The NHL has deemed that the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres are rivals. The two will face off in the Jackets only nationally televised game.

GET FIRED UP COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS FANS!!! RIVALRY NIGHT IS COMING!!!

NBC announced their nationally televised games for the upcoming season. The Columbus Blue Jackets will end up with only one game seen across the nation. That game will be on October 25th in Nationwide Arena against the hated Buffalo Sabres.

Every team in the NHL gets one nationally televised game and in years past thats exactly what the Jackets got. One game. But many would think after a 16 game winning streak and surprise run to the playoffs the CBJ would get some more national air time.

But here we are with the Jackets only having one terrible game on NBC. The Buffalo Sabres fall no where near a rival and there are almost no exciting story lines to even try to pump up this game. The closest thing you have is two teams with young exciting American players with funny last names in Jack Eichel and Zach Werenski.

Lack of National Draw Drags Down Jackets

I understand that Columbus is not a national draw, and probably won’t ever be, but NBC isn’t doing us any favors with this game. The Jackets have only five Wednesday games this season so their wasn’t many options in NBC’s defense.

The major problem I have with this is not the lack of games but the game they chose. As I said there were only five Wednesday games for the CBJ, but one of them was against the Pittsburgh Penguins. That’s right, an actual rivalry game.

That Jackets don’t have many true rivals but the Pens are one of them and NBC decided that it would rather shine the spotlight on Buffalo. This is an inexcusable decision. The Pens-Jackets regular season games last year were beyond entertaining. You have infinite storylines and some great players to showcase.

But alas, Jackets fans across the country get to tune in to Buffalo instead.

Again, I don’t blame NBC for only putting the Jackets on national television one time. We are the second youngest team and have one of the smallest fan bases nationwide. That is growing but you still have not a lot of incentive to put this team on television. But to not chose the Penguins game is crazy.

So start trying to get excited for the Buffalo game now folks. It’s going to take you awhile to convince yourself you care about this “rivalry game”.