The National Hockey League will produce and distribute local game broadcasts for the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, and St. Louis Blues for the upcoming season. This initiative marks a significant shift as the league steps in to fill the void left by the collapse of regional sports networks.
The demise of Main Street Sports, which operated 15 regional channels under the FanDuel Sports Network brand, impacted seven NHL franchises last season, including the four now being supported by the league's centralized production. The NHL announced the plan on Tuesday, aiming to ensure a smooth transition and maintain broadcast quality.
"I think we’ve been looking at this day for a long time. If something happened in the middle of last season, we would’ve been quickly able to mobilize and not miss a beat," said Steve Mayer, the NHL's president of events and content. He added that the offseason provides ample time to develop a high-quality production.
The league's move into centralized local game production follows similar trends in other major professional sports. Major League Baseball began producing local broadcasts for 15 teams in 2023, and the National Basketball Association is preparing to launch a centralized streaming hub by the 2027-28 season.
"It’s a crazy time in the media space. I mean, there’s just no getting around it," stated NHL chief media officer and senior EVP David Proper. He acknowledged the challenges of evolving distribution, partnerships, and production in a rapidly changing industry.
Other teams previously associated with FanDuel Sports Network have secured new broadcast arrangements. The Detroit Red Wings will have their games aired on Detroit SportsNet, managed by their ownership group. The Los Angeles Kings will be broadcast on Angels Broadcast TV, which previously operated as FanDuel Sports Network West. The Nashville Predators reached an agreement with Scripps Sports.
The NHL has indicated that additional teams may be added to this localized production plan before the season begins. The Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars are potential candidates following payment issues with the Victory+ streaming service.
NHL Productions plans to enhance the viewing experience for these local broadcasts by incorporating more cameras, improving replay capabilities, and utilizing updated graphics to mirror the quality of national network broadcasts. Local announcers are expected to remain a feature of these productions.
In conjunction with these broadcast changes, the NHL also announced the hiring of Rob McGlarry as its new general manager of local media.