Ryan O'Reilly Says NHL Frozen Frenzy Is 'Great For the Game'

The Predators play the defending Western Conference champions on a big stage.

Mar 12, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN;Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) skates with the play against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NASHVILLE — The NHL Frozen Frenzy returns for its fourth consecutive season, with all 32 franchises competing Tuesday night on the ESPN family of networks, with staggered start times. The Predators play host to the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights as Nashville kicks off a three-game homestand.

"Yeah, it's unique," Andrew Brunette said of the Frozen Frenzy concept. "We're probably the only league that does it. I don't know if basketball does it, and it's kind of a fun day for everybody. I think there's a little bit of holidays in different parts of the country, and they get to come home and watch every team play, which is pretty cool."

ESPN2 will host whip-around coverage of all the action starting at 6 p.m. CT, allowing hockey fans to sit back and catch the most important moments of all 16 games in one location.

"It's awesome," Ryan O'Reilly said. "I think it's great for the game. I think you look at the other sports, something like football, and you've got RedZone, stuff like that. Just non-stop hockey. I think for the hockey fan, it's the dream. You get to watch everyone. It's nonstop action. It's great for the game."

The Frozen Frenzy is exciting for fans, but O'Reilly knows the Predators have a big opportunity on Tuesday as the Golden Knights are coming off a 4-2 Monday night loss to the Minnesota Wild.

"It's going to be a tough game," O'Reilly said. "Obviously, a very good team coming in here. We want to get back - we did some good things in that game against Ottawa, but some things to clean up as well. I think we really want to get back. So we want to come out with high energy. These guys played last night, so it's something where we want to try to wear them down. Can't give them anything easy, take care of the puck and playing our game. That's fast, that's connected, and something that we want to establish this week for sure."

NHL Frozen Frenzy Schedule (Times Central)

• New Jersey Devils at Detroit Red Wings, 5 p.m., ESPN
• Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets, 5:15 p.m., ESPN+
• Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes, 5:45 p.m., ESPN+
• Seattle Kraken at Philadelpha Flyers, 6 p.m., ESPN+
• Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers, 6:15 p.m., ESPN+
• St. Louis Blues at Ottawa Senators, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Vancouver Canucks at New York Islanders, 6:45 p.m., ESPN+
• Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks, 7 p.m., ESPN+
• Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets, 7:15 p.m. ESPN+
• Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
• Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators, 7:45 p.m., ESPN+
• Toronto Maple Leafs at Utah Mammoth, 8 p.m., ESPN+
• Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks, 8:45 p.m., ESPN+
• Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings, 9:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Boston Bruins at San Jose Sharks, 10 p.m., ESPN

Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram for the latest news.