 Saturdays)
  • National U.S. TV:
    • 6 games on NHL Network
  • Regional TV (English):
    • 44 games on Sportsnet Pacific
    • 4 games on Sportsnet Vancouver Hockey (all in October and November)
  • Other regions (English):
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet Oilers (against Oilers Oct. 17)
    • 2 games also on TSN3 (against Jets Feb. 3 and April 4)
    • 1 game also on TSN5 (against Senators Nov. 11)
    • 1 game also on Sportsnet East (against Canadiens Dec. 9)
  • Regional TV (French): No broadcast deal announced
  • Other regions (French):
    • 3 games also on RDS (against Senators Nov. 11 and against Canadiens Oct. 30 and Dec. 9)
  • Radio (English): All 82 games on Team TSN 1040
  • Radio (French): No broadcast deal announced

Note that two Canucks games (Jan. 20, Feb. 19) are regional in English but national in French, and the Oct. 30 game against the Canadiens is national in English (Sportsnet 360) but regional in French. All games against the Flames and Maple Leafs are national.

UPDATE: TSN 690’s Mitch Melnick chats with TSN president Stewart Johnston about the expanded channels, and gets him to say the main issue with adding Canadiens regional games is conflicts with the Senators, but they haven’t closed the door on it yet.

145 thoughts on “NHL broadcast schedule 2014-15: Who owns rights to what games”

  1. greg

    I can’t believe you have to browse for hours to figure what is played where… Glad I found this site. Ok guys I am with Shaw in BC and like all of you used to watch all my habs games on good old RDS. If I get this right, if I get nhl center ice on top of m basic cable package (for the nationally broadcasted games on cbc and city), should I be able to watch ALL habs games? Any updates on that from shaw or rogers center ice?
    Thanks for the heads up.

    Reply ↓
    1. Fagstein Post author

      if I get nhl center ice on top of m basic cable package (for the nationally broadcasted games on cbc and city), should I be able to watch ALL habs games?

      Yes, if your basic cable package includes Sportsnet 360 and possibly Sportsnet One (or you don’t mind watching some games in French).

      Reply ↓
  2. Richard

    Here’s a great idea-have Ici Radio-Canada Tele become an overflow network for the 22 Habs games and allow Explora to simulcast the 60 RDS games from coast to coast.

    Reply ↓
    1. Fagstein Post author

      Here’s a great idea-have Ici Radio-Canada Tele become an overflow network for the 22 Habs games

      What does overflow mean? TVA Sports is perfectly capable of broadcasting these games.

      allow Explora to simulcast the 60 RDS games from coast to coast.

      Neither RDS nor Rogers nor the NHL would allow this.

      Reply ↓
  3. John McAUley

    On some Saturdays the Sportsnet schedule calls for 3-4 games to be on HNIC. Ex Jan 31 Det vs NYI is listed as being on HNIC. But what channel?

    Reply ↓
    1. Fagstein Post author

      On some Saturdays the Sportsnet schedule calls for 3-4 games to be on HNIC. Ex Jan 31 Det vs NYI is listed as being on HNIC. But what channel?

      They decide that on a week-to-week basis, likely depending on how important or interesting a particular matchup is. U.S. vs. U.S. Saturday night matchups are more likely to end up on channels like Sportsnet One, Sportsnet 360 and FX Canada.

      Reply ↓
  4. Christopher van Dyke

    From: Scott MacMillan
    VP, NHL Integration, Rogers

    http://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/forums/forumtopicpage/board-id/PVR_settop_boxes_remotes/thread-id/19065/page/2

    The NHL French Package
    It’s available approx. West of Belleville, ON – and is meant to give people in that area access to the games that RDS used to broadcast nationally, but now only broadcast within the Habs & Sens broadcast territory (this represents 111 games – 60 Habs, 54 Sens – they play each other in 3 of these, hence 111)

    It’s $59.99 for the full regular season (doesn’t include Playoffs)
    It’s available as a TV product (like NHL Centre Ice) – you can call anytime to have it added to your TV subscription as it’s available now.

    It’s also been made available to other TV providers across the country…I’m not 100% sure if all have decided to carry it yet or not, best to call and ask.

    It’s ALSO available as an Internet product (like Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE) – however at the start of the season, it won’t yet be available for purchase, so we’re allowing people to access the games for FREE until it is.

    You’ll access the games the same way you would any other game in Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE – by downloading the NHL app or going to NHL.com, clicking on the game you want to watch and choosing the French feed. During the FREE period, these particular games will not require you to login to watch.

