Alberta’s move to permanent daylight time is changing start times for multiple NHL games, including late starts for the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.
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Alberta’s decision to stop moving clocks back in November and ahead in March—keeping the province on daylight saving time year-round—has reshaped parts of the NHL schedule for Western Canadian teams.
The Calgary Flames will play several late games this season, with puck drops scheduled for 9 p.m. on eight Calgary contests, including two at the Saddledome. Flames captain Mikael Backlund said the timing comes with an adjustment for players and preparation, noting, “Professional athletes got to do what we got to do to get ready,” adding, “There’s caffeine out there.”
Flames forward Ryan Strome said late starts affect his family logistics at home, including whether his children can attend. “They always want to come to games, and the nine o’clock games they definitely can’t come to,” Strome said. “That’s probably the biggest adjustment, is that my tickets will be free those nights because my family can’t go.”
Calgary’s 9 p.m. starts at the Saddledome include a Dec. 26 matchup against the Vancouver Canucks and a Jan. 16 game against the Los Angeles Kings, while the team also has eight afternoon games starting at 2:30 p.m. or earlier. Calgary president and chief executive officer Robert Hayes said the league schedule changes are driven by factors outside the organization’s control, saying, “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.” Hayes added the additional afternoon games should be appealing for families.
Edmonton has seven games scheduled for 9 p.m., including Nov. 7 against the Canucks and March 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks at Rogers Place. Oilers defenceman Jake Walman, who is from Toronto, said he expects the late start to be more difficult for viewers at home than for him personally. “I don’t think I’ll notice as much as my family at home watching,” Walman said. His teammate Trent Frederic said he plans to adjust his sleep routine for late games by going to bed later the night before and taking a later nap.
Manitoba declared Sept. 17—when NHL training camps begin—that it will also stay on daylight time permanently, and the next day the NHL changed the start times for a dozen Winnipeg Jets home games, pushing them back an hour but keeping none later than 7:30 p.m. local time. On the road, Jets fans still face late starts, including a 10 p.m. game Feb. 13 against the Canucks and a 9:30 p.m. start Dec. 2 against the Utah Mammoth.
The Vancouver Canucks, playing on the West Coast, also have unusual start times on the road, including 4:45 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. Gallagher said the NHL’s clock changes will require adjustments. “One hundred per cent it’s going to be different,” Brendan Gallagher said. “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.”
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