A few months ago, as the Canadiens were winding down their season, I wrote about the state of the Canadiens and Bruins rivalry and the NHL’s poor efforts to showcase it. In three matchups last year, not once did the two teams meet on national television. Clearly, the NHL reads my writing because they listened in a big way.
The Canadiens and Bruins will meet four times in the 2023-24 season, and three of them will take place on a Saturday, broadcasted on national television, at least in Canada. This means no blackouts, no restrictions, and no additional costs. It’s unfortunate we had ever reached a point where this is surprising or necessary to highlight, but here we are.
Canadiens 2023-24 schedule. pic.twitter.com/5HELs4PbRs
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) June 27, 2023
The national TV schedule for the United States has yet to be released, so it remains to be seen if the two teams will also get the national spotlight south of the border. I wouldn’t expect every game to be, especially with the Canadiens still not likely being a playoff team, but at least one game should suffice.
There might be some debate about the best rivalry in hockey, but for my money, it’s the Canadiens and Bruins. It’s undoubtedly the league’s most historic, and as such, the NHL should be doing whatever they can to ensure it’s being showcased to newer fans of the game. Putting more eyes on the rivalry by making it more accessible is a great way to do that.
Big takeaway from the schedule? The Habs and Bruins play three of their four meetings on a Saturday Night.
— Ryan Praught (@RyanPraught) June 27, 2023
AS THEY SHOULD.
Other sports have made the time to showcase their biggest rivalries, including baseball, another sport in which blackouts are the norm. The MLB would still never miss the opportunity to put the Yankees-Red Sox or Giants-Dodgers on National TV. It was time for the NHL to follow suit, and this certainly indicates that they have.
Now, the hope is that this is an intended change and not just a random occurrence that will be gone by next year. This must be the norm, regardless of how “good” the two teams are. The Bruins and Habs have always belonged on national TV. Here’s to hoping the league took note and this is here to stay.
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