The Puck Drops on the NHL 2021 Season: NBC Sports’ Preview & TV Schedule
Hockey is back. Finally.
The COVID-delayed 2021 NHL season begins Wednesday, January 13, with a triple-header on NBCSN. Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins battle Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers (5:30/4:30c); Ryan McDonagh and the Tampa Bay Lightning raise their Stanley Cup banner when they host Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks (8/7c); and Ryan O’Reilly and the St. Louis Blues visit Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche (10:30/9:30c).
While the NHL Winter Classic outdoor game was canceled this year, on February 20-21 the league will play two NHL Outdoors games at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The Bridgestone NHL Outdoors Saturday will feature the Colorado Avalanche vs. the Vegas Golden Knights (3/2c, NBC), and the Honda NHL Outdoors Sunday will feature the Boston Bruins vs. the Philadelphia Flyers (3/2c, NBC).
Each team will play a 56-game schedule and face teams only in its division during the regular season. For this season, the NHL has realigned its divisions to reduce travel and keep Canada’s teams within its national borders.
The top four teams from each division will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2021 NHL Regular Season Divisions
Scotia NHL North Division: Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Honda NHL West Division: Anaheim, Arizona, Colorado, Los Angeles, Minnesota, San Jose, St. Louis, Vegas
Discover NHL Central Division: Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Nashville, Tampa Bay
MassMutual NHL East Division: Boston, Buffalo, New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
NHL 2021 TV SCHEDULE ON NBC SPORTS
All times Eastern. Schedule subject to change. Additional games in March to be announced.
Wednesday, January 13
5:30 p.m.: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, NBCSN
8 p.m.: Chicago at Tampa Bay, NBCSN
10:30 p.m.: St. Louis at Colorado, NBCSN
Sunday, January 17
Noon: Washington at Pittsburgh, NBC
Monday, January 18
Noon: Columbus at Detroit, NBCSN
5 p.m.: Boston at N.Y. Islanders, NBCSN
7:30 p.m.: Buffalo at Philadelphia, NBCSN
10 p.m.: Arizona at Vegas, NBCSN
Tuesday, January 19
7 p.m.: Washington at Pittsburgh, NBCSN
Wednesday, January 20
7 p.m.: Edmonton at Toronto, NBCSN
9:30 p.m.: Minnesota at Anaheim, NBCSN
Thursday, January 21
7 p.m.: Tampa Bay at Columbus, NBCSN
9:30 p.m.: Montreal at Vancouver, NBCSN
Sunday, January 24
12:30 p.m.: Detroit at Chicago, NBC
Tuesday, January 26
7 p.m.: N.Y. Islanders at Washington, NBCSN
Wednesday, January 27
7:30 p.m.: Chicago at Nashville, NBCSN
Monday, February 1
7 p.m.: Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers, NBCSN
Tuesday, February 2
6 p.m.: Buffalo at N.Y. Islanders, NBCSN
8:30 p.m.: Minnesota at Colorado, NBCSN
Wednesday, February 3
5:30pm: Detroit at Tampa Bay, NBCSN
8pm: Boston at Philadelphia, NBCSN
10:30pm: Vegas at San Jose, NBCSN
Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images
Sunday, February 7
Noon: Philadelphia at Washington, NBC
Monday, February 8
7 p.m.: Buffalo at Boston, NBCSN
Tuesday, February 9
6 p.m.: Pittsburgh at New Jersey, NBCSN
8:30 p.m.: Tampa Bay at Nashville, NBCSN
Wednesday, February 10
7 p.m.: Boston at N.Y. Rangers, NBCSN
Sunday, February 14
3 p.m.: Washington at Pittsburgh, NBC
7 p.m.: Colorado at Vegas, NBCSN
Monday, February 15
7 p.m.: N.Y. Islanders at Buffalo, NBCSN
