Wednesday Night Rivalry


Wednesday Night Rivalry and Wednesday Night Hockey was the branding used for National Hockey League games that aired on NBCSN on Wednesday nights during the regular season from January 2013 to May 2021.
In the 2012–13 NHL season, NBCSN rebranded their coverage of Wednesday night games as Wednesday Night Rivalry. It primarily featured rivalry games, although the network has received criticism for games which do not seem to include a strong element of rivalry are common. NBCSN sometimes produces a Wednesday Nightcap game primarily featuring Western Conference teams immediately following their Wednesday Night Rivalry game. Beginning in the 2013–14 NHL season, NBCSN aired the series NHL Rivals, which looks back at the participating teams' historic rivalry, leading up to their Wednesday Night Rivalry game. That same season, NBCSN promoted the games with the slogan "The Night You Love To Hate".
Beginning with the 2018–19 NHL season, NBC Sports rebranded its Wednesday night broadcasts of the NHL as Wednesday Night Hockey, with the focus shifting from rivalry games to powerhouse teams and top NHL stars. The first season of Wednesday Night Hockey featured more West Coast games and a few matchups featuring Canadian teams.

Results

2013–14 season

DateTimeAway teamScoreHome teamScore
October 2, 20138 P.M.Buffalo1Detroit2
October 9, 20138 P.M.Chicago2St. Louis3
October 16, 20138 P.M.N.Y. Rangers2Washington0
October 23, 20138 P.M.Boston5Buffalo2
October 30, 20138 P.M.Boston2Pittsburgh3
November 6, 20137:30 P.M.Pittsburgh1N.Y. Rangers5
November 13, 20138 P.M.Philadelphia2Pittsburgh1
November 20, 20138 P.M.Pittsburgh4Washington0
November 27, 20137:30 P.M.Boston1Detroit6
December 4, 20138 P.M.Philadelphia6Detroit3
December 11, 20138 P.M.Philadelphia2Chicago7
December 18, 20138 P.M.Pittsburgh4 N.Y. Rangers3
January 8, 20148 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Chicago2
January 15, 20148 P.M.Washington3Pittsburgh4
January 22, 20148 P.M.Chicago4Detroit5
January 29, 20147:30 P.M.N.Y. Rangers2N.Y. Islanders1
February 5, 20147:30 P.M.Pittsburgh5Buffalo1
February 26, 20147:30 P.M.Boston4Buffalo5
February 26, 201410 P.M.Los Angeles6Colorado4
March 5, 20148 P.M.Washington4Philadelphia6
March 12, 20147:30 P.M.Boston4Montréal1
March 19, 20148 P.M.St. Louis0Chicago4
March 26, 20148 P.M.Philadelphia1N.Y. Rangers3
April 2, 20148 P.M.Boston2Detroit3
April 2, 201410:30 P.M.Phoenix0Los Angeles4
April 9, 20148 P.M.Detroit3Pittsburgh4
April 9, 201410:30 P.M.San Jose2Anaheim5

2014–15 season

TSN's Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger begin to make appearances on Wednesday Night Rivalry as NHL insiders every pregame and first intermission.
DateTimeAway teamScoreHome teamScore
October 8, 20147:30 P.M.Philadelphia1Boston2
October 8, 201410 P.M.San Jose4Los Angeles0
October 15, 20148 P.M.Boston3 Detroit2
October 22, 20148 P.M.Philadelphia5Pittsburgh3
October 29, 20147:30 P.M.Detroit4Washington2
November 5, 20148 P.M.Detroit3N.Y. Rangers4
November 12, 20148 P.M.Boston1Toronto6
November 12, 201410:30 P.M.Los Angeles5Anaheim6
November 19, 20148 P.M.Philadelphia0N.Y. Rangers2
December 3, 20148 P.M.St. Louis1Chicago4
December 10, 20148 P.M.Toronto2Detroit1
December 17, 20148 P.M.Boston3 Minnesota2
January 7, 20158 P.M.Boston3 Pittsburgh2
January 7, 201510:30 P.M.N.Y. Rangers4Anaheim1
January 14, 20158 P.M.Philadelphia0Washington1
January 21, 20158 P.M.Chicago3Pittsburgh2
January 21, 201510:30 P.M.Los Angeles2San Jose4
January 28, 20158 P.M.Pittsburgh0Washington4
January 28, 201510:30 P.M.Chicago3Los Angeles4
February 4, 20158 P.M.Boston2N.Y. Rangers3
February 11, 20158 P.M.Detroit1Pittsburgh4
February 11, 201510:30 P.M.Washington5 San Jose4
February 18, 20157:30 P.M.Detroit3 Chicago2
February 18, 201510 P.M.Los Angeles4Colorado1
February 25, 20158 P.M.Pittsburgh4Washington3
March 4, 20158 P.M.N.Y. Rangers1Detroit2
March 11, 20158 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Washington1
March 18, 20158 P.M.Chicago1N.Y. Rangers0
March 18, 201510:30 P.M.Los Angeles2Anaheim3
March 25, 20158 P.M.Chicago1Philadelphia4
April 1, 20158 P.M.Philadelphia4Pittsburgh1
April 1, 201510:30 P.M.Colorado1San Jose5
April 8, 20158 P.M.Boston0Washington3
April 8, 201510:30 P.M.Dallas4Anaheim0

