The2017 All-Star Game was originally scheduled for Sunday night on NBCSN. However, it was moved to NBC and Sunday afternoon, marking the first network-television broadcast of the NHL All-Star Game since2004.[31][32]
Because ABC Sports had rights to both the NHL All-Star Game and thePro Bowl, ABC aired the All-Star Game and the Pro Bowl on the same day from2000 through2003, excluding2002. ABC dubbed these doubleheaders as “All-Star Sunday”.
The All-Star Game was dealt two serious blows in 2005. Not only was the game canceled along with the rest of the season as a result of the2004–05 NHL lockout,[47][48][49] but the subsequent CBA that ended the lockout stipulated that heretofore the game was to be held only in non-Olympic years. Thus, there was no All-Star Game held during the2005–06 season and2009–10 NHL season either.[50][51]
NBC's coverage of the1990 All-Star Game marked the first time in a decade that an Americanover-the-air television network (as opposed tocable) carried an NHL game nationally (since Game 6 of the1980 Stanley Cup Finals aired onCBS). This is because the game itself was played on a Sunday afternoon instead of a Tuesday night, as was the case in previous years – marking the first time that a national audience would seeWayne Gretzky andMario Lemieux play.[72][69] Referees and other officials were also wired with microphones in this game, as were the two head coaches.[71][73][74] Finally, NBC was allowed to conduct interviews with players during stoppages in play, to the chagrin of theHockey Night in Canada crew, whose attempts to do likewise were repeatedly denied by the league in past years. (Technically, it was not quite a national broadcast asNBC's affiliates inAtlanta,Charlotte,Memphis,New Orleans,Indianapolis andPhoenix didn't air the game.)
The1980 American coverage fromHughes usedCBC's feed.
Locally in New York, the NHL All-Star Game was broadcast onWOR-TV Channel 9 until1982. Beginning in1983, it was broadcast on the NHL's cable TV partner.
TheChallenge Cup replaced the All-Star Game in 1979. Staged atMadison Square Garden, the Challenge Cup was a best-of 3-series between the NHL All-Stars against theSoviet Union national squad. Games 1 and 3 were shown on theNHL Network, while Game 2 was carried, in bizarre fashion, onCBS.[116] First, only the third period was aired on CBS (as part ofCBS Sports Spectacular), which had a problem with the dasher board advertising that the NHL sold atMadison Square Garden. The network (after complaints from other CBS sponsors) refused to allow the ads to be shown; as a result, viewers were unable to view the far boards above the yellow kickplate, and could only see players' skates when the play moved to that side of the ice. (Games 1 and 3 were seen in their entirety on the NHL Network, which had no problem with the advertising.)
The1986 Canadian coverage was to be provided byCTV. However, CTV had a prior commitment to carry aU.S. miniseries.[142] As a result,TSN took over coverage of the game inHartford.[143]
