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Habs schedule on TV


Stephane Pichette

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Looks like TVA Sports is telecasting all of the Saturday evening games...as well as the opener in TOR on October 8. I guess RDS is showing the remaining games.

Yep. That's just for the regular season though. Once the playoffs hit, it's all TVA Sports.

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I can't recall, are all the french games blacked out in Ontario?

TVA Sports games will be available nationally.

As for RDS games, the viewing region is all of Quebec and Atlantic Canada, plus Ontario east of Belleville and Pembroke which is the same as TSN-Habs games were in recent years. If you could watch those last season, you should be fine. If not, start saving now for Centre Ice.

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We have had access to all 82 regular season and all Habs playoffs games on RDS here in Timmins (Northern Ontario) since RDS was awarded the rights to all Canadiens games in 2003. Prior to that we had access to all televised Habs games on SRC, TQS, and TVA before that. There was a time during the 1970's and 1980's that all CBC stations in Northern Ontario (Timmins, Sudbury, North Bay, and Sault Ste Marie) would telecast Canadiens games on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday evening rather than Toronto Maple Leafs games. I can also recall CBC stations in Ottawa (CBOT), Kingston (CKWS), and Peterborough (CHEX) would do the same in the days before the doubleheader. Maple Leafs games were aired in southern Ontario only...and Canadiens games were seen in Northern Ontario, all of Québec, and Atlantic Canada.

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TVA Sports games will be available nationally.

As for RDS games, the viewing region is all of Quebec and Atlantic Canada, plus Ontario east of Belleville and Pembroke which is the same as TSN-Habs games were in recent years. If you could watch those last season, you should be fine. If not, start saving now for Centre Ice.

Hmm, I'm in Kingston (east of Belleville), but I never got the TSN-Habs games.

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When I had checked NHL.com...it hadn't indicated the TVA Sports games yet....it does now...but still does not indicate the remainder of the games will be shown on RDS. We've had access to RDS since 2003 here in Timmins. I sure hope RDS will not be blacked out now for Habs games.

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When I had checked NHL.com...it hadn't indicated the TVA Sports games yet....it does now...but still does not indicate the remainder of the games will be shown on RDS. We've had access to RDS since 2003 here in Timmins. I sure hope RDS will not be blacked out now for Habs games.

They haven't put the regional schedules in there yet but it can be said with 100% certainty that RDS will have all of the other games. Here's the press release that says they're carrying 60 games: http://www.bellmediapr.ca/Network/RDS/Press/RDS-and-Montreal-Canadiens-Announce-

There's 22 with TVA Sports (the season opener plus 21 on Saturdays), meaning that the remaining 60 will be on RDS.

As for whether or not you'll get the games, were you able to access the TSN Habs feed the last few years? If yes, then you're fine. If no, you won't be able to see the RDS games.

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No...we do not have access to Habs regional games on TSN...even though we are an 8 hour drive from either Ottawa or Toronto. We have had access to all Habs games on RDS since 2002-03. Do you think RDS would now black out Habs games in our region? Here in Timmins...we have basically had access to all televised Canadiens games that have aired on CBC, SRC, TVA, TQS, and RDS for as long as I can remember. Like I have said before, even HNIC would air the Habs game on our local CBC affiliate rather than Leafs. I sure hope we do not lose access to RDS telecasts...I've had to get an HD receiver in order to have access to TVA Sports and had to get a digital receiver (Eastlink Cable) here to get RDS.

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No...we do not have access to Habs regional games on TSN...even though we are an 8 hour drive from either Ottawa or Toronto. We have had access to all Habs games on RDS since 2002-03. Do you think RDS would now black out Habs games in our region? Here in Timmins...we have basically had access to all televised Canadiens games that have aired on CBC, SRC, TVA, TQS, and RDS for as long as I can remember. Like I have said before, even HNIC would air the Habs game on our local CBC affiliate rather than Leafs. I sure hope we do not lose access to RDS telecasts...I've had to get an HD receiver in order to have access to TVA Sports and had to get a digital receiver (Eastlink Cable) here to get RDS.

