The Seattle Kraken won’t get a lot of coast-to-coast exposure this season from ESPN and TNT, the two cable TV networks that broadcast NHL games nationally in the U.S.
Only one contest of TNT’s 72-game schedule features Seattle, at Minnesota on Jan. 28 (6 pm PT). ESPN & ABC are sharing a 53-game broadcast slate. ESPN will air two Seattle games, Dec. 10 at home vs. Washington (6:30 pm PT), and Feb. 19 at Utah (6 pm PT).
ESPN also has exclusive rights to 47 streaming-only games. Four of those involve the Kraken. To watch these, viewers will need a subscription to ESPN+, Disney+, or Hulu.
- Thu., Oct. 22, 7 pm PT: Utah Mammoth @ Seattle
- Thu., Dec. 3, 7 pm PT: Dallas Stars @ Seattle
- Tue., Jan. 19, 7 pm PT: Seattle @ Los Angeles Kings
- Thu, Mar 11, 6:30 pm PT: Los Angeles Kings @ Seattle
Kraken Hockey Network Covers The Rest
Remember, the NHL has expanded the regular season to 84 games. Once the seven national exclusives are subtracted, that leaves 77 TV games available free, over the air on the third season of Kraken Hockey Network. In Seattle, KONG 6/16 is the Kraken television home, with select games simulcast on KING 5. John Forslund returns to do play-by-play, alongside analyst J.T. Brown (but minus Eddie Olczyk).
One other date to note is Tuesday, Oct. 13, when Seattle visits Philadelphia. All 32 teams will be in action, as part of ESPN’s annual “Frozen Frenzy.” Although the game against the Flyers is tentatively set to begin at 4 pm Pacific Time, the “Frenzy” gimmick has all 16 games starting at 15-minute intervals. So it’s likely the exact time of puck drop will be adjusted.
While ESPN is airing a triple-header of games that evening, according to a press release, “ESPN2 will provide a whip-around show with live look-ins on every game, showcasing the best plays, hits and goals of the night.”
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