Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia will not switch clocks in November and March, changing the local start times of some NHL games this season.
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Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia have decided not to move clocks back an hour in November and ahead in March, a change expected to affect some local NHL game start times this season.
The impacts vary by team. For the Calgary Flames, the puck is set to drop at 9 p.m. local time for eight games, including home games on Dec. 26 and Jan. 16. The Flames’ leadership said the adjustment is outside the organization’s control.
“It’s out of our control,” Calgary president and chief executive officer Robert Hayes said. “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.”
Calgary captain Mikael Backlund said players will prepare for the altered routine. “Professional athletes got to do what we got to do to get ready,” he said. “There’s caffeine out there.”
Edmonton has seven games scheduled to start at 9 p.m. local time. Defenseman Jake Walman said he expects fewer family members to watch from home, while teammate Trent Frederic said he plans to adjust his sleep routine. “The naps are big, or at least they are for myself,” Frederic said. “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 announced its decision on Sept. 17, the same day players began NHL training camp. The next day, the NHL issued changes to a dozen Winnipeg Jets home games, pushing them back an hour, with none later than 7:30 p.m. local time. Manitoba will be on the same time as Toronto beginning Nov. 1.
The Canucks face different timing on the road, with one January trip featuring five different start times ranging from noon to 6 p.m.
“It’s going to be different,” winger 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.”
The league’s commissioner also referenced the time-zone shift ahead of the season. At the Stanley Cup Final in June, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said nobody had asked the league what it thought about the changes. “Not that they should have, but we’ll deal with it,” Bettman said. “We’ll deal with just as we deal with whatever things come our way that we don’t get to control.”
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