Tuesday, February 16
7 p.m.: Washington at Pittsburgh, NBCSN
Wednesday, February 17
7:30 p.m. Chicago at Detroit, NBCSN
10 p.m.: Winnipeg at Edmonton, NBCSN
Saturday, February 20
3 p.m.: NHL Outdoors: Vegas at Colorado (at Lake Tahoe, Nevada), NBC
Sunday, February 21
3 p.m.: NHL Outdoors: Philadelphia at Boston (at Lake Tahoe, Nevada), NBC
7 p.m.: Florida at Detroit, NBCSN
Tuesday, February 23
7 p.m.: Pittsburgh at Washington, NBCSN
Wednesday, February 24
7 p.m.: N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, NBCSN
9:30 p.m.: Los Angeles at St. Louis, NBCSN
Sunday, February 28
Noon: Boston at N.Y. Rangers, NBC
7 p.m.: Detroit at Chicago, NBCSN
Tuesday, March 2
7 p.m.: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, NBCSN
Wednesday, March 3
7 p.m.: Washington at Boston, NBCSN
9:30 p.m.: St. Louis at Anaheim, NBCSN
Sunday, March 7
Noon: Buffalo at N.Y. Islanders, NBC
2:30 p.m.: Tampa Bay at Chicago, NBCSN
5 p.m.: New Jersey at Washington, NBCSN
7:30 p.m.: N.Y. Rangers at Pittsburgh, NBCSN
Tuesday, March 9
6 p.m.: N.Y. Rangers at Pittsburgh, NBCSN
8:30 p.m.: Chicago at Dallas, NBCSN
Wednesday, March 10
7 p.m.: Vegas at Minnesota, NBCSN
9:30 p.m.: Los Angeles at Anaheim, NBCSN
Sunday, March 14
7 p.m.: Los Angeles at Colorado, NBCSN
Monday, March 15
7 p.m.: Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers, NBCSN
Tuesday, March 16
7 p.m.: Boston at Pittsburgh, NBCSN
Wednesday, March 17
7:30 p.m.: Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers, NBCSN
10 p.m.: Edmonton at Calgary, NBCSN
Sunday, March 21
6 p.m.: Vegas at Los Angeles, NBCSN
Monday, March 22
7:30 p.m.: Anaheim at Minnesota, NBCSN
Tuesday, March 23
7 p.m.: New Jersey at Philadelphia, NBCSN
Wednesday, March 24
5:30 p.m.: Anaheim at Minnesota, NBCSN
8 p.m.: Buffalo at Pittsburgh, NBCSN
10:30 p.m.: Los Angeles at San Jose, NBCSN
Sunday, March 28
Noon: N.Y. Rangers at Washington, NBC
3 p.m.: Columbus at Detroit, NBCSN
5:30 p.m.: New Jersey at Boston, NBCSN
8 p.m.: Nashville at Chicago, NBCSN
Monday, March 29
7 p.m.: N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, NBCSN
Tuesday, March 30
7:30 p.m.: Carolina at Chicago, NBCSN
Wednesday, March 31
7:30 p.m.: Arizona at St. Louis, NBCSN
10 p.m.: Los Angeles at Vegas, NBCSN
Sunday, April 4
Noon: Detroit at Tampa Bay, NBC
7 p.m.: Dallas at Carolina, NBCSN
Tuesday, April 6
7 p.m.: Pittsburgh N.Y. Rangers, NBCSN
Wednesday, April 7
5 p.m.: Edmonton at Ottawa, NBCSN
7:30 p.m.: Montreal at Toronto, NBCSN
Tuesday, April 13
7 p.m.: Philadelphia at Washington, NBCSN
Wednesday, April 14
8 p.m.: Vegas at Los Angeles, NBCSN
Saturday, April 17
3 p.m.: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, NBC
Sunday, April 18
Noon: Washington at Boston, NBC
6:30 p.m.: N.Y. Islanders at Philadelphia, NBCSN
9 p.m.: Los Angeles at Colorado, NBCSN
Monday, April 19
7:30 p.m.: Detroit at Dallas, NBCSN
Tuesday, April 20
7 p.m.: Washington at Boston, NBCSN
9:30 p.m.: St. Louis at Colorado, NBCSN
Wednesday, April 21
7 p.m.: Nashville at Chicago, NBCSN
9:30 p.m.: San Jose at Vegas, NBCSN
Saturday, April 24
3 p.m.: Colorado at St. Louis, NBC
Sunday, April 25
3pm: Boston at Pittsburgh, NBC
7 p.m.: Columbus at Tampa Bay, NBCSN
Monday, April 26
7:30 p.m.: Carolina at Dallas, NBCSN
Tuesday, April 27
7 p.m.: Washington at Philadelphia, NBCSN
Wednesday, April 28
7 p.m.: St. Louis at Minnesota, NBCSN
9:30 p.m.: Colorado at Vegas, NBCSN
Sunday, May 2
3 p.m.: Tampa Bay at Detroit, NBC
Wednesday, May 5
7 p.m.: Washington at N.Y. Rangers, NBCSN
