Do you like the NHL network?

[Guest The Axe]

I like it a lot, but damn I've already watched Rangers/Senators 4 times already. 2011/12 playoff replays are getting old. How about some KHL?

[chances14 227]

I like it a lot, but damn I've already watched Rangers/Senators 4 times already. 2011/12 playoff replays are getting old. How about some KHL?

ha. i doubt they would ever show a rival league's games.

the only thing i like about the nhl network during the offseason is when they show classic red wings games or their classic series episodes that involve the wings.

[rrasco 1,312]

I normally watch it all the time. I don't think I've turned it on this year except to watch the Super Series. I bet their ratings are WAY down.

[luvmnger 125]

its good for the casual fix....but the damn commercials are the same...and soooooo long.

not just get a snack long....they're make dinner long.

[MotorCityMadness 388]

I like having it for a quick fix here and there, but the same 3-4 playoff series games over and over again get boring. The Classic Series program is only on sparingly which makes it harder to watch. I also don't like a lot of the Day that Changed the Game programs as well as the Pioneers series. Also, what is with all of the replays of games involving Pittsburgh so much? Seems they always show the 2008 Winter Classic and the 2011 one from Heinz Field quite a bit more than usual.

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

Yeah, they need to show more classic stuff and less re-runs of the most recent playoffs, which were a freaking bore to begin with.

Their nightly game recaps are pretty good when the season is actually going on.

Wouldn't hurt to actually cover the lockout once in a while.

Edited December 3, 2012 by GMRwings1983

[StormJH1 231]

I love that it exists, and I love that it was added to the Comcast package I already had last year, without having to add another tier of coverage or anything. But it's probably the weakest of the 4 "major" sports networks, which is too bad because the NHL really needs additional good TV coverage to supplement the NBC stuff.

It's not too fair to judge it right now because obviously there were supposed to be games going on, and they can't really air 24/7 lockout coverage. Actually, I haven't seen much lockout coverage on the TV channel at all. SiriusXM's NHL channel talks about it quite a bit, along with a lot of AHL coverage, but their lockout discussions are a little infuriating at times because they have a few guys that are just clearly pro-owner and think the players should just give in to whatever demands the league makes. Not too unexpected, however, given that they're the network for the league.

I think the TV NHL Network needs better variety of programming, and it seems like they don't as much access to in-game look-ins as MLB network does. They have a recap show (which is bare bones, but I actually like) and a version of a look-in show, but it could use some work. Also, they show programs like "Oil Change" constantly, and there isn't a lot of original programming. They run these "Day that changed hockey" things that look dated and are just copied from old programs.

TSN's Canadian coverage, especially around trade deadline day (which itself has become pretty boring) is quite good - they make it FEEL like the NFL of Canada. It would be nice if NHL Network could put some effort into making their coverage more colorful like that - it would help more people be interested in the product and the network.

I will say that DVR gives added value to it - as an out-of-market Wings fan, I would sometimes DVR replays of Wings games they show at 3am the morning after they happened. But I could never "surprise myself" with the outcome, even if I tried to, because they run the damn score crawl at the bottom that shows you how said game turned out. Haha.

[55fan 5,133]

I love that it exists, and I love that it was added to the Comcast package I already had last year, without having to add another tier of coverage or anything. But it's probably the weakest of the 4 "major" sports networks, which is too bad because the NHL really needs additional good TV coverage to supplement the NBC stuff.

It's not too fair to judge it right now because obviously there were supposed to be games going on, and they can't really air 24/7 lockout coverage. Actually, I haven't seen much lockout coverage on the TV channel at all. SiriusXM's NHL channel talks about it quite a bit, along with a lot of AHL coverage, but their lockout discussions are a little infuriating at times because they have a few guys that are just clearly pro-owner and think the players should just give in to whatever demands the league makes. Not too unexpected, however, given that they're the network for the league.

I think the TV NHL Network needs better variety of programming, and it seems like they don't as much access to in-game look-ins as MLB network does. They have a recap show (which is bare bones, but I actually like) and a version of a look-in show, but it could use some work. Also, they show programs like "Oil Change" constantly, and there isn't a lot of original programming. They run these "Day that changed hockey" things that look dated and are just copied from old programs.

TSN's Canadian coverage, especially around trade deadline day (which itself has become pretty boring) is quite good - they make it FEEL like the NFL of Canada. It would be nice if NHL Network could put some effort into making their coverage more colorful like that - it would help more people be interested in the product and the network.

I will say that DVR gives added value to it - as an out-of-market Wings fan, I would sometimes DVR replays of Wings games they show at 3am the morning after they happened. But I could never "surprise myself" with the outcome, even if I tried to, because they run the damn score crawl at the bottom that shows you how said game turned out. Haha.

If I'm not mistaken, that's the 1003rd use for Duct Tape.

[rrasco 1,312]

I love that it exists, and I love that it was added to the Comcast package I already had last year, without having to add another tier of coverage or anything. But it's probably the weakest of the 4 "major" sports networks, which is too bad because the NHL really needs additional good TV coverage to supplement the NBC stuff.

