TSN announced a few days ago that they will be airing some Marlies games this spring.
CATCH THE MARLIES: Starting this weekend, TSN2 features select @TorontoMarlies games https://t.co/vk89LA2hoc #AHL pic.twitter.com/vsWqzI8LNS
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) February 7, 2017
What a nice picture that is of Kasperi Kapanen, who is out with an injury said to be long term.
All the games will be broadcast on TSN 2, and the following is the scheduled slate to be aired:
Saturday, Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. ET
Albany Devils [NJ] at Toronto Marlies [TOR]
Sunday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. ET
Albany Devils [NJ] at Toronto Marlies [TOR]
Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 11 a.m. ET
Syracuse Crunch [TB] at Toronto Marlies [TOR]
Thursday, Mar. 2 at 11 a.m. ET
Bridgeport Sound Tigers [NYI] at Toronto Marlies [TOR]
Saturday, Mar. 4 at 5 p.m. ET
St. John’s IceCaps [MTL] at Toronto Marlies [TOR]
Tuesday, Mar. 21 at 7 p.m. ET
Rochester Americans [BUF] at Toronto Marlies [TOR]
Saturday, Mar. 25 at 5 p.m. ET
Springfield Thunderbirds [FLA] at Toronto Marlies [TOR]
Tuesday, Apr. 4 at 11 a.m. ET
St. John’s IceCaps [MTL] at Toronto Marlies [TOR]
Saturday, Apr. 8 at 5 p.m. ET
Hershey Bears [WSH] at Toronto Marlies [TOR]
Three of the weekday games are “school day games” played at 11 am. The arena is usually full of children on school trips and it is loud—high pitched, but loud. The weekend games are all early starts as well, common for the Marlies who know they can’t compete with evening entertainment options in Toronto. With only one evening prime time slot taken up by this slate of games, it’s not a huge commitment by TSN to the AHL.
There has been speculation, confirmed by the President and CEO of the AHL, David Andrews, at the annual state of the league address during all-star weekend, than the league wants to monetize the new Canadian teams with television revenue.
We are working on a national television package in Canada that we think presents a good opportunity for us. All four Canadian-based teams essentially have regional partnerships with TSN in Canada. All four teams are interested in helping us put something together. We'll see how that plays out, but I do think it presents an opportunity for us.
The four teams he is referring to are the Marlies, the new Laval Rocket, the new Senators affiliate in Belleville, and the Manitoba Moose.
With two teams in Ontario next year and one in a large market in Quebec, the league would obviously love to get more games aired on national television in Canada. Of course, one of those teams is in a French market, and any national interest on an English-language station would have to rest on the Canada-wide popularity of the Montréal Canadiens.
TSN has aired Marlies games before, but they might be a tougher sell this season with their biggest name out of the lineup, and only the most tenuous grasp on a playoff spot. With Brendan Leipsic and Rinat Valiev also on IR, the star power lies in Seth Griffith, Kerby Rychel, Travis Dermott and Andrew Nielsen.
