Wednesday Night Rivalry and Wednesday Night Hockey was the branding used for National Hockey League games that aired on NBCSN on Wednesday nights during the regular season from January 2013 to May 2021.
In the 2012–13 NHL season, NBCSN rebranded their coverage of Wednesday night games as Wednesday Night Rivalry. It primarily featured rivalry games, although the network has received criticism for games which do not seem to include a strong element of rivalry (such as Los Angeles-Detroit, Pittsburgh-Buffalo, and Chicago-Philadelphia) are common. NBCSN sometimes produces a Wednesday Nightcap game primarily featuring Western Conference teams immediately following their Wednesday Night Rivalry game. Beginning in the 2013–14 NHL season, NBCSN aired the series NHL Rivals, which looks back at the participating teams' historic rivalry, leading up to their Wednesday Night Rivalry game. That same season, NBCSN promoted the games with the slogan "The Night You Love To Hate".
Beginning with the 2018–19 NHL season, NBC Sports rebranded its Wednesday night broadcasts of the NHL as Wednesday Night Hockey, with the focus shifting from rivalry games to powerhouse teams and top NHL stars. The first season of Wednesday Night Hockey featured more West Coast games and a few matchups featuring Canadian teams.
Results
2012–13 season (before the lockout)
Date Time Away team Home teamOctober 17, 20127:30 P.M.N.Y. RangersNew JerseyOctober 24, 20127:30 P.M.New JerseyBuffaloOctober 31, 20127:30 P.M.PittsburghWashingtonNovember 7, 2012This game would have also aired on TSN in Canada as part of TSN's Wednesday Night Hockey coverage.7:30 P.M.PittsburghTorontoNovember 14, 20127:30 P.M.WashingtonN.Y. RangersNovember 21, 20127:30 P.MTampa BayCarolinaNovember 28, 20128 P.M.ChicagoMinnesotaDecember 5, 20127:30 P.M.N.Y. RangersWashingtonDecember 12, 20128 P.M.MinnesotaSt. LouisDecember 19, 20127:30 P.M.New JerseyPhiladelphiaDecember 26, 20127:30 P.M.WashingtonBuffaloJanuary 2, 20138 P.M.N.Y. RangersChicagoJanuary 9, 20137:30 P.M.BostonBuffaloJanuary 16, 20138 P.M.St. LouisChicagoJanuary 23, 20138 P.M.ColoradoDallasJanuary 30, 2013The game would have also aired in English on TSN and French on RDS, over in Canada.7:30 P.M.MontréalDetroitFebruary 6, 20137:30 P.M.BuffaloBostonFebruary 13, 20137:30 P.M.ChicagoDetroitFebruary 20, 20137:30 P.M.PhiladelphiaPittsburghFebruary 27, 20137:30 P.M.WashingtonPhiladelphiaMarch 6, 20138 P.M.ColoradoChicagoMarch 13, 20137:30 P.M.PhiladelphiaNew JerseyMarch 20, 20137:30 P.M.N.Y. RangersDetroitMarch 27, 20137:30 P.M.MontréalBostonApril 3, 20137:30 P.M.PittsburghN.Y. RangersApril 10, 20137:30 P.M.BostonNew Jersey
