NHL national TV schedule proves networks expect a massive Rangers bounce back

The NHL's major media rightsholders in the United States, TNT and ESPN, released their national television schedules on Wednesday and let the world know which teams would and wouldn't be getting major screentime for the 2026-27 campaign.

Despite missing the playoffs in back to back seasons, the powers that be apparently feel that this year is going to be a bounce back year for the Blueshirts based on the amount of game they are set to appear in.

Rangers set to appear in fourth-most national games this season

In a somewhat shocking development, even considering the Rangers are the Rangers, I honestly didn't expect them to get as much screentime in 2026-27. Much like the moves made to the roster, it felt like this was going to be a wait and see year in order to see how real the team was, and how much work was left to be done.

It is possible that the Rangers are just serving as the sidecar to team they end up facing, and to help juice some ratings, but there's no guarantee of that.

For the games on TNT, the Rangers will have games against the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Washington Capitals.

In short, you've got some classic Original Six tilts, some Metropolitan rivalry games, and the Panthers as a recent rival the Blueshirts faced off against in the Eastern Conference Final.

The ESPN slate will include Boston twice, the New York Islanders, Chicago again, Philly again, the Buffalo Sabres, Vegas. two more against the Penguins, and one more against the Panthers.

When you look at everything all together, three of the Rangers' four total games against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are on national TV. Both games against the Blackhawks and Panthers are on national television, and there is also a total of six Original Six matchups.

Dates and Times for National Games

Here's a cleaner listing that you can essentially bookmark to be able to keep track of when the Rangers are playing, who they are playing, and what network they will be on with the times subject to change.

• Tue, Sept 29, 2026 – 8:00 p.m. ET – NYR vs. BOS on ESPN
• Fri, Oct 2, 2026 – 6:30 p.m. ET – NYR at DET on TNT
• Tue, Oct 6, 2026 – 8:00 p.m. ET – NYI vs. NYR on ESPN
• Mon, Nov 16, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. ET – MTL at NYR on TNT
• Fri, Nov 27, 2026 – 5:30 p.m. ET – NYR at CHI on TNT
• Wed, Dec 16, 2026 – 7:30 p.m. ET – NYR at PHI on TNT
• Thu, Jan 7, 2027 – 7:00 p.m. ET – CHI vs. NYR on ESPN
• Sat, Jan 16, 2027 – 12:00 p.m. ET – BOS vs. NYR on ABC
• Wed, Jan 27, 2027 – 7:30 p.m. ET – FLA at NYR on TNT
• Sat, Feb 20, 2027 – 12:30 p.m. ET – NYR vs. PHI on ABC
• Sun, Feb 21, 2027 – 1:00 p.m. ET – NYR at CAR on TNT
• Sun, Feb 28, 2027 – 1:00 p.m. ET – NYR at PIT on TNT
• Sat, Mar 6, 2027 – 3:00 p.m. ET – NYR vs. BUF on ABC
• Sun, Mar 7, 2027 – 7:00 p.m. ET – VGK vs. NYR on ESPN
• Sat, Mar 20, 2027 – 8:00 p.m. ET – PIT vs. NYR on ABC
• Sun, Mar 21, 2027 – 8:00 p.m. ET – WSH at NYR on TNT
• Sat, Apr 3, 2027 – 12:30 p.m. ET – FLA vs. NYR on ABC

Rangers better not embarass themselves

It goes without saying, or at least it should, but the organization is getting a huge opportunity to show that they are ready to turn a corner. Three of the team's 18 national games come with the first two weeks of the season, including an classic rivalry matchup vs. the Islanders.

The hope is that the moves made in the offseason translate to success on the ice, and at the very least the team will hold their own. It's a lot easier to put up with poor play when the game is happening on MSG Network, but when the team is put out there for a national audience, it opens them up to more takes, jokes, and memes. There's been enough of that the last two years, and hopefully they truly are ready to get back on track this season.

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