| NHL on Hughes | |
|---|---|
 NHL '80 Title Card | |
| Also known as | NHL '80 |
| Genre | NHL hockey telecasts |
| Presented by | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Various NHL venues |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 180 minutes or until the game ends |
| Original release | |
| Network | Hughes Television Network |
| Release | January 25 – May 22, 1980 |
| Related | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
NHL on Hughes is the de facto name of a TV program that broadcast National Hockey League games on the defunct independent Hughes Television Network during the 1979–80 season.[1] The program aired under the title The NHL '80.[2][3]
Hughes broadcast[4] eight Friday night games,[5] two Thursday night games[6] (on March 20 and April 3, 1980),[7] the All-Star Game,[8] some playoff games, and the first five games[9] of the Stanley Cup Finals[10] (the final game, Game 6, was broadcast by CBS). Hughes' broadcasts were distributed to about 55% of the United States[11] with a notable exception being the Florida Suncoast.
Hughes and the USA cable network technically, used CBC's Hockey Night in Canada feeds for the American coverage of the first five games of the Stanley Cup Finals. The first broadcast involved the Atlanta Flames against the Chicago Blackhawks on January 25.[12]
- ^ "Sports BRIEFING". Chicago Tribune. October 10, 1979.
- ^ "Tait is named to VPI post". Gadsden Times. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ 1980 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6: NY Islanders - Philadelphia Flyers on YouTube
- ^ "NHL Games Telecast On Hughes Network". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 11, 1979. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ "NHL hits jackpot with Friday games". The Calgary Herald. October 10, 1979. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "Newspaper says Unger to suit up with Flames". The Phoenix. October 10, 1979. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "Hughes Network to Show Number of Hockey Games". New York Times. 1979-10-11. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- ^ "NHL, Hughes Network Agree on Prime-Time TV Coverage". Los Angeles Times. October 10, 1979. p. F6.
- ^ Rothenberg, Fred (May 25, 1980). "NHL may be robbed of TV showcase". The Daily Sentinel. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ "Games Will be Televised". Reading Eagle. The Canadian Press. May 13, 1980. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
- ^ Ledman, Gary (March 8, 1980). "Despite Gold, TV Brass Has Hockey On Hold". The Evening Independent. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ "Hughes network NHL finalize deal". The Montreal Gazette. October 10, 1979. Retrieved January 15, 2024.