Overview
- The NHL announced Tuesday that NHL Productions will produce regional broadcasts for the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues for the 2026–27 season.
- Hurricanes Holdings said the team will operate its own local sports network for 2026–27 with longtime announcers Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy retained, though the network’s name, carriage partners, streaming options and pricing will be announced before the regular season.
- The league hired Rob McGlarry as general manager of local media to run the new centralized production effort and said NHL Productions will supply pregame, intermission and postgame shows, on-site hosts, upgraded graphics and enhanced replay and camera capabilities.
- Teams working with NHL Productions remain responsible for distribution and monetization negotiations, leaving carriage, channel placement and direct-to-consumer pricing unsettled even as production is centralized.
- The shift responds to the collapse of regional sports networks and aims to protect local access and teams’ local-rights revenue streams that feed club finances and salary-cap calculations, with the NHL saying more clubs could join before the season starts.