ESPN gives the NHL the best opening night ratings in league history

According to multiple reports, ESPN's re-debut into the hockey world was an enormous success.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman himself stated yesterday that Tuesday's ESPN broadcasts provided the highest cable ratings that the league has EVER had for opening night.

And from ESPN:

Golden Knights-Kraken averaged 782,000 viewers last night, peaking at over a million. It’s the most-watched opening night game in the late window on record, and the second most-watched 6pm PT game or later EVER in the regular season

- ESPN

That's... that's pretty good, right? 

In case you missed it Tuesday night, ESPN returned to the NHL for the first time in 17 years broadcasting the 2021-22 season openers in back to back games. Personally, as someone who didn't watch ESPN broadcasts often back in the day (Canadian here), I was absolutely blown away. To be perfectly frank, broadcasts on NBC always felt and sounded like a cut below those done by CBC, Sportsnet and TSN up north in Canada, but ESPN... ESPN is legit.

The play by play by Sean McDonough and John Buccigross was stellar and I'm always a fan of Ray Ferraro's and Brian Boucher's analysis. Again, if this is what I can expect from ESPN all season long, consider me a fan.