Start Times...Too Late?

[stepdad gaary]

I understand the league is trying to avoid games overlapping. Yet, something needs to be done about these late starts. 10:35 e.t. puck drop in Anaheim/SJ & Vgk/LA? Bit much.

What can the league do to avoid this? The obvious answer is earlier starts. But, how difficult would it be to do this?

what gave you that idea? i'm pretty sure there have been overlapping games every single day

 

[turd]

The start times are what they are, but I thought the NHL dropped the ball yesterday. I thought it was really silly to have overlap with the MIN/WPG and CBJ/WSH series. The first game wasn’t until 3:00. Why not have the CBJ/WSH series have a noon start on NBC, then the rest of the games play at their regularly scheduled times? That way everyone can watch every single game, rather than having to flip back and forth between those two games that were on at 7-7:30.

 

[COHawk]

In Nashville we've had 8:30 starts which means kids don't get to see much of the game.

I’m a bit annoyed that Colorado-Nashville’s local start times have been 8 and 8:30. I get they’re trying to make it so they don’t overlap, but 8:30 local start is really late.

These are the real people who should be allowed to complain. Start times should always be catered to the home crowd, national/international viewers be damned.

Wait til Seattle gets added..

Why will that matter? There are already 5 teams in the pacific time zone.

 

[Aavco Cup]

#easternbias

 

[stepdad gaary]

Why will that matter? There are already 5 teams in the pacific time zone.

i think he's talking about like having to watch your team play away games with late start times. thats not what this thread is about though so im not sure what the point of saying it was.

 

[Martyros]

Yeah but when have there been 4 pm pst starts these playoffs? How is the league going to attract young kids and such when they gotta be in bed? It's tough.

You do realize that there are people that are alive west of chicago, right? Also, we work and go to school, much like the people in New York and Pittsburgh.

 

[ZJuice]

I’m in Alberta and I have passed out during the last two Knights vs Kings games. But I am getting old now

 

[ChiHawks10]

Wait til Seattle gets added..

Look the NHL is catering to the local market, which is what they should do.
Now for a Sunday, given the day off I suppose they could have done a 6PM start on the West Coast.


Start 1 east coast game at noon local time, another at 3 Local time, Wild/Jets start at 6PM EST and Kings start at 9PM EST.

Other thing to keep in mind you have no idea what was going on in the building on the off day, if there was a concert or something, you probably need that extra time to tear it down and get ready for hockey.

They're not, though. Hawks Preds series in the past have always had these same 8:30pm or 9pm central time starts... Both teams are central time zone, yet they'd still start that late, and it was awful. It didn't matter that they were both central. They scheduled them to avoid the overlap with the earlier start games on the east coast.

 

[valet]

it don't bother me

if i'm tired and a game is still going i just go to bed

 

[Jamin]

People know PVRs exist and have for like a decade. Your main team you wanna watch live and discuss it with friends and family.

Why not record whatever other games you want to watch and just not come onto HF or tsn or whatever. You still get the benefit of surprise as if it was live because you didnt spoil it except you can skip commercials and intermission and it takes 75 min to watch instead of 3 hours.

 

[Dying Alive]

In Nashville the night home games have been starting at 8:30 central time. That is quite a difference from 7 PM.

I would be irate if I was a Preds ticket holder who had to be up early for work in the morning or wanted to bring kids to the game with me.

 

[Jared Dunn]

If I was still in Ontario it would be annoying but being on MST now I am absolutely loving the schedule. Barely left my room in a week, living the dream

 

[HanSolo]

Then the western games can start at 830 eastern.

Yeah cause what teams want is half their stadiums being empty until 7pm cause people are still getting off work.

Never going to happen and you're willingly turning a blind eye as to why.

 

[TitansVolsPreds615]

I would be irate if I was a Preds ticket holder who had to be up early for work in the morning or wanted to bring kids to the game with me.

We had a 9PM local start game go to 3 OT two years ago. Game ended at 1:15 AM local time.

 

[stampedingviking]

Then the western games can start at 830 eastern.

Perhaps the Eastern games could start at 10 pm to allow west coast fans to get home from work?

 

[stampedingviking]

It’s completely understandable for games to be at 7:30 PST on weekdays, but it’d be nice for the EST fans to at least get the weekend games at a reasonable time. I mean Pitt/Philly played at 3 EST today, why not switch those two? Have Philly-Pitt play at 7:30 EST/4:30 PST and have Vegas/LA play at 3:00 EST/noon PST. That way your latest game ends at 10:30 for any time zone instead of 1:30.

Tell you what, have the eastern game start at 3:00 EST/12:00 PST and the western game start later.

 

[stampedingviking]

As a European I always find it funny when someone complains about a 10 PM start. To us that's a blessing not having to set up an alarm in the middle of the night.

So true, eastern games normally start at midnight and west coast at 3 am.

 

[Drewcifer]

They're not, though. Hawks Preds series in the past have always had these same 8:30pm or 9pm central time starts... Both teams are central time zone, yet they'd still start that late, and it was awful. It didn't matter that they were both central. They scheduled them to avoid the overlap with the earlier start games on the east coast.

Minnesota always had this problem too, before this year. I think the trick is that you need to play a Canadian team, then they will give you prime time because that is where the biggest audience is.

 

[AKL]

Games are at 7-730 local time, as it should be. I guarantee you not one California or Vegas hockey fan gives a single flying f*** about people on the East coast who can't watch their game until 1030 est.

Speaking from a Wild fan (and maybe most central fans in general) point of view, I can say that playoff games actually starting at 6-730 is a welcome change from when the games used to start at 830 cst in prior years.

 

[CrashBartley]

Yea, why don't they change the East Coast games until 9:30 EST.
That way I don't miss any of those games. I mean here I am at work for another hour and then 1/2 hour drive home and the game has already started. Why can't it be convenient for me?

 

[cgf]

Yes! It's like the NHL doesn't even care that I have a red-eye to catch tonight!

 

[Gnashville]

They're not, though. Hawks Preds series in the past have always had these same 8:30pm or 9pm central time starts... Both teams are central time zone, yet they'd still start that late, and it was awful. It didn't matter that they were both central. They scheduled them to avoid the overlap with the earlier start games on the east coast.

They also stall the puck drop on some of those games. 8:30 becomes more like 8:55 and 9 becomes 9:20. It’s ridiculous that a Central Time Zone game doesn’t end until midnight if it doesn’t go into OT.

 

[LuGBuG]

Ducks fan in Nova Scotia.... sucks but I deal with it. Being extremely tired for work and after a loss though really really sucks.

Ducks are usually 11pm though which is a hell of a lot better but still not great. This playoffs 1130 sucks

 

[awfulwaffle]

Tell you what, have the eastern game start at 3:00 EST/12:00 PST and the western game start later.

Yeah I'm not really sure why he wants west coast teams to start playing a at noon lol.

 

[BlackDogg]

The games aren't starting too late. Work just starts too early.

If work is starting to interfere with your hockey life, its time to seek help.