CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — This NHL season, hockey fans across North America may find themselves staying up late to catch their favorite teams in action. This change is prompted by the decision of three Canadian provinces—Alberta, Manitoba, and British Columbia—to remain on daylight saving time. Alberta is home to the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, Manitoba houses the Winnipeg Jets, and British Columbia is where the Vancouver Canucks play. The clocks in these provinces won't fall back an hour in November or spring forward in March, which complicates the NHL schedule traditionally influenced by media rights holders.
Calgary Flames president and CEO Robert Hayes acknowledged the situation, stating, “It’s out of our control. I’ve always said in my business career, ‘Let’s focus on the things we can control,’ and we can’t control that. A decision was made by the province … and decisions were made by others that this is the time we’re going to start hockey games.” This policy change means that for the Flames, eight games will commence at 9 p.m. local time, including two home games on December 26 and January 16.
Flames captain Mikael Backlund expressed a lighthearted approach to the change, saying, “Professional athletes got to do what we got to do to get ready. There’s caffeine out there.” The Edmonton Oilers will also face a similar challenge, with seven games scheduled to start at 9 p.m. Defenseman Jake Walman noted that he anticipates fewer family members tuning in from home due to the later start times. In contrast, teammate Trent Frederic plans to adjust his sleep routine, incorporating longer naps and meal times that align with the late games. “The naps are big, or at least they are for myself,” Frederic commented. “A lot of times after games, the later games, you’re going to bed late, you’re still wired, so it’s just important to kind of stick with getting the good naps.”
Manitoba officially announced its decision on September 17, coinciding with the start of NHL training camps. The NHL subsequently revised the start times for a dozen Winnipeg Jets home games, adjusting them to ensure none begin later than 7:30 p.m. local time. As a result, Manitoba will align its time zone with Toronto on November 1.
The Vancouver Canucks will also experience unusual scheduling, with various start times for road games, including one trip in January that features five different game times ranging from noon to 6 p.m. Winger Brendan Gallagher remarked on the peculiar situation, saying, “It’s going to be different. It’s something that we’ve never really been through. Even having an 8 p.m. game to start the season, a little bit different, but we’ll get used to it.”
During the Stanley Cup Final in June, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman humorously noted that the league wasn’t consulted regarding these time zone changes. “Not that they should have, but we’ll deal with it,” Bettman said, hinting at the challenges posed by the new start times for teams in Canada’s Western Conference. “We’ll deal with just as we deal with whatever things come our way that we don’t get to control.”
As the season unfolds, players and fans alike will have to adjust to these new scheduling realities. Whether with caffeine or strategic napping, athletes are prepared to tackle the challenges of later game start times, while fans may need to rearrange their viewing habits. With ongoing changes to the NHL landscape driven by provincial decisions, the impact on game attendance and viewership will be closely monitored throughout the season.