If you couldn't subscribe to get the TSN-Habs games, then RDS will be blacked out for you since it's the same allowable viewing region. You'll still get the TVA Sports games since you already subscribe while you'll also have access to the 32 national English games (22 of which are TVA Sports ones unfortunately). For the rest, you'll be like me and needing Centre Ice.

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If you've got a streaming device and at least a 2 MB connection, I recommend GameCenter Live over Center Ice. Center Ice only ever carries one game per time slot in HD, so you'll frequently have to watch on as standard 4:3 picture that either gets stretched or put in a box and you're stuck with whichever feed they've chosen to use.

With GameCenter Live, you can get near HD quaility picture and choose which teams' feed to watch. Depending on the device, you can even get the French feed sometimes.

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If you've got a streaming device and at least a 2 MB connection, I recommend GameCenter Live over Center Ice. Center Ice only ever carries one game per time slot in HD, so you'll frequently have to watch on as standard 4:3 picture that either gets stretched or put in a box and you're stuck with whichever feed they've chosen to use.

With GameCenter Live, you can get near HD quaility picture and choose which teams' feed to watch. Depending on the device, you can even get the French feed sometimes.

For me, my internet connection is much, much slower than that but for those who actually have something resembling high speed, it's an option. As for Centre Ice in Canada, every game was in HD on my satellite provider (at least it was during the free previews).

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If you've got a streaming device and at least a 2 MB connection, I recommend GameCenter Live over Center Ice. Center Ice only ever carries one game per time slot in HD, so you'll frequently have to watch on as standard 4:3 picture that either gets stretched or put in a box and you're stuck with whichever feed they've chosen to use.

With GameCenter Live, you can get near HD quaility picture and choose which teams' feed to watch. Depending on the device, you can even get the French feed sometimes.

How much does GCL cost?

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Are you absolutely sure Canadiens games on RDS will be blacked out in my region? Like I said...we've had access to every single Habs game on RDS since 2002-03...why would they now black out their games in Northern Ontario? I can't even remember the last time I did not have access to a televised Canadiens game here. It must have been prior to about 1987 when SRC showed the Saturday night game and TVA would show weeknight games.

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Are you absolutely sure Canadiens games on RDS will be blacked out in my region? Like I said...we've had access to every single Habs game on RDS since 2002-03...why would they now black out their games in Northern Ontario? I can't even remember the last time I did not have access to a televised Canadiens game here. It must have been prior to about 1987 when SRC showed the Saturday night game and TVA would show weeknight games.

Like I said before, if you couldn't get the TSN Habs games, then you can't get the RDS games; it's the same viewing region.

Why are they blacking out games now? Because TVA Sports is now the only French language carrier that can show games nationally as part of the new 12-year TV rights deal. Sportsnet chose to partner with TVA and not RDS (which, given RDS' affiliation with TSN, was kind of a given). However, RDS won the rights to the 60 games that weren't part of the NHL-Rogers-TVA agreement but since they're no longer allowed to broadcast nationally, they're restricted to televising games within their designated viewing region. That viewing region is all of Quebec and Atlantic Canada, plus Ontario east of Belleville and Pembroke. If you're not within that zone, the RDS games will be blacked out.

You won't lose access to everything though at least. From what you said earlier, it sounds like you have access to TVA Sports which will get you 22 games while the rest of the Sportsnet package guarantees 32 games in English (22 of which are the TVA ones). Assuming you're subscribed to Sportsnet (and City TV), you should get those games as well. For the rest though, unfortunately we're stuck with Centre Ice (or depending on your internet connection, GameCentre Live).

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Great...so instead of having access to every single televised Habs game since about 1987...I won't have the opportunity to view some games unless I buy the Centre Ice package...which I have refused to do because I have had access to all Habs games with my regular cable package. It makes absolutely no sense that I won't have access to some Habs games in french. This whole 'broadcast region' crap makes absolutely no sense where I live...an 8 hour drive to either Ottawa or Toronto. Does that little bastard Bettman think I won't drive to Ottawa or Toronto on a Tuesday night because I can watch Montreal Canadiens on TV? I have tried e-mailing both Montreal Canadiens and RDS...still no reply yet.

