The NHL and broadcasting woes are a pair that fans would rather forget. The only problem is, they can’t even if they wanted to. Ever since the National Hockey League ended its relationship with NBC, the fans have yet to find an alternative that gives them the same kind of experience. However, ESPN isn’t making things easy for fans to show their love for the NHL’s newer collaborations.

The defending Stanley Cup champs, the Florida Panthers, after defeating arch in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in the first round, have arrived at the Scotiabank Arena to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2. With multiple networks covering the high-stakes match between the Atlantic Division heavyweights, fans couldn’t help but fume at how the NHL experience was diluted by ESPN.

The NHL Announcer Schedules took to X on May 5 to highlight how it was a whole different experience in the coverage of the Panthers vs Leafs game by ESPN and Sportsnet. With TNT not covering today’s game, fans had to settle for ESPN to stay updated. However, that didn’t go very well. To assert its argument, the social media post shared the moment the Leafs’ William Nylander scored the first goal of the game, 33 seconds into the 1st period. In the first section of the video, ESPN’s Mike Monaco‘s play-by-play commentary can be heard.

But it wasn’t as exciting as you’d expect an NHL playoff game to be. With a toned-down fan’s cheer to make Monaco’s voiceover come through, it wasn’t the kind of celebration you’d want after a goal. On the other hand, Sportsnet’s coverage allows the fans to fully live the moment as the cheer of the fans from the Scotiabank Arena can be fully heard.

Noting the difference in approaching the game, NHL fans were furious with ESPN. “So embarrassing for the NHL, ESPN has never cared about hockey at all,” slammed one fan who had had enough of the network, placing its own needs as the priority rather than focusing on the fan experience. TNT’s remote coverage of NHL games has attracted severe flak from the community in recent days. However, it seems like even being present at the stadium isn’t doing any good for ESPN, and the fans didn’t hesitate to let it be known.

NHL fans give ESPN a taste of their minds

“ESPN has neutered hockey,” wailed another fan. Just days ago, ESPN was under significant heat as the network decided to swap Bob Wischusen for Sean McDonough to cover Game 7 between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars. Wishchusen, after calling six games between these two teams, was benched in favor of McDonough, who has had many health issues throughout the season, making it difficult for him to undertake his responsibilities. For obvious reasons, sitting out the man in form for Sean didn’t sit well with the community. One fan went further back in time to recall how ESPN’s relationship with the Avs has always been poor and how that’s spilling on to other teams as well. “ESPN was garbage during the Avs cup games in 2022 and it really made me angry. Apparently, it’s still garbage,” jeered the fan.

After the NHL severed its ties with NBC, many franchises opted to switch over to RSN (regional sports network) or other channels in order to reach out to their respective fan bases better. While teams like the Anaheim Ducks have found incredible success in the post-NBC era, sides like the Chicago Blackhawks have been met with dwindling viewership numbers. And yet, despite the current situation, an international network like ESPN failing to cash in on the opportunity has left fans baffled. “The play by play is unfortunately dry,” one fan pointed out why the broadcasting network just can’t get the fans rallying behind them.

For those who aren’t physically present at the game, it’s imperative that the commentators make them feel part of the show. But apparently, it looks like a task that ESPN isn’t up for. Naturally, fans were stunned by the network’s limping performance, and one fan vented, “This is truly insane how bad espn is,” while another suggested that the fans keep their expectations low. “People need to stop expecting anything from ESPN,” the comment read.

How about you, though? Who, according to you, has been the best to telecast NHL matches since NBC? Tell us below!