NHL season begins with new broadcasting rights in Czech Republic and Slovakia

The new hockey season is underway, featuring an expanded 84-game regular season in the NHL. Former national team goaltender and current coach Ján Lašák noted that the longer schedule will increase the intensity of the fight for the playoffs.

In the Czech Republic, broadcasting rights for the NHL have been redistributed. The Prima group has secured rights to broadcast 14 games per week, with ten being exclusive to their platforms and four shared with other broadcasters. While Prima plans to stream content via prima+, the service is primarily intended for the Czech market. One game per week will be available for free on Prima Sport via DVB-T2, which may be accessible in certain border regions of Slovakia.

In Slovakia, Nova Sport remains the official broadcaster, with games also appearing on Nova Sport 1 and Nova Sport 2. Additionally, selected matches are planned to be available on the Dajto station. Locally, the Slovak league has also commenced, with observations noting strong performances from teams like Žilina and unexpected developments in Nitra.