2015–16 season

DateTimeAway teamScoreHome teamScore
October 7, 20158 P.M.NY Rangers3Chicago2
October 7, 201510:30 P.M.San Jose5Los Angeles1
October 14, 20158 P.M.Chicago0Philadelphia2
October 21, 20158 P.M.Philadelphia5 Boston4
October 28, 20158 P.M.Pittsburgh3Washington1
October 28, 201510:30 P.M.Nashville2San Jose1
November 4, 20158 P.M.St. Louis6 Chicago5
November 11, 20157:30 P.M.Montreal3Pittsburgh4
November 18, 20158 P.M.Washington2 Detroit1
December 2, 20158 P.M.N.Y. Rangers1N.Y. Islanders2
December 9, 20157:30 P.M.Boston3Montreal1
December 9, 201510 P.M.Pittsburgh4Colorado2
December 16, 20158 P.M.Pittsburgh0Boston3
January 6, 20168 P.M.Pittsburgh1Chicago3
January 13, 20168 P.M.Boston2Philadelphia3
January 20, 20168 P.M.St. Louis2Detroit1
January 20, 201610:30 P.M.Minnesota1Anaheim3
January 27, 20168 P.M.Philadelphia4 Washington3
January 27, 201610:30 P.M.Colorado4Los Angeles3
February 3, 20168 P.M.Detroit1Tampa Bay3
February 10, 20168 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Pittsburgh0
February 17, 20168 P.M.Chicago5N.Y. Rangers3
February 24, 20167:30 P.M.Pittsburgh1Boston5
February 24, 201610 P.M.San Jose3Colorado4
March 2, 20168 P.M.Chicago5Detroit2
March 9, 20168 P.M.Chicago2St. Louis3
March 16, 20168 P.M.Philadelphia3Chicago2
March 23, 20168 P.M.Boston2N.Y. Rangers5
March 30, 20168 P.M.Washington1Philadelphia2
April 6, 20168 P.M.Philadelphia0Detroit3

2016–17 season

DateTimeAway teamScoreHome teamScore
October 12, 20168 P.M.St. Louis5Chicago2
October 12, 201610:30 P.M.Los Angeles1San Jose2
October 19, 20168 P.M.Detroit2N.Y. Rangers1
October 26, 20168 P.M.Boston2N.Y. Rangers5
November 2, 20168 P.M.Detroit3Philadelphia4
November 9, 20168 P.M.Chicago2 St. Louis1
November 16, 20167:30 P.M.Pittsburgh1Washington7
November 30, 20168 P.M.Pittsburgh3N.Y. Islanders5
November 30, 201610:30 P.M.San Jose4Los Angeles1
December 7, 20168 P.M.Boston3Washington4
December 14, 20167:30 P.M.Boston3Pittsburgh4
December 14, 201610 P.M.Philadelphia4Colorado3
December 21, 20168 P.M.Washington2Philadelphia3
January 4, 20178 P.M.N.Y. Rangers5Philadelphia2
January 11, 20178 P.M.Pittsburgh2Washington5
January 18, 20178 P.M.Boston5Detroit6
January 18, 201710:30 P.M.San Jose3Los Angeles2
January 25, 20178 P.M.Philadelphia2N.Y. Rangers0
February 1, 20178 P.M.Boston3Washington5
February 1, 201710:30 P.M.Colorado0Los Angeles5
February 8, 20178 P.M.Chicago4 Minnesota3
February 15, 20178 P.M.St. Louis2Detroit0
February 15, 201710:30 P.M.Florida6 San Jose5
February 22, 20178 P.M.Washington4Philadelphia1
March 1, 20178 P.M.Pittsburgh1Chicago4
March 8, 20178 P.M.Detroit1Boston6
March 15, 20177:30 P.M.Pittsburgh0Philadelphia4
March 22, 20178 P.M.N.Y. Islanders3N.Y. Rangers2
March 29, 20178 P.M.Chicago5Pittsburgh1
April 5, 20178 P.M.N.Y. Rangers0Washington2

