This coming from Rick Westhead of Canada’s TSN:
Breaking – TSN has learned ESPN has won the U.S. broadcast rights for the World Cup of Hockey, beating out NBC and Fox.
— rick westhead (@rwesthead) February 4, 2015
The World Cup of Hockey will be played in 2016 before the regular season. It marks the first time ESPN will be televising professional hockey on a regular basis since the 2004 season. It was supposed to air games in the 2004-05 season, but the entire year was lost due to the lockout and the following season, the NHL signed with OLN (now NBCSN).
The World Cup of Hockey is scheduled to be played in Toronto in September 2016 with several countries involved including Canada, the United States, Russia, Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and two all-star teams consisting of under-23 players from North America and Europe.
Sportsnet got the rights for the World Cup in Canada. And with ESPN reportedly getting the rights over NBC which airs the NHL, this certainly gives hockey fans who feel the Alleged Worldwide Leader ignores the sport a new destination to watch albeit for a month.
For the NHL to pass over NBC, its current rightsholder is just amazing. More details as they become available.
