ESPN continued to air games on cable, but Fox's agreement effectively ending ABC's time-buy deal. Fox's deal was significant because it was the first time in at least 17 years that a broadcast network was willing to commit to a large number of regular season and playoff games, as well as selected games in the Stanley Cup Finals. In 1994, Fox agreed to a contract for broadcast television rights, beginning with the 1994–95 season. ESPN then entered into a time-buy agreement with ABC from the 1992–1993 season to the 1993–1994 season, allowing its sister broadcast network to air six regular season weekly regional telecasts and playoff games during the first three Sundays of the postseason. national rightsholder for the 1992–93 season. ET, with the game typically being joined in progress either just prior to the start of or during the early portion of the second period.ĮSPN replaced SportsChannel America as the NHL's U.S.
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In the 1950s, the HNIC telecast followed the lead of the radio broadcast by coming on the air at 9 p.m. Until the 1990s, there was only one game televised on HNIC each Saturday night in any particular locality and up to 1968, regular season games were still not broadcast in their entirety. In 1998, the start times were moved ahead to 7 p.m. Beginning in the 1995 season, weekly double-headers became permanent, with games starting at 7:30 Eastern and 7:30 Pacific, respectively. Eastern Time and the Kings home games began at 7:30 p.m. These games were often joined in progress, as the regular start time for Hockey Night in Canada was still 8 p.m.
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Main articles: National Hockey League on television, List of Canadian Stanley Cup Finals television announcers, List of American Stanley Cup Finals television announcers, List of Hockey Night in Canada commentators, List of NHL All-Star Game broadcasters, List of NHL on ESPN personalities, List of NHL on TSN commentating crews, and List of NHL on Sportsnet commentatorsĪfter Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, CBC began showing occasional double-headers when Canadian teams visited Los Angeles to showcase the sport's most popular player.