Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, is advocating for better timeslot allocation for the Olympic hockey gold medal game, citing the potential for increased viewership. In the 2026 Olympics, the US-Canada final attracted 18.6 million viewers on NBC, with a spike to 26 million during Jack Hughes' overtime goal. However, Bettman believes the early morning start time (8:10 a.m. ET) limited the game's reach, as it was not NBC's preferred time slot. The issue stems from the Olympic organizers' decision to schedule the Closing Ceremony in Verona, Italy, which is a two-hour drive from the hockey arena. This resulted in a 2:10 p.m. local start time, which was not ideal for American television executives. Despite the strong ratings, Bettman argues that the early start time cost the game millions of potential viewers, as compared to the 2010 gold medal game in Vancouver, which drew 27.6 million viewers with a 3:15 p.m. ET start. The 2030 Winter Olympics in France, which shares Italy's time zone, could solve this issue, but Bettman is already looking for solutions. He is also frustrated that the IOC won't allow the NHL to use Olympic footage for marketing, which is an odd restriction considering the league's goal of growing hockey's profile. Whether the IOC will accommodate the NHL's requests remains to be seen, but Bettman is optimistic about his conversations with the new IOC president, Kirsty Coventry.