2017–18 season

DateTimeAway teamScoreHome teamScore
October 4, 20178 P.M.St. Louis5Pittsburgh4
October 4, 201710:30 P.M.Philadelphia5San Jose3
October 11, 20177:30 P.M.Pittsburgh3Washington2
October 18, 20178 P.M.Chicago2St. Louis5
October 18, 201710:30 P.M.Montreal1Los Angeles5
October 25, 20178 P.M.Buffalo1Columbus5
November 1, 20178 P.M.Philadelphia0Chicago3
November 1, 201710:30 P.M.Nashville1San Jose4
November 8, 20178 P.M.Boston2N.Y. Rangers4
November 8, 201710:30 P.M.Tampa Bay5San Jose1
November 15, 20178 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Chicago6
November 29, 20177:30 P.M.Tampa Bay1Boston3
December 6, 20178 P.M.Chicago2Washington6
December 13, 20178 P.M.Boston3Detroit2
December 20, 20178 P.M.Detroit3Philadelphia4
January 3, 20188 P.M.Chicago5N.Y. Rangers2
January 10, 20188 P.M.Minnesota2Chicago1
January 17, 20187:30 P.M.Montreal1Boston4
January 17, 201810 P.M.Pittsburgh3Anaheim5
January 24, 20188 P.M.Toronto3 Chicago2
January 31, 20188 P.M.Philadelphia3Washington5
February 7, 20188 P.M.Boston6N.Y. Rangers1
February 28, 20188 P.M.Detroit1St. Louis2
March 7, 20188 P.M.Pittsburgh5Philadelphia2
March 14, 20188 P.M.Pittsburgh3N.Y. Rangers4
March 21, 20188 P.M.Boston1St. Louis2
March 28, 20188 P.M.N.Y. Rangers2Washington3
April 4, 20188 P.M.Chicago4St. Louis3

2018–19 season (as Wednesday Night Hockey)

As part of the new Wednesday Night Hockey format, "Inside the Glass" reporter Pierre McGuire is now assigned to work the late game of Wednesday Night Hockey doubleheaders while Brian Boucher takes over "Inside the Glass" reporting duties for the early game alongside Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk. McGuire joins the lead team of Emrick and Olczyk during single-header Wednesday Night Hockey games. In addition, Kathryn Tappen replaced Liam McHugh as the studio host for the first half of the season when the latter was promoted to work postgame coverage of Sunday Night Football. The Toronto-Winnipeg game on October 24 marked the first-ever regular-season NHL on NBC broadcast to feature only Canadian teams and an NBC-produced broadcast.
On February 20, Mike Tirico made his NHL announcing debut calling the Blackhawks–Red Wings game with Olczyk and Boucher.
DateTimeAway teamScoreHome teamScore
October 3, 20187:30 P.M.Boston0Washington7
October 3, 201810:30 P.M.Anaheim5San Jose2
October 10, 20188 P.M.Vegas2Washington5
October 17, 20187 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Washington4
October 17, 20189:30 P.M.Boston2Calgary5
October 24, 20187 P.M.Toronto4Winnipeg2
October 24, 20189:30 P.M.Tampa Bay1Colorado0
November 7, 20187:30 P.M.Pittsburgh1Washington2
November 7, 201810 P.M.Nashville4Colorado1
November 14, 20188 P.M.St. Louis0Chicago1
November 14, 201810:30 P.M.Anaheim0Vegas5
November 28, 20187 P.M.St. Louis3Detroit4
November 28, 20189:30 P.M.Pittsburgh3Colorado6
December 5, 20188 P.M.Edmonton3 St. Louis2
December 5, 201810:30 P.M.Chicago2Anaheim4
December 12, 20188 P.M.Pittsburgh3Chicago6
December 19, 20188 P.M.Pittsburgh2Washington1
January 2, 20197 P.M.Pittsburgh7N.Y. Rangers2
January 2, 20199:30 P.M.San Jose5Colorado4
January 9, 20198 P.M.Nashville4 Chicago3
January 16, 20197:30 P.M.Boston3Philadelphia4
January 16, 201910 P.M.San Jose3Arizona6
January 23, 20197:30 P.M.Washington3Toronto6
January 23, 201910 P.M.Nashville2Vegas1
January 30, 20198 P.M.Tampa Bay2Pittsburgh4
February 6, 20198 P.M.Boston3N.Y. Rangers4
February 13, 20198 P.M.Edmonton1Pittsburgh3
February 20, 20197:30 P.M.Chicago5 Detroit4
February 20, 201910 P.M.Boston3 Vegas2
February 27, 20197:30 P.M.Tampa Bay4 N.Y. Rangers3
February 27, 201910 P.M.Chicago4Anaheim3
March 6, 20197:30 P.M.Washington5Philadelphia3
March 6, 201910 P.M.St. Louis5Anaheim4
March 13, 20197 P.M.Chicago5Toronto4
March 13, 20199:30 P.M.New Jersey6Edmonton3
March 20, 20197:30 P.M.Tampa Bay5 Washington4
March 20, 201910 P.M.Winnipeg3Anaheim0
March 27, 20197:30 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Boston6
March 27, 201910 P.M.Vegas3Colorado4
April 3, 20198 P.M.St. Louis3Chicago4

