2016-07-21

The Chicago Blackhawks routinely draw big-time ratings when they’re on national television, and the league is taking advantage as over one-quarter of the Hawks’ games will be nationally televised next season.

The NHL released their national TV schedule on Thursday afternoon, and the Blackhawks will appear on the NBC family of networks a combined 21 times next season, including in the 2017 NHL Winter Classic game against the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 2.

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The Hawks will have 11 games exclusively available on national TV, the maximum amount allowed by the league’s television contract with NBC. 10 more games will be available on NBCSN, but will also be carried by local networks in Chicago.

Here is the full schedule of games (nationally exclusive games marked with an *)

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Wed, Oct. 12: vs. St Louis 7:00 p.m. NBCSN*

Fri, Oct. 14: at Nashville 7:00 p.m. NBCSN

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Tues, Oct. 18: vs. Philadelphia 7:30 p.m. NBCSN

Wed, Nov. 9: at St. Louis 7:00 p.m. NBCSN*

Wed, Nov. 23: at San Jose 9:00 p.m. NBCSN

Tues, Dec 13: at NY Rangers 6:00 p.m. NBCSN

Mon, Jan. 2: at St. Louis 12:00 p.m. NBC*

Thurs, Jan. 5: vs. Buffalo 7:30 p.m. NBCSN

Sun, Jan. 15: vs. Minnesota 6:00 p.m. NBCSN*

Tues, Jan. 17: at Colorado 8:00 p.m. NBCSN

Wed, Feb. 8: at Minnesota 7:00 p.m. NBCSN*

Sun, Feb. 19: at Buffalo 5:00 p.m. NBCSN*

Tues, Feb. 21: at Minnesota 7:00 p.m. NBCSN

Sun, Feb. 26: vs. St. Louis 6:30 p.m. NBCSN*

Wed, March 1: vs. Pittsburgh 7:00 p.m. NBCSN*

Sun, March 12: vs. Minnesota 6:00 p.m. NBCSN*

Tues, March 14: at Montreal 6:30 p.m. NBCSN

Mon, March 27: at Tampa Bay 6:30 p.m. NBCSN

Wed, March 29: at Pittsburgh 7:00 p.m. NBCSN*

Sun, April 2: vs. Boston 11:30 a.m. NBC*

Tues, April 4: at Colorado 8:00 p.m. NBCSN

Numbers in the 2015-16 season were down a bit for the Blackhawks in the TV ratings game, as they averaged a 3.96 in games on Comcast Sportsnet. Part of the decline can be blamed on the Chicago Cubs’ playoff run, which coincided with the beginning of the Blackhawks’ season. All five of the top-rated games for the Hawks occurred in the 2016 calendar year, according to Danny Ecker of Crain’s Chicago Business.

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