NY Islanders Are Becoming Relevant With National TV Presence

The New York Islanders are going to be on national television double-digit times this season.

Apr 12, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) celebrates a goal with defenseman Ryan Pulock (6), defenseman Scott Mayfield (24), center Marc Gatcomb (16) and center Kyle MacLean (32) against the Montreal Canadiens in the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders have a difficult task of drawing national attention given the market that they play in.

Even when they are successful, they are playing second fiddle to the New York Rangers. The media market is certainly large enough to handle two teams, just as it does in every major sport in North America, but getting a bigger piece of that pie is always going to be a challenge.

However, the Islanders are starting to make a little bit of a dent and shrink the gap. Their third jersey fan contest was a massive hit, receiving more than 80,000 submissions, with the winning design being a Navy Lighthouse uniform.

Long Island is also going to be where the 2027 NHL All-Star Game is held at UBS Arena, New York’s home ice. That is a massive event for the Islanders to host, as their national profile is on the rise.

How many nationally televised games are Islanders playing?

Apr 9, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer watches from the bench in the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Along with hosting All-Star Game festivities, New York is going to be featured with semi-regularity as part of the NHL’s nationally televised schedule on ESPN and TNT, along with their affiliates.

The Islanders are going to play 10 games on national television this season, the same number they have had the last two seasons. For a team that has missed the playoffs two straight years and hasn’t advanced past the first round in a full campaign since 2019, receiving double-digit national telecasts is pretty solid.

The first time New York will be on national television is against the Rangers on Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN at Madison Square Garden.

Both of their contests against the LA Kings will be on ESPN+, Disney+ and HULU. The Islanders will host the Kings on Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET before heading out west to face off on Nov. 12 at 10 p.m. ET.

US National TV Games for 2026/27 NHL season, by team:

🏒 72 exclusive games on TNT networks
🏒 100 exclusive games on ESPN networks
- 15 on ABC
- 38 on ESPN
- 47 on ESPN+ / Disney+ / Hulu

📺 TNT: https://t.co/WbyORfTbns
📺 ESPN: https://t.co/xvwpfGWEIj pic.twitter.com/eSkiH6bHJc

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) August 26, 2026

Three out of their four matchups with the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes will be on national television. The first of those will be on Nov. 5 at UBS Arena at 7 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN+, Disney+ and HULU. On Jan. 28, New York will head to Raleigh to play at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max. On March 30, back on Long Island, they will drop the puck at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, Disney+ and HULU.

While not nationally televised, the Islanders will be playing in front of a massive audience, partaking in multiple of the midweek afternoon matinee games that the NHL has introduced, looking to expand their reach in Europe.

Nationally televised games should become somewhat of the norm for New York, as they have one of the bright young stars of the game on their team, defenseman Matthew Schaefer.