{"id":711083,"date":"2026-06-03T00:08:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T00:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/711083\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T00:08:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T00:08:06","slug":"nhl-faces-scheduling-challenge-as-b-c-alberta-move-to-permanent-daylight-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/711083\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL faces scheduling challenge as B.C.,\u00a0Alberta\u00a0move to permanent daylight time"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NHL will have a fresh challenge when it comes to setting its 2026-27 schedule with British Columbia and\u00a0Alberta\u00a0moving to permanent year-round daylight saving time this fall.<\/p>\n

The change will eliminate twice-yearly clock changes in those provinces. The time gap between B.C. and\u00a0Alberta\u00a0and parts of Canada that still turn clocks back on Nov. 1 would then shrink by an hour.<\/p>\n

Game times for sporting events could be impacted, along with long-standing traditions like hockey doubleheaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll deal with it,\u201d NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final in Raleigh, N.C. \u201cIt may impact some start times in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we\u2019ll deal with it just as we deal with whatever things come our way that we don\u2019t get to control.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NHL normally releases its schedule in mid-July. Regular-season play usually begins in early October.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHockey is still a big draw,\u201d said Chris Zelkovich, an instructor at the Toronto-based College of Sports Media. \u201cBut if you throw roadblocks at people like starting games at (different or) inconvenient times, you are going to lose audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last March, British Columbia finalized its plan to make the change.\u00a0Alberta\u00a0followed suit last month.<\/p>\n

Although there are exceptions, Canadian teams based in the Eastern time zone \u2014 the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators \u2014 usually start their home games at 7 p.m. local time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That has previously set up doubleheader timing with the teams based in\u00a0Alberta\u00a0and B.C. \u2014 the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks \u2014 who would normally be two or three hours behind the ET clock.<\/p>\n

Trimming that time difference by an hour may require some strategic scheduling. There could be an overlap of games, or we could see later start times in the west to protect back-to-back TV windows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is going to be a major adjustment,\u201d Zelkovich said of potential changes. \u201cAnd if your team is a Stanley Cup contender, that may not matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if they aren\u2019t, you might just say to yourself, \u2018Well, it\u2019s just not worth the trouble (to watch).’\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Winnipeg Jets are in the Central Time Zone, one hour behind ET.<\/p>\n

A lost hour would also be felt when the Flames, Oilers and Canucks play road games along the U.S. West Coast. For example, if the puck drops around 9:30 p.m.\u00a0Alberta\u00a0time, games may not finish until after midnight in that province.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnsuring hockey games remain accessible for fans in Oil Country is our priority,\u201d Oilers president and chief revenue officer Stew MacDonald said in an email. \u201cAnd any shift that results in later game start times is a concern \u2014 particularly as it creates challenges for families and young fans attending games or watching live broadcasts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Flames declined to comment, while the Canucks did not return messages.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When asked for comment, a Sportsnet spokesperson said the league sets the schedule and start times. A TSN spokesperson said the network had nothing to share.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it fundamentally changes their business,\u201d said Mike Naraine, an associate sport management professor at Brock University. \u201cIt might, from an advertising perspective, cause (broadcasters) a little bit more (work).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a problem, but just another thing that they just work through.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CFL, which has nine teams across the country, also uses regular doubleheaders. The regular season ends Oct. 24, so the league won\u2019t really be impacted this year.<\/p>\n

With files from Canadian Press sports reporters Donna Spencer, Joshua Clipperton, Gemma Karstens-Smith and The Associated Press. \u00a0<\/p>\n

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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