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Schedule makers blow it again with the Hudson River Rivalry

Last season, the NHL schedule makers only put the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers together for games, and they all happened in March. This year, the schedule makers might have bungled it even more.
ByNick Villano|
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New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images
New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New Jersey Devils-New York Rangers rivalry was considered the best in hockey if you asked most fans just a few years ago. Going into the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Rangers-Devils series was must-see TV. The Rangers went all in with acquisitions of Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, and the Devils were reliant on a young, upstart team led by Jack Hughes. Game 6 averaged 1.9 million viewers on ESPN, and Game 7 averaged 2 million viewers. That’s incredible for a first-round series. 

It felt like this was once again going to lead rivalries in the sport for the next decade. Then, both teams fell flat and the rivalry went along with it.

Don’t get us wrong, there were still moments. Matt Rempe was a wrecking machine who probably should have been suspended for even longer than he was for all the illegal hits he laid against the Devils. After he knocked Jonas Siegenthaler out for months, the next time Rempe was on the ice, a full line brawl ensued. 

Heck, last year we got a goalie fight. We love a goalie fight! 

Unfortunately, the schedule makers made it so much fewer people cared about this rivalry. The Devils and Rangers only played three times last season, and all three matchups were in March. Both teams were well out of the playoff race, and even Golden boy Jack Hughes couldn’t get people to care.

The NHL had a chance to rectify its mistake this season by spreading the schedule out this season. With the new 84-game schedule, each division team will have four matchups against each other, so we don’t have to ever worry about just three games on the schedule for the Hudson River Rivalry. Yet, the league still bungled this. 

The NHL repeated their Hudson River Rivalry mistake

The Devils and Rangers play four times this season, and they won’t play after Christmas. They play once in September and then three times in December. Then, the rivalry is over until 2027-28. 

What are we doing here? Are we just allergic to making money? Make us NEED this rivalry. If the NHL just made this happen in October, December, January, and March, then we’d have four distinct versions of these games. It would remove the risk of one team being bad or not established yet. Instead, one injury could basically wipe out the entire rivalry for a season. 

The league has to understand the nuances of the schedule. It’s clear they are building this thing in AI, but a human touch would look at this and understand it’s a mistake. 

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