Permanent daylight time brings quirky NHL start times to Western Canada

Hockey fans in North America may need to adjust their sleep schedules this season due to a decision made by three Canadian provinces to stay on daylight saving time. Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia have opted not to move their clocks back an hour in November and forward in March, which affects the NHL schedule.

The change in start times has caused some quirks in the NHL fixture list. For the Calgary Flames, the scheduled puck drop will be at 9 p.m. local time for eight games, including two home games on December 26 and January 16. Calgary's chief executive officer, Robert Hayes, stated that they have no control over this decision. Flames captain Mikael Backlund joked that caffeine would help his team stay alert.

Edmonton will have seven games starting at 9 p.m., while Manitoba's Winnipeg Jets will have their schedule adjusted by an hour, with all home games pushed back to 7:30 p.m. local time. Winnipeg's General Manager stated that the change was necessary due to the province's decision to stay on daylight saving time. Vancouver Canucks have a particularly unique schedule, with a road game on January 19 starting at noon.

The NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, joked about not having input on the time zone changes, but acknowledged that the league will adapt to the new schedule.