This weekend’s European-friendly NHL games provide a feast for Vancouver fans.
The Canucks feature on both Saturday and Sunday, facing the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks respectively.
Saturday 16th: VAN at MIN, 7pm UK/8pm CET
The Canucks have arguably been the best surprise of the 23-24 NHL season so far. Not too much was expected of them after a 6th-placed finish in the Pacific Division last season, but there was hope that the improved form showed under Rick Tocchet (20-12-4) after he replaced Bruce Boudreau mid-season might be built on.
They’ve done that and more so far, posting a 20-9-1 record and the joint-third highest points total across the NHL (41, tied with the New York Rangers).
Unfortunately for fans of the Wild, it’s been a different story in Minnesota. A 5-10-4 start cost Coach Dean Evason his job and also called into question what direction the team may be going over the next few years, given that it’s a group that has made the play-offs in four consecutive seasons but then been bounced out in the First Round every time.
Former Nashville coach John Hynes has taken over the reigns and he’s had a positive impact so far, with the team having won six of their eight games since he joined.
Sunday 17th: VAN at CHI, 8pm UK/9pm CET
The Canucks will head to Chicago straight after their game in Minnesota, ready to face the Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon local time.
It feels like Chicago have been in a European-friendly slot every weekend so far this season. That’s probably because the team isn’t very good and so the impact on the local/North American TV audience of moving the games to an earlier time slot isn’t going to raise many complaints.
Of course, the benefit to us is that it means we get to watch Connor Bedard. He may be the only reason for a neutral to want to watch the Blackhawks this season, but there are few players more intriguing than the 2023 #1 draft pick.
Bedard has 24 points from 29 games, an even split of 12 goals and 12 assists, and this is coming on a team that isn’t giving him a huge amount of help.