    A couple other notes –
    The above mentioned games are ALSO included in the FULL Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE and NHL Centre Ice products, so no need to buy both if you’re already getting the full product.

    Also RGCL does include Playoffs, NHL All-Star Game, all out-of-market games, all Nationally televised games, and most in-market games (depending on where you live, all 1230 regular season games may be available within RGCL)

    You don’t need to be a Rogers customer to buy any of these (notwithstanding that other TV providers can choose not to carry the Centre Ice products) – you don’t buy RGCL or the Internet version of the NHL French Package through your TV provider – rather visit http://www.rogers.com/NHL to get RGCL now (you’ll notice that if you’re a Rogers Internet or Rogers Wireless Data customer, you’ll get RGCL for FREE until Dec 31, but anyone else can still buy it)

    It’s alot to digest, but hopefully that helps.
    ——————————————————————–

    Log in to Reply

    Habitant in SurreyOCTOBER 6, 2014 AT 2:44 AM
    I am only reproducing this information from Scott MacMillan
    VP, NHL Integration, Rogers.

    I have no idea how accurate the availability in Your province or town.

    If available to all, this is good news.

    If not, … :(

    Reply ↓
  5. Josehoseb

    I live in toronto and just added the NHL Centre Ice French Pack to my cable for $60. I used to get the french pack for $5 a month but I never cancelled it in the summer because I’m lazy and procrastinate so it cost me $60 a year anyway. Stop whining everybody and just add it if you want to watch all 82 games. I’m excited to see more Habs games in english than ever before. (also I work for rogers so after my discount it actually only cost $30 so blow me. Go habs go.)

    Reply ↓
    1. Richard

      I live in the Sudbury region,I did the same thing yesterday ,I called Bell Tv
      and bought The French Package for a one time fee of 60. 00, there no
      Rogers TV in our region

      Reply ↓
  6. travisjets

    Ok Jets game tonight and I’m in Calgary. I dont have centre ice or game centre but i logged into tsn streams 1-5 by signing up through telus and I can watch now through tsn stream online. Will it still black ok the stream too???

    Reply ↓
    1. Fagstein Post author

      I can watch now through tsn stream online. Will it still black ok the stream too?

      It should, since regional deals don’t include online streaming rights. And even if they did, you can’t watch it out of region without GameCentre Live.

      Reply ↓
  7. Matt

    It’s funny how whenever TSN or Rogers announces they are expanding to more channels, they like to tell everyone how they’re bringing us “more sports”, but in reality they use it as a tool to drag more $ out of people to sign up for extra peripheral sports channels. Go to hell Rogers. You too TSN.

    Reply ↓
  8. Rick

    How did the NHL decide that all of Atlantic Canada would be in the Ottawa Region. We are two provinces away? Having been a Leaf fan for over 50 yrs I am thoroughly disgusted with all the blackouts of the Leaf games. If this is in fact the NHLs fault how does one contact them to complain.

    Reply ↓
  9. Mike

    This is shocking when your trying to keep fans. I cannot watch the canucks because I’m a shaw subscriber What a load! Screw you Bettman

    Reply ↓
    1. Fagstein Post author

      It was suggested to me by à tv network to watch thé Habs in my corner sports bar lt would cost less.

      Well, it’s about 40 games a season you don’t have access to, and NHL Centre Ice costs about $200 a year ($60 if you get the just-RDS package). So that works out to about $5 or $1.50 a game.

      Reply ↓
  11. Chris

    I’d like to subscribe to NHL Gamecentre. I do not have a tv cable subscription. I live in Vancouver, B.C., will i be able to watch the Vancouver canucks games on game centre?

    Reply ↓
    1. Fagstein Post author

      I’d like to subscribe to NHL Gamecentre. I do not have a tv cable subscription. I live in Vancouver, B.C., will i be able to watch the Vancouver canucks games on game centre?

      No. Unless you have a subscription to Sportsnet, you will not be able to watch all Vancouver Canucks games on GameCentre Live. You may have access to nationally broadcast games (Saturday night games), but otherwise you’ll be blacked out.

      Reply ↓
    1. Fagstein Post author

      Will I be able to watch the Jets on NHL Gamecenter while I’m in Myrtle Beach, SC?

      Yes, except for the two games in February when the Jets play the Hurricanes (which is the local team for South Carolina), as well as any games that might get picked up by a U.S. national network (either NBC Sports Network or NHL Network). So far there aren’t any Jets games airing nationally in the U.S., but that could change.

      Reply ↓

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