Hurricanes have one national TV game on NBC Sports, again
NBC Sports has announced its national TV schedule for the NHL’s 2020-21 regular season and the Carolina Hurricanes are on the schedule.
Once.
In what has become a yearly affair, the Canes have been generally ignored by the TV folks in setting up the NBC schedule. After reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs the past two years and drawing attention for some fast-paced play under coach Rod Brind’Amour and their postgame Storm Surges, the Canes have been ignored again.
On April 4, the Canes’ home game against the Dallas Stars will be televised on NBC Sports Network as part of the Sunday Night schedule. That’s it. In contrast, the Chicago Blackhawks, a Canes rival in the Central Division this season, will be on seven times.
The NBC release Tuesday mentioned such “starpower” as Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, and also mentioned Alexis Lafreniere of the New York Rangers, the firsyt overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. No mention of Sebastian Aho or Andrei Svechnikov.
The NHL regular season, as now planned, will open Jan. 13 with a tripleheader on NBC Sports Network, including a primetime game between the 2020 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the Blackhawks. The Canes’ season opener is Jan. 14.