2012–13 season (after the lockout) Date Time Away team Score Home team ScoreJanuary 23, 20137:30 P.M.Boston3N.Y. Rangers4 (OT)January 30, 20138 P.M.Chicago2Minnesota3 (SO)February 6, 20137:30 P.M.Boston2Montréal1February 13, 20137:30 P.M.St. Louis4 (SO)Detroit3February 20, 20137:30 P.M.Philadelphia6Pittsburgh510 P.M.St. Louis0Colorado1 (OT)February 27, 20137:30 P.M.Washington1Philadelphia410 P.M.Blacked out in the Detroit and Los Angeles markets. Game was televised locally on Fox Sports Detroit and Fox Sports West.Detroit1Los Angeles2March 6, 20138 P.M.Colorado2Chicago3March 13, 20137:30 P.M.Philadelphia2New Jersey5March 20, 20137:30 P.M.Minnesota4Detroit2March 27, 20137:30 P.M.Montréal6 (SO)Boston5April 3, 20137:30 P.M.Pittsburgh1N.Y. Rangers6April 10, 20137:30 P.M.Boston5New Jersey4April 17, 20137:30 P.M.Buffalo3 (SO)Boston2April 24, 20137:30 P.M.Los Angeles1Detroit3
2013–14 season
Date Time Away team Score Home team ScoreOctober 2, 20138 P.M.Buffalo1Detroit2October 9, 20138 P.M.Chicago2St. Louis3October 16, 20138 P.M.N.Y. Rangers2Washington0October 23, 20138 P.M.Boston5Buffalo2October 30, 20138 P.M.Boston2Pittsburgh3November 6, 20137:30 P.M.Pittsburgh1N.Y. Rangers5November 13, 20138 P.M.Philadelphia2Pittsburgh1November 20, 20138 P.M.Pittsburgh4Washington0November 27, 20137:30 P.M.Boston1Detroit6December 4, 20138 P.M.Philadelphia6Detroit3December 11, 20138 P.M.Philadelphia2Chicago7December 18, 20138 P.M.Pittsburgh4 (SO)N.Y. Rangers3January 8, 20148 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Chicago2January 15, 20148 P.M.Washington3Pittsburgh4January 22, 20148 P.M.Chicago4Detroit5 (SO)January 29, 20147:30 P.M.N.Y. Rangers2N.Y. Islanders1February 5, 20147:30 P.M.Pittsburgh5Buffalo1February 26, 20147:30 P.M.Boston4Buffalo5 (OT)10 P.M.Los Angeles6Colorado4March 5, 20148 P.M.Washington4Philadelphia6March 12, 20147:30 P.M.Boston4Montréal1March 19, 20148 P.M.St. Louis0Chicago4March 26, 20148 P.M.Philadelphia1N.Y. Rangers3April 2, 20148 P.M.Boston2Detroit310:30 P.M.Phoenix0Los Angeles4April 9, 20148 P.M.Detroit3Pittsburgh4 (SO)10:30 P.M.San Jose2Anaheim5
2014–15 season After Bell Media lost NHL rights to Rogers Communications, TSN's Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger begin to make appearances on Wednesday Night Rivalry as NHL insiders every pregame and first intermission. Date Time Away team Score Home team ScoreOctober 8, 20147:30 P.M.Philadelphia1Boston210 P.M.San Jose4Los Angeles0October 15, 20148 P.M.Boston3 (SO)Detroit2October 22, 20148 P.M.Philadelphia5Pittsburgh3October 29, 20147:30 P.M.Detroit4Washington2November 5, 20148 P.M.Detroit3N.Y. Rangers4 (OT)November 12, 20148 P.M.This game was also shown over on Sportsnet as part of Sportsnet's Wednesday Night Hockey coverage.Boston1Toronto610:30 P.M.Los Angeles5Anaheim6 (SO)November 19, 20148 P.M.Philadelphia0N.Y. Rangers2December 3, 20148 P.M.St. Louis1Chicago4December 10, 20148 P.M.Toronto2Detroit1December 17, 20148 P.M.Boston3 (OT)Minnesota2January 7, 20158 P.M.Boston3 (OT)Pittsburgh2January 14, 20158 P.M.Philadelphia0Washington1January 21, 20158 P.M.Chicago3Pittsburgh210:30 P.M.Los Angeles2San Jose4January 28, 20158 