Report: Bettman Proves he Doesn't Care about Canadian Markets

The NHL recently unveiled its national broadcasting lineup for the coming season on TNT and ESPN, and it appears that Canadian teams have been almost completely ignored.

The available data indicates that out of 31 nationally televised games featuring Canadian teams, 29 are allocated to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers. The Vancouver Canucks managed to secure two games as well.

This broadcasting schedule means that four Canadian NHL teams are missing from TNT and ESPN's primetime slots. In contrast, every U.S.-based NHL team, including last season's underperformers like the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes, has at least one game in a primetime slot.

This oversight marks yet another hiccup in the NHL's U.S. broadcasting strategy. The lack of balanced representation across teams and regions harms the NHL's visibility.

The absence of certain teams from the national spotlight also means that American fans will miss out on seeing emerging U.S. talents like Brady Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, and Cole Caufield in action.

As seen on Markerzone - REPORT: Gary Bettman Screws Canadian Markets With Latest Decision