Did you hear that the Vegas Golden Knights dropped a new faceoff circle? It looked more "golden" (waka waka) and clean, marking the team's ninth season in the NHL. But that's not the only newsworthy story that dropped on Wednesday.
The NHL dropped its broadcast schedule for the 2025-26 season and the Golden Knights got a windfall of games to work with. That includes the season opener against the Los Angeles Kings and two ESPN games against their bitter rivals, the Edmonton Oilers.
Golden Knights will have 13 games on national TV this year, including Mitch Marner’s first game against Toronto. pic.twitter.com/9Igg8nXUTS
The number's actually 15, but it's still a lot of television time for the Golden Knights. Still, looking at the list, you see plenty of formidable teams. That includes the Oilers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Colorado Avalanche. That consists of six TNT games, one game on ABC, four ESPN games, and four ESPN+/Hulu games.
While all that sounds nice, one particular date was the biggest missed opportunity. Fans won't be able to see a particular player return to his old stomping grounds, where he'll be met with a slathering of boos. No, it isn't Tomas Hertl making his way back to the "Shark Tank" to take on the San Jose Sharks. In fact, it's another team already on the list.
Imagine the wave of boos hitting Mitch Marner as he enters the ice for the Golden Knights on January 23. Toronto fans can't stand their local boy going elsewhere to win a Stanley Cup, you know. It will be like LeBron James returning to Cleveland after taking his talents to South Beach.
Unfortunately, American hockey fans won't get to witness that moment. Instead, it'll be localized entirely within the Las Vegas kitchen like an aurora borealis. No TNT, no ESPN, and no ABC.
Yeah, it's a missed opportunity for the NHL to showcase a moment that'll be talked about for years. A kid who grew up worshipping the local team gets to play for said local team, only to go hang out with the newest kid on the block. It's worthy of some cinema and screen time.
Now, the Golden Knights and the Maple Leafs have plenty of storylines to generate from this matchup. Aside from Marner facing his old team, it's also an Original Six franchise against the new kid on the block. It's two Stanley Cup contenders vying for supremacy. Most of all, it's the United States against Canada.
But being put on a Friday doesn't do the matchup any favors. You could've had this on ABC on a Saturday night, where American fans could see Marner's return to Toronto. You could've had this on Opening Night or a random Wednesday on TNT, where Kenny Albert and Eddie Olyczk call the action.
Instead, it sits on a random Friday in January when fans will likely be returning from a long workday. When the schedule was released, the Friday matchup between the Maple Leafs' home game against the Golden Knights did the national television schedule no favors in getting something done.
Now? Fans will need to rely on YouTube to get their booing fix. Mind you, YouTube loves putting in… ads on top of ads.
Overall, scheduling the Maple Leafs and Golden Knights game in Toronto was a massive misstep by the NHL. You fumble the best chance to promote a LeBron-like moment in the league, giving everyone a viral moment. It's like Pete Carroll not giving Marshawn Lynch the ball at the one-yard line.
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