The NHL seem to think that there is a Bruins-Wild rivalry

[Unlimited Chequing]

I don't think people need to take it so literally. It's just another name to grab viewers. Nothing wrong with it.

Correct. Like Hockey Night in Canada. Sometimes the games aren't shown at night and sometimes they don't even take place in Canada.

 

[Osprey]

I think that there's more to it than just marketing. I suspect that the NHL, in coming up with the schedule, tries to line up rivalry (or, at least, division) games on Wednesday nights because NBC's marketing interests are their own interests; then, NBC tries to cover as many of those as possible. More often than not, by my evaluation, the games shown are rivalries (more or less). When you have ~25 Wednesdays during the regular season, though, you're likely going to have some that don't really satisfy the rivalry criteria because of scheduling, building availability, broadcast rights, logistics and so on. I imagine that tonight is one of those nights. It's just a name tonight, but I think that it's more than just a name most of the time.

 

[Anglesmith]

All teams in the NHL are rivals if we use the literal definition.

 

[Bee Sheriff]

It's a ratings rivalry.

 

[Kiith Nabaal]

Two of the biggest American hockey markets. Would be like Pittsburgh-Buffalo, or Chicago-NYR.

No one wants to see the Penguins curb stomp some crappy team....or do they?

The Penguins actually did have I believe two Rivalry Night games with Buffalo last year. The rationale for it was Crosby beating Ryan Miller in the 2010 Olympics lol.

 

[Shakey Rustie]

Clearly this goes back to 2007 when the Wild traded Manny Fernandez to the Bruins.

 

[KingWantsCup]

No one wants to see the Penguins curb stomp some crappy team....or do they?


A rangers/chicago match up would be pretty great. I am still disappointed we didn't see a Chicago vs. Rangers Cup finals, last season. That would have been amazing.

2016 WC in Pittsburgh vs Buffalo E5

 

[Mypetrobot]

I think that there's more to it than just marketing. I suspect that the NHL, in coming up with the schedule, tries to line up rivalry (or, at least, division) games on Wednesday nights because NBC's marketing interests are their own interests; then, NBC tries to cover as many of those as possible. More often than not, by my evaluation, the games shown are rivalries (more or less). When you have ~25 Wednesdays during the regular season, though, you're likely going to have some that don't really satisfy the rivalry criteria because of scheduling, building availability, broadcast rights, logistics and so on. I imagine that tonight is one of those nights. It's just a name tonight, but I think that it's more than just a name most of the time.

Nhl/nbc could schedule 25 rivalry games for Wednesdays if they wanted to. Just like how the nfl/espn line up marquee match ups for Monday night football.

 

[Swervin81]

So far, we've established 3 sports where someone has gone from Minnesota to Boston (Kevin Garnett, Manny Fernandez, David Ortiz)... Can't think of football player

 

[Minnesota]

Color commentator: Bryzgalov

I'd watch that.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

So far, we've established 3 sports where someone has gone from Minnesota to Boston (Kevin Garnett, Manny Fernandez, David Ortiz)... Can't think of football player

Randy Moss, via Oakland.

 

[Dellstrom]

Well, it was either this, NJ-OTT, or DAL-VAN.

Lose-lose...lose. Every other week is a fake rivalry.

 

[Didactic*]

Both two teams that were once good falling into irrelevancy. This could be good.

 

[ClydeLee]

It would be boring all season long if they only scheduled some "real" rivalries for these national games. But this is one impressive one, frequently the games have some stretch that maybe makes sense, like oh their two of the Original 6 teams. This one is, meh who cares.

 

[KingsFan7824]

The Bruins and North Stars were in the same division for a few years in the late 70's and early 80's. That's something.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Well, it was either this, NJ-OTT, or DAL-VAN.

Lose-lose...lose. Every other week is a fake rivalry.

Didn't Dallas and Vancouver meet at least once in the last ten years in the playoffs?

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

Didn't Dallas and Vancouver meet at least once in the last ten years in the playoffs?

Yep. They set a record for one of the longest OTs in NHL history.

 

[Sarcastic]

I'm excited for the Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers Rivalry Night started off because of Ed Belfour.

 

[KuralySnipes]

Who cares, seriously. It is a marketing ploy by NBC and the NHL, who cares what they call it.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Yep. They set a record for one of the longest OTs in NHL history.

So there's already a better option available.

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

Is Coach's Corner actually taking place in a corner?

 

[longchange]

Is Coach's Corner actually taking place in a corner?

No but it probably should

 

[DyerMaker66*]

Bear vs. Bearcat.

Clearly a rivalry.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

So there's already a better option available.

Except the game isn't in Eastern Time Zone primetime.

 

[SladeWilson23]

It's more of a city rivalry than a Wild vs Bruins rivalry. Minny and Boston is one of the historic college rivalries of all time.