Breaking down the New Jersey Devils' national broadcast schedule

We're inching closer to the beginning of the 2026-27 season, folks.

On Wednesday, the National Hockey League released the national broadcast schedule for all 32 teams, indicating which games would be covered by the likes of TNT and ESPN/ESPN+. All told, the Devils have 12 nationally broadcast games, which ties the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes and ranks as the 15th-most in the league. New Jersey will be one of 20 teams with at least 10 appearances on national television.

With that, let's take a minute to talk shop about the important narratives and dates of the broadcast release.

Importantly, the Devils' home and season opener -- an October 1st game against the Philadelphia Flyers -- will be televised on ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+. While the absence of an MSG broadcast is certainly a negative for the Devils' media team and those who enjoy the local show, displaying a Metropolitan Division rivalry on national television is certainly good for the organization and overall viewership.

The New Jersey Devils are going to be on national television 12 times next season

The Devils' entire three-game series against Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings will also be featured on national broadcasts. One such game is the Devils' only ESPN+ exclusive game, occurring on October 13th. The other two affairs versus Detroit -- the Hughes brothers' home location -- go down on December 9th and March 4th.

The fact that the Devils only have one singular ESPN+ exclusive game is a major plus for organizational viewership, too -- as much as playing on larger outlets is, in general, a positive for viewership, niching it down to ESPN+ only certainly gatekeeps some of the community from enjoying the game. Only one such instance happens in New Jersey's schedule, though, meaning that they should get plenty of boosts nationwide.

The Devils and the Minnesota Wild also play their entire two-game series on national television as well, facing each other on TNT on February 28th and March 31st. Of course, the Hughes brothers facing off against each other (barring some major and unexpected news) is must-see television. Perhaps the NHL intentionally scheduled both teams' final game before the 2027 Trade Deadline against each other, too, before making them meet up again a month later.

Three of the Devils' remaining six national games are against the Eastern Conference, taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 17th, the reigning champs on February 23rd, and the Florida Panthers on April 4th. Their nationally televised Western Conference games take place against the Edmonton Oilers (November 3rd), San Jose Sharks (December 1st), and Dallas Stars (January 19th).

All in all, it should be an exciting season in terms of national broadcasts. The Devils will be getting plenty of action from the biggest media teams in the business.