NBC Sports to air 109 games during 2019-20 NHL regular season

Previous 2 Stanley Cup champions open regular season on Oct. 2 on NBCSN as Blues raise banner in St. Louis vs. Alex Ovechkin and Capitals

2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic pits Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars from Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas on Jan. 1

Nearly 75% of NHL teams to be showcased on NBCSN’s ‘Wednesday Night Hockey’

NBC Sports is scheduled to present 109 games during the 2019-20 NHL regular season with coverage beginning Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, when Ryan O’Reilly and the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues raise their championship banner to the rafters and host Alex Ovechkin and the 2018 Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.

All games will be streamed live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app to authenticated users via TV Everywhere.

NBC Sports’ 2019-20 NHL schedule is highlighted by the second season of “Wednesday Night Hockey” on NBCSN, which will again showcase a diverse schedule of the NHL’s current and rising stars.

Highlights of NBC Sports’ “Wednesday Night Hockey” schedule on NBCSN include:

•Doubleheaders: 14 of 25 “Wednesday Night Hockey” showcases on NBCSN will be doubleheaders, with a nearly equal balance of Eastern and Western Conference teams;

•Star Power: Established stars and young phenoms will take center stage on “Wednesday Night Hockey,” highlighted by multiple appearances from the likes of Ovechkin (WSH), Sidney Crosby (PIT), Patrice Bergeron (BOS), Alex Pietrangelo (STL), Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK), Patrick Kane (CHI), Steven Stamkos (TBL), Claude Giroux (PHI), Henrik Lundqvist (NYR), Erik Karlsson (SJS), Joe Pavelski (DAL), Jonathan Quick (LAK) and Nathan MacKinnon (COL);

•Diverse Schedule: “Wednesday Night Hockey” will showcase nearly 75% of NHL teams this season, NBCSN’s widest variety of teams to date on Wednesday nights, including multiple appearances by Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Colorado, Dallas and Vegas. The defending champion St. Louis Blues will make four “Wednesday Night Hockey” appearances, while the runner-up Boston Bruins will have three appearances.

“This year’s schedule builds off the success we saw last year with increased diversity of teams and matchups highlighted by ‘Wednesday Night Hockey, ” said Sam Flood, executive producer and president, production, NBC Sports and NBCSN. “From star-studded matchups like McDavid vs. Matthews, Ovechkin vs. Crosby, and Hughes vs. Kakko, to the southernmost Winter Classic featuring Dallas and Nashville and classic ‘Original Six’ matchups, our 2019-20 schedule features something for all hockey fans across the country.”

Following are highlights of NBC Sports’ 2019-20 NHL regular-season schedule:

•The season opens with a “Wednesday Night Hockey” doubleheader on Oct. 2 (8 p.m.) on NBCSN, as the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues host the 2018 Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, followed by a playoff rematch between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks at 10:30 p.m.

•NBC Sports will present the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars from Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas on Jan. 1, 2020, on NBC.

•NBC Sports will present exclusive primetime coverage of the 2020 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche from Falcon Stadium at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 (8 p.m.), on NBC;

•NBC Sports will present coverage of the 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend from Enterprise Center in St. Louis, home of the St. Louis Blues, on Jan. 24-25, highlighted by live coverage of the All-Star Game on Saturday, Jan. 25, in primetime on NBC.

•NBC Sports will present 12 NHL games on NBC, beginning with the 2019 Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown on Friday, Nov. 29, when the Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers at TD Garden.

•All U.S. teams will be featured on NBC or NBCSN; Canadian teams will make a combined 14 appearances on NBCSN, including four appearances for Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers and three appearances for Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Connor 66 of 109 scheduled regular-season games on NBC and NBCSN – more than 60% – will feature at least one Western Conference team.

NHL Winter Classic and NHL Stadium Series

The NHL will make history this season as it puts on the southernmost Winter Classic since the annual game began in 2008. On Jan. 1, the Dallas Stars will host the Nashville Predators in the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas.