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Great...so instead of having access to every single televised Habs game since about 1987...I won't have the opportunity to view some games unless I buy the Centre Ice package...which I have refused to do because I have had access to all Habs games with my regular cable package. It makes absolutely no sense that I won't have access to some Habs games in french. This whole 'broadcast region' crap makes absolutely no sense where I live...an 8 hour drive to either Ottawa or Toronto. Does that little bastard Bettman think I won't drive to Ottawa or Toronto on a Tuesday night because I can watch Montreal Canadiens on TV? I have tried e-mailing both Montreal Canadiens and RDS...still no reply yet.

To be fair, the Habs were the only team that had all of their games shown nationally, everyone else had to get CI or some sort of equivalent. (It doesn't make me feel any better either but it should be noted that we've been lucky for a long time now.)

The regional broadcasting model has been around for quite some time. The Montreal region is actually much bigger than it should be territorially speaking since the Habs and Senators reached a deal a long time ago to show regional games in each others' territory. Interestingly enough, the NHL has been taken to court in the US regarding the restrictions they're placing on regional games; the league just lost their motion to dismiss the case a couple of weeks ago. (They do, however, intend to fight to keep the right to blackout/restrict access.)

If you do get a reply from the Habs or RDS, post it here. I'd be curious to see what they're saying about the matter. (Personally, I'd like to know if RDS games will now be available on CI...)

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Do you know when this stupid regional broadcasting rule came into effect? Why should I not have access to all televised Habs games just because I live in Ontario? There are likely more Canadiens fans in Northern Ontario than Leafs fans...like I said...in the 1980s HNIC would show the Habs game in Northern Ontario rather than show the Leafs game...as did CBOT in Ottawa...CHEX in Peterborough...and CKWS in Kingston. I will be very angry should RDS not be permitted to telecast Habs games in Northern Ontario. Still awaiting a reply from Donald Beauchamp of the Canadiens and Renée Rouse from RDS.

Edited by Stephane Pichette
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Do you know when this stupid regional broadcasting rule came into effect? Why should I not have access to all televised Habs games just because I live in Ontario? There are likely more Canadiens fans in Northern Ontario than Leafs fans...like I said...in the 1980s HNIC would show the Habs game in Northern Ontario rather than show the Leafs game...as did CBOT in Ottawa...CHEX in Peterborough...and CKWS in Kingston. I will be very angry should RDS not be permitted to telecast Habs games in Northern Ontario. Still awaiting a reply from Donald Beauchamp of the Canadiens and Renée Rouse from RDS.

There have been regional restrictions for as long as I can remember. You can thank the Habs for this mess though as they're the ones who opted to go with two different carriers, thereby making it impossible for all of the country to get the games in French. Had they gone with TVA when the deal was announced, TVA would have shown all 82 games nationally.

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There have been regional restrictions for as long as I can remember. You can thank the Habs for this mess though as they're the ones who opted to go with two different carriers, thereby making it impossible for all of the country to get the games in French. Had they gone with TVA when the deal was announced, TVA would have shown all 82 games nationally.

In all honesty, it's a damn good thing that they went with 2 broadcasters. Enough of this monopoly. Give the 2 channels a reason to always improve their coverage and not sleep on what they've done in the past.

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In all honesty, it's a damn good thing that they went with 2 broadcasters. Enough of this monopoly. Give the 2 channels a reason to always improve their coverage and not sleep on what they've done in the past.

Depends on where you live. For you, it's fine. For those who no longer can access RDS games (like me), it's not a good thing at all. I'd rather have the monopoly if it means I get to save $200 by not paying for Centre Ice.

A good summary of the Canadian national/regional rights, which more or less highlights what has been discussed already: http://blog.fagstein.com/2014/08/18/nhl-regional-schedule-2014-15/

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For me, my internet connection is much, much slower than that but for those who actually have something resembling high speed, it's an option. As for Centre Ice in Canada, every game was in HD on my satellite provider (at least it was during the free previews).

Haha, I originally was going to quote you directly, but figured that would be a jerk move if you still had an old school connection. Just curious, what are you up to these days in terms of speed?

Nice that you guys get a much better product up there for Center Ice.

How much does GCL cost?

Last year I got it for $150, which is $20-30 bucks less than Center Ice.

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