P.M.Pittsburgh0Washington410:30 P.M.Blacked out in the Chicago market. Game was televised locally on Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.Chicago3Los Angeles4February 4, 20158 P.M.Boston2N.Y. Rangers3February 11, 20158 P.M.Detroit1Pittsburgh4February 18, 20157:30 P.M.Detroit3 (SO)Chicago210 P.M.Los Angeles4Colorado1February 25, 20158 P.M.Pittsburgh4Washington3March 4, 20158 P.M.N.Y. Rangers1Detroit2 (OT)March 11, 20158 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Washington1March 18, 20158 P.M.Chicago1N.Y. Rangers010:30 P.M.Los Angeles2Anaheim3 (OT)March 25, 20158 P.M.Chicago1Philadelphia4April 1, 20158 P.M.Philadelphia4Pittsburgh1April 8, 20158 P.M.Boston0Washington3
2015–16 season
Date Time Away team Score Home team ScoreOctober 7, 20158 P.M.NY Rangers3Chicago210:30 P.M.San Jose5Los Angeles1October 14, 20158 P.M.Chicago0Philadelphia2October 21, 20158 P.M.Philadelphia5 (OT)Boston4October 28, 20158 P.M.Pittsburgh3Washington1November 4, 20158 P.M.St. Louis6 (OT)Chicago5November 11, 20157:30 P.M.Montreal3Pittsburgh4 (SO)November 18, 20158 P.M.Washington2 (OT)Detroit1December 2, 20158 P.M.N.Y. Rangers1N.Y. Islanders2 (SO)December 9, 20157:30 P.M.Boston3Montreal1December 16, 20158 P.M.Pittsburgh0Boston3January 6, 20168 P.M.Pittsburgh1Chicago3January 13, 20168 P.M.Boston2Philadelphia3January 20, 20168 P.M.St. Louis2Detroit1January 27, 20168 P.M.Philadelphia4 (OT)Washington3February 3, 20168 P.M.Detroit1Tampa Bay3February 10, 20168 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Pittsburgh0February 17, 20168 P.M.Chicago5N.Y. Rangers3February 24, 20167:30 P.M.Pittsburgh1Boston5March 2, 20168 P.M.Chicago5Detroit2March 9, 20168 P.M.Chicago2St. Louis3 (SO)March 16, 20168 P.M.Philadelphia3Chicago2March 23, 20168 P.M.Boston2N.Y. Rangers5March 30, 20168 P.M.Washington1Philadelphia2 (SO)April 6, 20168 P.M.Philadelphia0Detroit3
2016–17 season
Date Time Away team Score Home team ScoreOctober 12, 20168 P.M.St. Louis5Chicago210:30 P.M.Los Angeles1San Jose2October 19, 20168 P.M.Detroit2N.Y. Rangers1October 26, 20168 P.M.Boston2N.Y. Rangers5November 2, 20168 P.M.Detroit3Philadelphia4 (OT)November 9, 20168 P.M.Chicago2 (OT)St. Louis1November 16, 20167:30 P.M.Pittsburgh1Washington7November 30, 20168 P.M.Pittsburgh3N.Y. Islanders510:30 P.M.San Jose4Los Angeles1December 7, 20168 P.M.Boston3Washington4 (OT)December 14, 20167:30 P.M.Boston3Pittsburgh4 (OT)December 21, 20168 P.M.Washington2Philadelphia3 (SO)January 4, 20178 P.M.N.Y. Rangers5Philadelphia2January 11, 20178 P.M.Pittsburgh2Washington5January 18, 20178 P.M.Boston5Detroit6 (SO)10:30 P.M.San Jose3Los Angeles2January 25, 20178 P.M.Philadelphia2N.Y. Rangers0February 1, 20178 P.M.Boston3Washington5February 8, 20178 P.M.Chicago4 (OT)Minnesota3February 15, 20178 P.M.St. Louis2Detroit0February 22, 20178 P.M.Washington4Philadelphia1March 1, 20178 P.M.Pittsburgh1Chicago4March 8, 20178 P.M.Detroit1Boston6March 15, 20177:30 P.M.Pittsburgh0Philadelphia4March 22, 20178 P.M.N.Y. Islanders3N.Y. Rangers2March 29, 20178 P.M.Chicago5Pittsburgh1April 5, 20178 P.M.N.Y. Rangers0Washington2
