Thursday, January 12, 2012

TV Options Rise in Canada

More and more college games can be seen north of the border.


TV Options Rise in Canada

It hasn’t always been easy for Canadian fans to gain an appreciation for the talent and intensity of U.S. college hockey. Typically it has required a trip across the border to campus.

Now, more than ever, college hockey games are coming to Canadians’ living rooms.

A new 10-game broadcast package on The Score highlights a broad range of games that will be televised in Canada this season. Leafs TV, CBS College Sports and the Big Ten Network will also broadcast games in Canada.

“Getting our game in front of Canadian families helps them see, first-hand, what a great game we have in college hockey,” said Paul Kelly, Executive Director of College Hockey, Inc. “It’s good exposure for prospective players, and it’s great for fans of the roughly 500 Canadian players we have in Division I today.”

The Score’s package features 10 games between WCHA teams that the network can carry thanks to a partnership with Fox Sports. The Score will televise most of the games at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday nights, rebroadcasting contests from the night before. The championship game at the WCHA Final Five will be shown live.

The Score is available nationwide in Canada, and that 5 p.m. ET time slot offers a good lead-in to the NHL’s Hockey Night in Canada coverage.

Premium Cable Options

Elsewhere on the dial, Leafs TV showcases the Fox Sports Detroit CCHA package of games to its audience in Ontario (and elsewhere on premium cable packages). Many of Leafs TV’s games are shown live, including two this weekend.

Two U.S.-based broadcasters – CBS Sports Network and the Big Ten Network – are also available on some of those premium cable packages in Canada. Those networks carry games each weekend the rest of the season featuring some of the best matchups in the sport.

While the current Canadian schedule does not include any NCAA Tournament games, there’s hope that could change. ESPN holds the international rights to those broadcasts and could come to an agreement with a Canadian broadcaster to carry them; last year Leafs TV carried the Frozen Four.

Canadian TV Schedule (Live unless noted)

Day Date Game Network Time (ET)
Fri 13-Jan Michigan at Ohio State Big Ten Network 7:30pm
Fri 13-Jan Western Michigan at Notre Dame CBS Sports Network 7:30pm
Sat 14-Jan Minnesota at North Dakota The Score (tape delay) 5:00pm
Sat 14-Jan Northern Michigan at Michigan State Leafs TV 7:30pm
Sun 15-Jan Michigan at Ohio State Leafs TV 5:00pm
Fri 20-Jan Air Force at Army CBS Sports Network 7:30pm
Fri 20-Jan Lake Superior State at Michigan State Leafs TV 7:30pm
Sat 21-Jan Colorado College at Minnesota The Score (tape delay) 5:00pm
Sat 21-Jan Michigan at Notre Dame CBS Sports Network 7:30pm
Fri 27-Jan Colgate at Cornell CBS Sports Network 7:30pm
Fri 27-Jan St. Cloud State at Minnesota Big Ten Network 8:00pm
Sat 28-Jan Maine at Boston University CBS Sports Network 7:30pm
Sat 28-Jan Wisconsin at North Dakota The Score (tape delay) 5:00pm
Fri 3-Feb St. Cloud State at Wisconsin Big Ten Network 8:00pm
Fri 3-Feb Miami at Michigan Leafs TV 7:00pm
Fri 3-Feb Providence at New Hampshire CBS Sports Network 7:30pm
Fri 3-Feb RIT at Air Force CBS Sports Network 10:00pm
Sat 4-Feb Miami at Michigan CBS Sports Network 7:30pm
Fri 10-Feb North Dakota at Minnesota Duluth CBS Sports Network 8:00pm
Fri 10-Feb Michigan at Michigan State Big Ten Network 7:30pm
Sat 11-Feb Minnesota at Denver The Score (tape delay) 5:00pm
Fri 17-Feb Notre Dame at Miami CBS Sports Network 7:30pm
Fri 17-Feb Nebraska-Omaha at Colorado College CBS Sports Network 9:30pm
Sat 18-Feb Denver at Wisconsin The Score (tape delay) 5:00pm
Sat 18-Feb Northern Michigan at Michigan Leafs TV 5:00pm
Sat 18-Feb Alaska Fairbanks at Michigan State Leafs TV 8:00pm
Fri 24-Feb Ferris State at Western Michigan Leafs TV 7:00pm
Fri 24-Feb Ohio State at Miami CBS Sports Network 6:00pm
Fri 24-Feb Michigan State at Notre Dame CBS Sports Network 8:30pm
Sat 25-Feb Minnesota at Nebraska Omaha The Score (tape delay) 5:00pm
Fri 2-Mar Vermont at Boston College CBS Sports Network 7:30pm
Sat 3-Mar Vermont at Boston College CBS Sports Network 7:00pm
Sat 3-Mar Wisconsin at Minnesota The Score (tape delay) 5:00pm
Sat 3-Mar CCHA First Round Leafs TV TBD
Sat 10-Mar WCHA Playoffs 1st Round The Score (tape delay) 5:00pm
Fri 16-Mar CCHA Semifinal #1 Leafs TV 4:30pm
Fri 16-Mar CCHA Semifinal #2 Leafs TV 8:00pm
Sat 17-Mar WCHA Semifinal The Score (tape delay) 5:00pm
Sat 17-Mar CCHA Mason Cup Championship Leafs TV 7:30pm
Sat 17-Mar WCHA Championship The Score (live) 8:00pm
Sun 8-April NCAA Championship Game (tape delay) TSN2 1:00pm