The NHL Winter Classic has produced the five most-watched regular-season games in NHL history. The 2020 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will feature the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, Feb. 15, in primetime on NBC at Falcon Stadium at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

‘Wednesday Night Hockey’

NBCSN’s exclusive “Wednesday Night Hockey” coverage will feature the NHL’s established stars and young phenoms, and another diverse schedule. In addition, many “Wednesday Night Hockey” games and doubleheaders will feature earlier start times (7-7:30 p.m. ET). In many cases, Eastern Conference teams will be featured in the first game of the doubleheader, followed by a Western Conference matchup in the nightcap.

Notable games on the “Wednesday Night Hockey” schedule include:

• Oct. 16 –Crosby and the Penguins host MacKinnon and the Avalanche, followed by a clash in Edmonton between McDavid and the Oilers and Giroux and the Flyers.
• Dec. 4 – Reilly and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Blues face off against the Penguins.
• Jan. 29 – Offseason acquisition Matt Duchene and the Nashville Predators visit Ovechkin and the Capitals, followed by a battle out west between the Lightning and the Kings in Los Angeles.
• Feb. 19 – Artemi Panarin and the Rangers travel to Chicago to face Kane and the Blackhawks in an “Original Six” clash.
• Feb. 26 – Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres will visit the Avalanche, followed by Penguins-Kings.

NBC Sports Presents 2020 NHL All-Star Game Live in Primetime on NBC

NBC and NBCSN will present extensive coverage of the 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend from Enterprise Center, highlighted by the NHL All-Star Game in primetime on NBC on Saturday, Jan. 25. NHL All-Star will take place Jan. 24-25 and will include the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Friday, Jan. 24, on NBCSN.

‘NHL on NBC’

“NHL on NBC” coverage begins on Friday, Nov. 29 (1 p.m.), with the 2019 Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown featuring the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins, marking the first of 12 games scheduled to air on NBC during the regular season. Beginning Jan. 19, and continuing through the end of the regular season, NBC will present the “NHL Game of the Week,” generally occurring on Sunday afternoons.

NHL on NBCSN

NBC Sports will televise at least 97 NHL regular-season games this season on NBCSN, including the opening night doubleheader, 38 “Wednesday Night Hockey” games, and 22 doubleheaders, as well as NHL All-Star coverage. In addition, NBC Sports has left the majority of the final week of the regular season on NBCSN open to allow for the biggest games with playoff implications to be added to the schedule.

Additional matchups of note on NBCSN include:

• Thursday, Oct. 17 – The top two picks in the 2019 NHL Draft clash in a rejuvenated tri-state rivalry on NBCSN, when No. 1 pick Jack Hughes, newly acquired superstar P.K. Subban and the Devils host No. 2 overall Kaapo Kakko and the Rangers.
• Saturday, Oct. 26 – A 2019 Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Blues and Bruins in Boston, followed by the 2019 NHL Heritage Classic featuring the Flames and Jets at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan.
• Friday, Nov. 8 – Live coverage (at 2 p.m. from Stockholm, Sweden) of the NHL Global Series matchup between the Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.
• Tuesday, Dec. 17 – The first of four matchups featuring Matthews and Toronto Maple Leafs as they host the Buffalo Sabres.
• Monday, Jan. 6 – Superstars clash north of the border as McDavid and the Oilers face Matthews and the Maple Leafs in Toronto.
• Thursday, Jan. 30 – Subban faces his former team when the Predators visit the Devils.
• Monday, Feb. 10 – The Lightning face the Blue Jackets for the first time following Columbus’ sweep of Tampa Bay in the First Round of the 2019 Playoffs.
• Tuesday, Feb. 18 – Matthews and the Maple Leafs visit Crosby and the Penguins.

‘NHL Live’ & ‘NHL Overtime’

“NHL Live” and “NHL Overtime,” NBC Sports’ live pre- and post-game show with highlights and analysis of NHL matchups, will air before and after most games on NBCSN. A 60-minute edition of “NHL Live” will air prior to most games, while “NHL Overtime” will air immediately following most games.

Streaming Coverage on NBCSPORTS.COM and the NBC Sports App

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will provide live streaming coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are powered by Playmaker Media and available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox and Chromecast.