It's not too fair to judge it right now because obviously there were supposed to be games going on, and they can't really air 24/7 lockout coverage. Actually, I haven't seen much lockout coverage on the TV channel at all. SiriusXM's NHL channel talks about it quite a bit, along with a lot of AHL coverage, but their lockout discussions are a little infuriating at times because they have a few guys that are just clearly pro-owner and think the players should just give in to whatever demands the league makes. Not too unexpected, however, given that they're the network for the league.

I think the TV NHL Network needs better variety of programming, and it seems like they don't as much access to in-game look-ins as MLB network does. They have a recap show (which is bare bones, but I actually like) and a version of a look-in show, but it could use some work. Also, they show programs like "Oil Change" constantly, and there isn't a lot of original programming. They run these "Day that changed hockey" things that look dated and are just copied from old programs.

TSN's Canadian coverage, especially around trade deadline day (which itself has become pretty boring) is quite good - they make it FEEL like the NFL of Canada. It would be nice if NHL Network could put some effort into making their coverage more colorful like that - it would help more people be interested in the product and the network.

I will say that DVR gives added value to it - as an out-of-market Wings fan, I would sometimes DVR replays of Wings games they show at 3am the morning after they happened. But I could never "surprise myself" with the outcome, even if I tried to, because they run the damn score crawl at the bottom that shows you how said game turned out. Haha.

Did you just get NHL Network? It's been around for a while, I've had it for at least 3-4 years.

I don't think you can accurately gauge the channel quality based off of programming right now. Since the lockout is going on, there are no games or things to talk about. They would usually be playing/replaying games or showing NHL Live. My TV literally just stayed on FSD or NHL Network after the games last few years.

[Wings4Life19 150]

I think they would do themselves a lot of good if they looked at what the NFL Network is doing. They still have most of there normal programming on during the offseason. NFL Total Access is there main show and it runs Monday through Friday year round with actual people bringing you the news live no matter how slow it was. They do excellent coverage of the draft and free agency, and they seem to find some of the most entertaining people to bring you highlights on Sundays(Rich Eisen, Dion Sanders, Warren Sapp).

I think the only time I watch the NHL Network is when I want to see highlights and game recaps at the end of the night, when they are showing a wings game or any other game that interests me, or the draft/free agency coverage. I think the only time I watch durring the off season/lockout is when they show some wings stuff that they haven't shown 1,000 times already.

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

They should do a reality show about hockey wives and girlfriends.

May as well, since there's no games around, so at least their wives can entertain the viewers.

[Guest The Axe]

They should do a reality show about hockey wives and girlfriends.

May as well, since there's no games around, so at least their wives can entertain the viewers.

Pucks and Sluts!!

[Jaymister 71]

When the season is on it's great. TSN and sportsnet only show a few highlights of the games not involving Canadian teams, while the NHL Network shows most of the good scoring chances and some fights and hits you don't see on the other networks.

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

Love NHL network during the season and even more in the playoffs. Problem is other then the game recap shows there isnt any Original programming. If it could get to something like Fox Soccer or GoalTV where they do live games/recaps and also a bunch of original programming it would be one of my favorite channels.

[Electrophile 3,554]

I don't have it anymore. When we moved from Georgia to North Carolina, the cable system here doesn't carry it. Oh well.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

I enjoy it when they show the World Juniors and especially the draft.

[stevkrause 1,247]

I used to love it... When I bought my new house last year, we called U-Verse and I was promised they had NHL network, they set it up, do the install and leave... I turn on the TV, can't find it... Go online, find out they dropped it in 2011... Needless to say, I've been pretty pissed, but I refuse to go back to Comcast, so it is what it is...

[Guest Playmaker]

I like it. It's a nice change from SportsCenter. More original programming would be nice, but I don't think it can really be compared to NFL or MLB networks. Those leagues are just more popular and have more year round "news" than the NHL does.

[edicius 3,269]

Don't have cable anymore and don't miss NHL Network. Seriously lacking in actual programming content. And they did have a propensity to air a lot of Pittsburgh repeats.

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

I do not like the fact that the on the classic nhl games they tell you the score of the game and often times who got the winning goal. If it's a game I haven't seen I do not want to know any of that

[LoungeRat 0]

_{Question for anyone. I am stationed in Italy and can't get the NHLN or DirecTV Center Ice. I am thinking about buying GameCenter Live but looking for opinions on it before I do. Thanks.}

Edited January 14, 2013 by LoungeRat

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

I find it also a bit "East" bias on it's coverage.

[evilzyme 769]

I absolutely hated the NHL network when I had gotten it. Originally, I just got it for the draft and I thought it would be cool to see some classic games plus preseason games. Their coverage is HORRIBLE, just replays of the same show over and over and over and over and over oh my god is this frickin espn? Oil change and the day the game changed are consistently on, which some can be cool, but majority are stupid and overplayed. So yeah.. in my personal opinion, it's not worth the money AT ALL.

[edicius 3,269]

_{Question for anyone. I am stationed in Italy and can't get the NHLN or DirecTV Center Ice. I am thinking about buying GameCenter Live but looking for opinions on it before I do. Thanks.}

In Italy, it might actually be worth it for you, as you'll actually get the NHL Network and NBC Sports feeds (since they're not locally available to you), meaning you actually get all the games and not 75% of them. Discovered that late last season using a proxy add-on for Chrome.