NBC announced its national broadcast schedule for the NHL’s 2020-21 season. Seven Capitals games were picked up.

December 29, 2020 10:39 pm

NBC Sports announced its national broadcast schedule for the NHL’s 2020-21 season, Tuesday. The Washington Capitals will be featured in seven different national games. The first one will be on Sunday, January 17 on NBC against the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Please wear the Reverse Retro jerseys that game!)

The NHL season will start with an NBCSN tripleheader on January 13 starting at 5:30 PM.

The following is an edited press release from NBC Sports.

STAMFORD, Conn. – December 29, 2020 – NBC Sports has announced the telecast schedule for its exclusive games for the 2020-21 NHL regular season, beginning with a Wednesday Night Hockey tripleheader on Jan. 13 on NBCSN headlined by the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning against the Chicago Blackhawks at 8 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports’ NHL telecast schedule features exclusive weekend games on NBC and Wednesday Night Hockey and Sunday Night Hockey matchups on NBCSN. All game times and NBC Sports’ full 2020-21 NHL regular-season schedule will be announced soon.

The Jan. 13 season-opening tripleheader on NBCSN begins with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers at 5:30 p.m. ET and concludes with the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche at 10:30 p.m. ET.

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Last week, the NHL announced a 56-game regular-season schedule per team for the 2020-21 season, as well as a divisional realignment, sought to minimize team travel as much as possible by shifting to exclusively intra-divisional play.

All coverage on NBC and NBCSN streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT HOCKEY ON NBCSN

Schedule diversity – 19 different teams featured in 18 matchups and a blend of Eastern, Western and Canadian markets.

Star power – Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Carey Price, David Pastrnak, Claude Giroux, and 2020 NHL Draft first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere all featured.

Top matchups – 14 of 19 matchups include a 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoff team.

Schedule

NHL ON NBC

Once a week – NBC Sports will showcase the NHL 16 times on NBC – once every week on average during the 2020-21 season – beginning Sunday, January 17, featuring the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s the most-ever NHL regular-season games on NBC.

Fan-favorite rivalries – The NHL on NBC schedule features a number of rivalries, including a Valentine’s Day date between the Capitals and Penguins, plus Blackhawks-Red Wings, Bruins-Rangers, and Blues-Avalanche matchups.

“Final flex Saturday” – the final game on the NHL on NBC schedule on Saturday, May 8, is currently TBD and will feature the most compelling game with playoff implications.