2017–18 season
Date Time Away team Score Home team ScoreOctober 11, 20177:30 P.M.Pittsburgh3Washington2October 18, 20178 P.M.Chicago2St. Louis5October 25, 20178 P.M.Buffalo1Columbus5November 1, 20178 P.M.Philadelphia0Chicago3November 8, 20178 P.M.Boston2N.Y. Rangers4November 15, 20178 P.M.N.Y. Rangers3Chicago6November 29, 20177:30 P.M.Tampa Bay1Boston3December 6, 20178 P.M.Chicago2Washington6December 13, 20178 P.M.Boston3Detroit2 (OT)December 20, 20178 P.M.Detroit3Philadelphia4January 3, 20188 P.M.Chicago5N.Y. Rangers2January 10, 20188 P.M.Minnesota2Chicago1January 17, 20187:30 P.M.Montreal1Boston4January 24, 20188 P.M.Toronto3 (OT)Chicago2January 31, 20188 P.M.Philadelphia3Washington5February 7, 20188 P.M.Boston6N.Y. Rangers1February 28, 20188 P.M.Detroit1St. Louis2March 7, 20188 P.M.Pittsburgh5Philadelphia2March 14, 20188 P.M.Pittsburgh3N.Y. Rangers4 (OT)March 21, 20188 P.M.Boston1St. Louis2 (OT)March 28, 20188 P.M.N.Y. Rangers2Washington3 (OT)April 4, 20188 P.M.Chicago4 St. Louis3
Non-Wednesday Night Rivalry Telecasts For select games, part of the Wednesday Night Rivalry doubleheader on NBCSN, it doesn't use the main rock theme, but instead uses the traditional NHL on NBC theme music. It also either carries the traditional feed or simulcasts another network's feed (excluding Fox Sports Regional Networks and MSG Network). Date Time Away team Score Home team ScoreApril 3, 201310 P.M.Blacked out in the Minnesota and San Jose markets. Game was televised locally on Fox Sports North and Comcast Sportsnet California (simulcasting the Sharks feed). Minnesota2San Jose4April 24, 201310 P.M.Blacked out in the San Jose and Phoenix markets. Game was televised locally on Comcast Sportsnet California and Fox Sports Arizona (simulcasting the Sharks feed).San Jose1Phoenix2January 7, 201510:30 P.M.Blacked out in the New York and New Jersey markets. Game was televised locally on MSG Network.N.Y. Rangers4Anaheim1February 11, 201510:30 P.M.Washington5 (OT)San Jose4April 1, 201510:30 P.M.Colorado1San Jose5April 8, 201510:30 P.M.Dallas4Anaheim0October 28, 201510:30 P.M.Nashville2San Jose1December 9, 201510 P.M.Pittsburgh4Colorado2January 20, 201610:30 P.M.Minnesota1Anaheim3January 27, 201610:30 P.M.Colorado4Los Angeles3February 24, 201610 P.M.San Jose3Colorado4 (SO)December 14, 201610 P.M.Philadelphia4Colorado3February 1, 201710:30 P.M.Colorado0Los Angeles5February 15, 201710:30 P.M.Florida6 (OT)San Jose5October 4, 20178 P.M.St. Louis5Pittsburgh4 (OT)10:30 P.M.Philadelphia5San Jose3October 18, 201710:30 P.M.Montreal1Los Angeles5November 1, 201710:30 P.M.Nashville1San Jose4November 8, 201710:30 P.M.Tampa Bay5San Jose1January 17, 201810 P.M.Pittsburgh3Anaheim5
2018–19 season (as Wednesday Night Hockey)