2019–20 season (as Wednesday Night Hockey)

As part of the arrangement that was continued from the previous season, Brian Boucher joined Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk for many Wednesday Night Hockey match-ups while Pierre McGuire will appear on other broadcasts. In addition, Kathryn Tappen replaced Liam McHugh as the studio host for the first half of the season when the latter was promoted to work postgame coverage of Sunday Night Football.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL regular season ended on March 12.
DateTimeAway teamScoreHome teamScore
October 2, 20198 P.M.Washington3St. Louis2
October 2, 201910:30 P.M.San Jose1Vegas4
October 9, 20197:30 P.M.New Jersey0Philadelphia4
October 9, 201910 P.M.Los Angeles2Vancouver8
October 16, 20197 P.M.Colorado2Pittsburgh3
October 16, 20199:30 P.M.Philadelphia3Edmonton6
October 23, 20198 P.M.Pittsburgh2Tampa Bay3
October 30, 20198 P.M.Minnesota1St. Louis2
November 6, 20198 P.M.Detroit1N.Y. Rangers5
November 13, 20197:30 P.M.Washington2Philadelphia1
November 13, 201910:00 P.M.Chicago5Vegas3
November 20, 20198 P.M.Washington5N.Y. Rangers2
December 4, 20198 P.M.St. Louis0Pittsburgh3
December 11, 20197 P.M.Boston2Washington3
December 11, 20199:30 P.M.Philadelphia1Colorado3
December 18, 20198 P.M.Colorado4Chicago1
January 8, 20207:30 P.M.Washington2Philadelphia3
January 8, 202010 P.M.Dallas2Los Angeles1
January 15, 20208 P.M.Philadelphia4St. Louis3
January 22, 20208 P.M.Detroit2Minnesota4
January 29, 20207:30 P.M.Nashville5Washington4
January 29, 202010 P.M.Tampa Bay4Los Angeles2
February 5, 20208 P.M.Boston2Chicago1
February 12, 20207:30 P.M.Montreal1Boston4
February 12, 202010 P.M.Calgary3Los Angeles5
February 19, 20208 P.M.N.Y. Rangers6Chicago3
February 26, 20208 P.M.Buffalo2Colorado3
February 26, 202010:30 P.M.Pittsburgh1Los Angeles2
March 4, 20207 P.M.Philadelphia5Washington2
March 4, 20209:30 P.M.Anaheim4Colorado3
March 11, 20208 P.M.San Jose2Chicago6

