New York Islanders Set to Play Canadiens on National Televison
The NHL and NBC Sports recently released their national TV schedule for the 2017-2018 season. This included 99 games featuring the Winter Classic, Stadium Series, and the NHL100 Classic.
The New York Islanders received little to no attention on the national scale. As of now, the Isles have just one nationally televised game.
Here is why there aren’t more:
The Game:
Monday, January 15th, 2018 in Montreal vs the Canadiens.
There is not much question as to why the Isles are only penciled in to play one game on national TV. The NHL and NBC have no reason to believe they are a draw for viewers.
If you take a look at their arena situation, it is obvious the NHL does not want games at the Barclays Center getting shown to their mass audiences.
It would be embarrassing to show a likely empty arena to hockey fans across the country.
The open displeasure with the less-than-standard ice conditions makes the league look bad.
It has become pretty apparent why the Islanders should not host a game with such a big audience watching.
It could be argued that the Islanders could get a Wednesday night rivalry game or two against the crosstown rival New York Rangers at The Garden, but the parties involved decided it was not worth showing.
The only issue I have with the Isles not getting at least one or two more games on National TV is the lack of attention to John Tavares.
The Isles captain is undoubtedly a star but is not promoted like one.
Granted, he has his well-earned contract extension still unsettled but that should have zero effect on this upcoming season.
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The awkward waiting to get a deal done by the team’s front office is, however, creating a negative headline.
Almost all of the other games with NBC Sports have an emphasis on showcasing a star.
The NHL likes having a star for you to watch so they can push him down your throat. The stars drive this league and they generate the most money and interest.
Leaving a top-ten talent in Tavares out of the national picture sort of contradicts their intentions.
The New York Islanders are a team that missed the playoffs last year and have had a historically bad last two decades.
It is going to take a lot more than a playoff series victory two years ago and John Tavares to get them to national prominence.
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So enjoy the one game they have for now. Unless the Islanders win and give the NHL and their fans something to get excited about, they won’t care.
Note that nationally televised games are subject to change and blackout.