No shortage of NHL hockey
TORONTO (CP) - Crack open a cold one. Hockey is back and there's plenty on TV this season north of the border.
TSN, CBC, RDS and Rogers Sportsnet unveiled their broadcast schedules for the upcoming NHL season Thursday.
-The CBC will broadcast 60 regular-season contests.
-TSN will carry 71 regular-season games - including a network-high 42 featuring Canadian teams
-RDS will show all 82 Canadiens games and 14 Senators games.
-Rogers Sportsnet will carry 45 Canucks games on its Pacific channel and 39 Senators games on Sportsnet East (with 20 available on the Ottawa area).
Both CBC and TSN will carry NHL playoff games with the CBC having exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup final.
The vast majority of CBC's games will be Saturday night, which has long been a tradition for the Canadian broadcaster. TSN will continue to make Wednesday night the staple of its hockey coverage, carrying 32 games on that night.
CBC has announced its games, but not who will be calling them.
The network locked out 5,500 members of the Canadian Media Guild on Aug. 15, which includes its on-air sports staff. That has forced the corporation to broadcast CFL games without commentators and audio provided through public-address announcements.
CBC spokesman Jason MacDonald said while the broadcaster and Canadian Media Guild have resumed contract talks, CBC will go ahead with its NHL schedule even if its labour impasse isn't resolved.
"Labour dispute or not, fans will be able to watch Hockey Night in Canada," MacDonald said. "We do have a contingency plan that hopefully we don't have to use and we're hoping that this dispute is resolved soon.
"But Hockey Night in Canada is going to be on regardless."
MacDonald would not provide details about the CBC's contingency plans.
"The focus should be on hockey starting up in about six weeks and not about something that might not even come to pass," he said.
CBC might be able to use local U.S. broadcasts in games featuring U.S. teams but that won't help games with all-Canadian content.
TSN will feature all six Canadian teams over the first two days of the NHL season.
The network will begin its opening-night coverage Oct. 5 by broadcasting four games. TSN will carry the Toronto Maple Leafs-Ottawa Senators game nationally (except in Alberta) starting at 8 p.m. ET, then go to the Vancouver Canucks home game versus the Phoenix Coyotes at 10:30 p.m. That contest will mark the head-coaching debut of Phoenix's Wayne Gretzky as well as the return from suspension of Vancouver star Todd Bertuzzi.
In Alberta, TSN will provide regional coverage of the Calgary Flames road game versus Minnesota before heading to Edmonton for the Oilers home game against the Colorado Avalanche.
On Oct. 6, TSN will carry the Montreal Canadians-Rangers game in New York nationally starting at 7 p.m. ET.
"This is by far the strongest NHL schedule we've ever had," TSN president Phil King said in a statement. "With all the recent trades and free agent signings in the past couple months, the anticipation and excitement continues to build.
"This year promises to be one of the most gripping, wide-open NHL seasons ever. We can't wait to get started."
CBC's coverage will begin Oct. 8 with two nationally televised games. The Montreal Canadiens will face the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Vancouver Canucks in Edmonton to take on the Oilers, starting at 10 p.m..
The Ottawa Senators home game versus Buffalo, which starts at 7 p.m., will be carried on a regional basis.
CBC will also broadcast Hockey Day in Canada on Jan. 7, carrying a NHL tripleheader, starting at 2 p.m. with Ottawa at Montreal. Then at 7 p.m., Toronto is at Edmonton, followed by Calgary at Vancouver at 10 p.m.
CBC will also serve as the host broadcaster for hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, which will be held from Feb. 15 to Feb. 26. Canada is the defending champion in both men's and women's hockey.
In the U.S., NBC is showing 18 games with 58 on the Outdoor Life Network. Only one of those will feature a game in Canada.