2020–21 season (as Wednesday Night Hockey)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the 2020–21 NHL season has been delayed to January 13, 2021, and all teams played a 56-game division-only schedule with the NHL temporarily realigning divisions to minimize travel as much as possible, with all seven Canadian teams playing one division due to COVID-19 cross-border travel restrictions imposed by the Government of Canada.
NBCSN opened the season with a season-opening triple header on January 13, 2021 as part of Wednesday Night Hockey. 19 different teams featured in 19 Wednesday Night Hockey matchups which will include a blend of Eastern, Western, and Canadian markets. Star players such as Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Alexander Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Carey Price, David Pastrnak, Claude Giroux, and the #1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Alexis Lafreniere, will be featured in Wednesday Night Hockey. 14 out of the 19 Wednesday Night Hockey matchups will feature a team that made the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. However, not all games will be exclusive, unlike in previous seasons.
NBC did not name a presumptive lead play-by-play voice following the retirement of Mike Emrick and chose to rotate between John Forslund and Kenny Albert. Eventually, Mike Tirico was added to the rotation starting with the Bruins-Flyers game on February 3.
This was the final season of NBC broadcasting NHL games before the league's new American national television contracts with ESPN/ABC and TNT beginning with the 2021–22 season. TNT has largely maintained Wednesday night as the primary night for its coverage.
DateTimeAway teamScoreHome teamScore
January 13, 20215:30 P.M.Pittsburgh3Philadelphia6
January 13, 20218 P.M.Chicago1Tampa Bay5
January 13, 202110:30 P.M.St. Louis4Colorado1
January 20, 20217 P.M.Edmonton3Toronto1
January 20, 20219:30 P.M.Minnesota3Anaheim2
January 27, 20217:30 P.M.Chicago1Nashville2
February 3, 20215:30 P.M.Detroit1Tampa Bay5
February 3, 20218 P.M.Boston4Philadelphia3
February 10, 20217 P.M.Boston3N.Y. Rangers2
February 17, 20217:30 P.M.Chicago2Detroit0
February 17, 202110 P.M.Winnipeg2Edmonton3
February 24, 20217 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Philadelphia4
February 24, 20219:30 P.M.Los Angeles2St. Louis1
March 3, 20217 P.M.Washington2Boston1
March 3, 20219:30 P.M.St. Louis3Anaheim2
March 10, 20217 P.M.Vegas3Minnesota4
March 10, 20219:30 P.M.Los Angeles5Anaheim1
March 17, 20217:30 P.M.Philadelphia0N.Y. Rangers9
March 17, 202110 P.M.Edmonton7Calgary3
March 24, 20215:30 P.M.Anaheim2Minnesota3
March 24, 20218 P.M.Buffalo2Pittsburgh5
March 24, 202110:30 P.M.Los Angeles2San Jose4
March 31, 20217:30 P.M.Philadelphia1Buffalo6
March 31, 202110 P.M.Los Angeles4Vegas2
April 7, 20215 P.M.Edmonton4Ottawa2
April 7, 20217:30 P.M.Montreal2Toronto3
April 14, 20217:30 P.M.Colorado4St. Louis3
April 14, 202110 P.M.Vegas6Los Angeles2
April 21, 20217 P.M.Nashville4Chicago5
April 21, 20219:30 P.M.San Jose2Vegas5
April 28, 20217 P.M.St. Louis4Minnesota3
April 28, 20219:30 P.M.Colorado2Vegas5
May 5, 20217 P.M.Washington4N.Y. Rangers2
May 5, 20219:30 P.M.Colorado2San Jose3
May 12, 20219 P.M.Minnesota0St. Louis4

Ratings

Wednesday Night Rivalry has produced successful viewership for NBCSN.
During its inaugural season, Wednesday Night Rivalry was called "the hottest new brand in sports" by Forbes. It claimed six of the top eight most-watched NHL regular-season telecasts ever on NBC Sports Network and averaged 646,000 viewers. With the success of Wednesday Night Rivalry, the 2012–13 NHL season was the most watched NHL season on cable in 19 years.
During the 2013–14 NHL season, Wednesday Night Rivalry averaged 559,000 viewers, up 26% from its average viewership of Wednesday night games during the 2011–12 NHL season. The first two seasons of Wednesday Night Rivalry has recorded none games with more than 700,000 viewers as compared to four during the two seasons prior to the introduction of Wednesday Night Rivalry.
During the 2014–15 NHL season, NBCSN's Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage averaged 565,000 viewers. NBCSN's opening night coverage of Bruins-Flyers had an opening-night cable record 956,000 viewers. Seven of the 10 most-watched NHL games on NBCSN were Wednesday Night Rivalry games.
During the 2015–16 NHL season, Wednesday Night Rivalry averaged 608,000 viewers and produced three of the 10 most-watched NHL regular-season games on NBCSN during their time as the NHL pay television carrier. NBCSN's 10-most watched games of the 2015–16 season were either Wednesday Night Rivalry or Sunday Night Hockey games.