Nine Kings games to be broadcast nationally

The Los Angeles Kings will appear on NBC or NBCSN nine times in the 2016-17 season, the league announced in a Thursday press release.

Wednesday, October 12: KINGS at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
Wednesday, November 30: San Jose at KINGS, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
Friday, December 16: KINGS at Pittsburgh, 4:00 p.m. (NBCSN)
Tuesday, January 3: KINGS at San Jose, 7:00 p.m. (NBCSN)
Wednesday, January 18: San Jose at KINGS, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
Wednesday, February 1: Colorado at KINGS, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
Sunday, February 5: KINGS at Washington, 9:00 a.m. (NBC)
Tuesday, February 7: KINGS at Tampa Bay, 4:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
Monday, February 27: KINGS at Minnesota, 5:00 p.m. (NBCSN)
-all times PT | CLICK HERE for NBC’s full schedule and release

For those keeping track (guilty!), the Kings were broadcast 10 times on the NBC Sports Group last season and 13 times during the defense of their Stanley Cup two seasons ago. There’s the possibility the number of games broadcast nationally could rise, given that Los Angeles faces Chicago at Staples Center on April 8 and Anaheim at Honda Center on April 9, two dates still fall under “TBD” designation on NBC’s broadcast schedule. As always, schedules are subject to change.

FOX Sports West will announce its own broadcast schedule at a later date. Over the last three years, that schedule has been released in September.

Though four of the five Kings-Sharks games will be broadcast nationally – leaving the teams’ match-up on New Year’s Eve at Staples Center as the only head-to-head bout that won’t be carried by NBCSN – all five Kings-Ducks games were omitted from today’s list, which is good news for FOX Sports West and Prime Ticket. The February 5 game in Washington on the morning of the Super Bowl will be the first Kings game broadcast on “big” NBC since the season finale against San Jose on April 11, 2015.

Cash is cash is cash, so it’s understandable why several Canadian teams won’t be shown on NBC this season. But it would still be nice if the league took on a similar responsibility to grow the game on a national level as many teams do on grassroots levels, at their own expense. That Connor McDavid, Erik Karlsson and Johnny Gaudreau won’t be broadcast nationally in the United States, and that Auston Matthews and the Leafs won’t appear on NBC other than this year’s Winter Classic is a disappointment. With that being said, the league is coming off the “most-watched full NHL regular season on cable” in 22 years. Obviously there are encouraging ratings marks and sponsorship dollars that won’t be hit if Canadian markets are featured more frequently, but it would be appreciated if the NHL could approach things from a broader, longer-term perspective and cast a wider broadcast net to showcase premier players for the good of the game. /end spiel

There are three outdoor games. The Winter Classic will be contested by the Blues and Blackhawks at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on January 2, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. PT and will be carried by NBC. The NHL Centennial Classic features the Maple Leafs and Red Wings at BMO Field in Toronto at 10:00 a.m. PT on Sunday, January 1, 2017 in commemoration of the league’s 100th year. There’s one Stadium Series game this season, and it features the Penguins and Flyers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh at 5:00 p.m. PT on February 25, 2017.

The NHL Skills Competition and All-Star Game will be held at Staples Center on January 28 and 29 and will be broadcast by NBCSN. Via NBC, the adoption of a three-on-three format last season helped spur the most-watched and highest-rated All-Star Game in the network’s history.

All games will be streamed live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app to authenticated users via TV Everywhere, via NBC’s release. Also via NBC, schedule highlights include:

• 106 regular-season games in 2016-17 – 14 on NBC and 92 on NBCSN – the most since NBC Sports Group acquired exclusive NHL U.S. television rights prior to the 2005-06 season. During that season, NBC and then-OLN combined to present 64 regular-season games – six regionalized games on NBC, and 58 on NBCSN.

• An opening night doubleheader on NBCSN on Wednesday, Oct. 12, featuring a pair of 2016 Stanley Cup Playoff rematches. The Chicago Blackhawks will host the rival St. Louis Blues at 8 p.m. ET, followed by a matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and defending Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks at 10:30 p.m. ET.

• The Pittsburgh Penguins will raise their 2016 Stanley Cup Champion banner to the rafters on NBCSN on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m. ET, when they open their season at home against the Washington Capitals in a rematch of their 2016 Second Round playoff series.

• The Blackhawks lead all clubs with 21 total appearances on NBC and NBCSN, followed by the Flyers with 20, and the Rangers and Bruins with 16 appearances apiece, respectively. *Note: some games are subject to local blackouts*

• Capitals-Penguins, Kings-Sharks, and Flyers-Rangers are the most featured regular-season matchups, each appearing four times across NBC and NBCSN.

• At least 54 of NBC and NBCSN’s 106 telecasts will feature at least one Western Conference team, and every U.S. team will appear on NBC or NBCSN in the regular season.

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