AHL
NHL Network today announced it has reached a one-year extension for broadcast rights to games of the American Hockey League (AHL), the NHL’s top development league. The broadcast package provides NHL Network in both Canada and the U.S. with 20 ‘Game of the Week’ match-ups, airing Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET throughout the regular season of the AHL, which has affiliations with 30 NHL teams.
Coverage begins with Rochester @ Syracuse on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ET (see complete broadcast schedule below). The 20-game package marks the most AHL games ever televised on NHL Network, which aired 12 AHL match-ups last season. NHL Network has televised AHL games in Canada since the 2004-05 season.
After launching in the U.S. earlier this year, NHL Network is now accessible to 80 million U.S. homes.
Highlights of NHL Network’s AHL broadcast schedule include four games featuring the Portland Pirates, top affiliate of the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks. Twenty-four members of last year’s Ducks team were graduates of the AHL, including RW Corey Perry, C Ryan Getzlaf and G Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The broadcast schedule also features a meeting between the two most storied franchises in the AHL on Feb. 21, when the Hershey Bears (top affiliate of the Washington Capitals) take on the Rochester Americans (top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers).
NHL Network’s 2007-08 AHL broadcast schedule is as follows:
November
Thursday, Nov. 15 – Rochester @ Syracuse at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Nov. 22 – Toronto @ Lake Erie at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Nov. 29 – Lake Erie @ Rochester at 7 p.m. ET
December
Thursday, Dec. 6 – Worcester @ Portland at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Dec. 13 – Toronto @ Rochester at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Dec. 20 – Springfield @ Portland at 7 p.m. ET
January
Thursday, Jan. 10 – Lake Erie @ Rockford at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Jan. 17 – Philadelphia @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Jan. 31 – Lowell @ Portland at 7 p.m. ET
February
Thursday, Feb. 7 – San Antonio @ Lake Erie at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Feb. 14 – Hershey @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Feb. 21 – Hershey @ Rochester at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Feb. 28 – Albany @ Rochester at 7 p.m. ET
March
Thursday, Mar. 6 – Philadelphia @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Mar. 13 – Grand Rapids @ Lake Erie at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Mar. 20 – Rochester @ Syracuse at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Mar. 27 – Manchester @ Portland at 7 p.m. ET
April
Thursday, Apr. 3 – Manitoba @ Rochester at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Apr. 10 – Philadelphia @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Apr. 17 – Hamilton @ Lake Erie at 7 p.m. ET
Source: NHL Network announces new AHL deal
