Blackhawks, Penguins, Flyers rule NBC’s 2015-16 NHL TV schedule

NBC's 2015-16 NHL TV schedule feature lots of Blackhawks and Penguins, but little Connor McDavid and the Oilers.

Everybody loves a winner. At least that’s what the NBC Sports Group is banking on.

The NHL’s U.S. broadcast partner revealed its 2015–16 schedule on Monday and to no one’s surprise it features a heavy dose of the Blackhawks. The Stanley Cup champs appear a league-high 21 times on the schedule, including on opening night, Oct. 7.

Also in heavy rotation this season: the Penguins and the Flyers, who make 18 appearances each, and the Red Wings, who will be on 15 times.

At the other end of the scale? The Coyotes get one shot on national TV (March 7), as do the Blue Jackets (Feb. 23) and the Devils (Jan. 10).

NHL fan misery rankings 2015

No surprise that the Canadian teams get short shrift, but it’s a bit of a stunner that the Oilers will make only one appearance, for a March 1 showdown against the Sabres. No denying the appeal of that one—a head-to-head matchup between top pick Connor McDavid and second choice Jack Eichel—but it’s hard to fathom why NBC is otherwise ignoring McDavid, a player widely regarded as the best prospect to emerge in at least a decade. It’s a disservice to the game and fans in the States.

Games will be found primarily on NBCSN, with NHL on NBC coverage beginning on Nov. 27 with the Discover NHLThanksgiving Showdown featuring the Rangers at the Bruins. That will be the first of 12 games to air on the main network during the regular season. Boston also hosts the second game on NBC, on Jan. 1, when the Canadiens come to town for the Winter Classic.

Beginning on Jan. 24, NBC will present the NHL Game of the Week, generally on Sunday afternoons.

Here’s a look at the schedule as it stands now. Of course, all entries are subject to change.

DATE	AWAY	HOME	NETWORK	TIME (ET)
Wed., Oct. 7	N.Y. Rangers	Chicago	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 7	San Jose	Los Angeles	NBCSN	10 p.m.
Thur., Oct. 8	Minnesota	Colorado	NBCSN	9 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 13	Tampa Bay	Detroit	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 14	Chicago	Philadelphia	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 20	Dallas	Philadelphia	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 21	Philadelphia	Boston	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 27	Tampa Bay	St. Louis	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 28	Pittsburgh	Washington	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 28	Nashville	San Jose	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 3	Los Angeles	St. Louis	NBCSN	8:30 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 4	St. Louis	Chicago	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 10	Buffalo	Tampa Bay	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 11	Montreal	Pittsburgh	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 17	Minnesota	Pittsburgh	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 18	Washington	Detroit	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 25	Philadelphia	N.Y. Islanders	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 25	Chicago	San Jose	NBCSN	10 p.m.
Fri., Nov 27	N.Y. Rangers	Boston	NBC	1 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 27	Chicago	Anaheim	NBCSN	5 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 1	Minnesota	Chicago	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 1	Pittsburgh	San Jose	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 2	N.Y. Rangers	N.Y. Islanders	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 8	Detroit	Washington	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 9	Boston	Montreal	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 9	Pittsburgh	Colorado	NBCSN	10 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 15	Colorado	Chicago	NBCSN	8:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 16	Pittsburgh	Boston	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 22	Montreal	Minnesota	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 22	San Jose	Los Angeles	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 29	Nashville	St. Louis	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 30	N.Y. Rangers	Tampa Bay	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 30	Philadelphia	San Jose	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 1	Montreal	Boston	NBC	1 p.m.
Mon., Jan. 4	Los Angeles	Colorado	NBCSN	9 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 5	Montreal	Philadelphia	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 6	Pittsburgh	Chicago	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Thur., Jan. 7	Philadelphia	Minnesota	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 10	New Jersey	Minnesota	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 12	Tampa Bay	Colorado	NBCSN	9 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 13	Boston	Philadelphia	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Thur., Jan. 14	Chicago	Montreal	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 17	Philadelphia	Detroit	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Mon., Jan. 18	Pittsburgh	St. Louis	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 19	Chicago	Nashville	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 20	St. Louis	Detroit	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 20	Minnesota	Anaheim	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 24	Pittsburgh	Washington	NBC	12:30 p.m.
Mon., Jan. 25	Buffalo	N.Y. Rangers	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Tues., Jan 26	Chicago	Carolina	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Tues., Jan 26	Colorado	San Jose	NBCSN	10 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 27	Philadelphia	Washington	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 27	Colorado	Los Angeles	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.
Tues., Feb. 2	Florida	Washington	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 3	Detroit	Tampa Bay	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 4	N.Y. Islanders	Washington	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 4	Anaheim	Los Angeles	NBCSN	10 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 7	Philadelphia	Washington	NBC	12 p.m.
Tues., Feb. 9	Dallas	Minnesota	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 10	N.Y. Rangers	Pittsburgh	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 14	Boston	Detroit	NBC	3 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 14	Philadelphia	N.Y. Rangers	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Tues., Feb. 16	Dallas	St. Louis	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 17	Chicago	N.Y. Rangers	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 18	Detroit	Pittsburgh	NBCSN	7 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 21	Pittsburgh	Buffalo	NBC	12:30 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 21	Chicago	Minnesota	NBC	3:30 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 21	Detroit	N.Y. Rangers	NBCSN	7 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 22	San Jose	St. Louis	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., Feb. 23	Columbus	Detroit	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 24	Pittsburgh	Boston	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 24	San Jose	Colorado	NBCSN	10 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 25	Nashville	Chicago	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 27	Detroit	Colorado	NBC	8 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 28	Washington	Chicago	NBC	12:30 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 28	Tampa Bay	Boston	NBCSN	6:30 p.m.
Sun., Feb 28	Los Angeles	Anaheim	NBCSN	9 p.m.
Tues., March 1	Edmonton	Buffalo	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., March 2	Chicago	Detroit	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Sun., March 6	St. Louis	Minnesota	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Mon., March 7	Arizona	Colorado	NBCSN	9 p.m.
Tues., March 8	Pittsburgh	N.Y. Islanders	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., March 9	Chicago	St. Louis	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Sun., March 13	Pittsburgh	N.Y. Rangers	NBC	12:30 p.m.
Sun., March 13	Toronto	Detroit	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Mon., March 14	Los Angeles	Chicago	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., March 15	Detroit	Philadelphia	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Tues., March 15	Boston	San Jose	NBCSN	10 p.m.
Wed., March 16	Philadelphia	Chicago	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Sun., March 20	Washington	Pittsburgh	NBCSN	6 p.m.
Sun., March 20	Minnesota	Chicago	NBCSN	8:30 p.m.
Mon., March 21	Philadelphia	N.Y. Islanders	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Tues., March 22	Los Angeles	Minnesota	NBCSN	8:30 p.m.
Wed., March 23	Boston	N.Y. Rangers	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Sun., March 27	N.Y. Rangers	Pittsburgh	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Mon., March 28	Buffalo	Detroit	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Mon., March 28	Los Angeles	San Jose	NBCSN	10 p.m.
Tues., March 29	Colorado	St. Louis	NBCSN	8:30 p.m.
Wed., March 30	Washington	Philadelphia	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Sun., April 3	Boston	Chicago	NBC	12:30 p.m.
Sun., April 3	St. Louis	Colorado	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Tues., April 5	Tampa Bay	N.Y. Rangers	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
Wed., April 6	Philadelphia	Detroit	NBCSN	8 p.m.
Sat., April 9	Pittsburgh	Philadelphia	NBC	3 p.m.
Sat., April 9	TBD	TBD	NBCSN	TBD