It's going to be an exciting season when it comes to the NHL on TV, as the league is moving to ESPN and TNT after 16 years on NBC, more than doubling the money it gets for TV rights in the process.
And now we know when the Bruins will be appearing on the new networks, as the league and networks announced their national TV schedules on Thursday.
The Bruins will have 13 nationally broadcast games this season -- five on TNT, three on ESPN, one on ABC, and four that will be streamed on ESPN+ and Hulu. All other games, as well as non-exclusive national games, will air locally on NESN.
The Bruins' first game on TNT will be Oct. 20 against the Flyers. They will have two ESPN+/Hulu games before Christmas, including against the Rangers the Friday after Thanksgiving. Their first ESPN game will be Jan. 6 against the Wild, while the lone ABC games comes April 23 against the Rangers.
TNT's weekly coverage will feature exclusive coverage of 25 Wednesday nights throughout the season, including 15 doubleheaders. They will have seven weeks of Sunday afternoon games in March and April.
TNT will also be the home of the NHL's three marquee outdoor games: the Winter Classic between the Wild and Blues on Jan. 1, the Stadium Series game between the Predators and Lightning on Feb. 26, and the Heritage Classic between the Maple Leafs and Sabres on March 13.
ESPN, meanwhile, will own Tuesday nights, including an opening night doubleheader on Oct. 12 featuring Lightning-Penguins and Kraken-Golden Knights. ESPN+ and Hulu will broadcast an exclusive game every Friday night through January, then every Thursday night for the rest of the season.
ABC will air the "Thanksgiving Showdown" between the Blues and Blackhawks on Nov. 26, the All-Star Game on Feb. 5, and then weekly Saturday games beginning Feb. 26.
ESPN and TNT will split the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while this year's Stanley Cup Final will air on ESPN and ABC.
Here is the Bruins' full national broadcast schedule:
Wednesday, October 20: Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers, TNT, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, October 22: Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres, ESPN+/Hulu, 7 p.m.
Friday, November 26: New York Rangers at Boston Bruins, ESPN+/Hulu, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 6: Minnesota Wild at Boston Bruins, ESPN, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, January 12: Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens, TNT, 7 p.m.
Thursday, January 13: Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins, ESPN, 7 p.m.
Thursday, January 20: Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins, ESPN+/Hulu, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, January 26: Boston Bruins at Colorado Avalanche, TNT, 10 p.m.
Thursday, March 3: Boston Bruins at Vegas Golden Knights, ESPN, 9 p.m.
Wednesday, March 16: Boston Bruins at Minnesota Wild, TNT, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 10: Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals, TNT, 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 19: Boston Bruins at St. Louis Blues, ESPN+/Hulu, 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 23: New York Rangers at Boston Bruins, ABC/ESPN+, 3 p.m.
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