Alberta's decision to implement permanent daylight time has affected NHL schedules for teams like the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, causing some games to start at 9 p.m., which is later than usual. This change means that eight Flames home games will now begin at 9 p.m., impacting player routines and fan attendance, especially for families with young children. Players like Ryan Strome and Jake Walman anticipate adjusting their schedules and sleep patterns to accommodate the new game times.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Alberta’s move to permanent daylight time will turn the Calgary Flames and their fans into night owls a few times this NHL season.
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move → turn → owls
The puck drops at 9 p.m. on eight Flames games, including two at the Saddledome.
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puck → drop → Saddledome
“Professional athletes got to do what we got to do to get ready,” said Flames captain Mikael Backlund.
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Backlund → got → what
Flames forward Ryan Strome, who has children aged six, five and two, may have time to help out with bath chores before he heads to the Saddledome for a late game.
uncertain
he → have → game
“They always want to come to games, and the nine o’clock games they definitely can’t come to,” Strome said.
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Strome → want → games
“That’s probably the biggest adjustment, is that my tickets will be free those nights because my family can’t go.”
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family → ’ → ?
Alberta’s decision to stop moving clocks back an hour in November and ahead in March and stay on daylight saving time — a move also adopted by B.C. and Manitoba — threw a few wrinkles into an NHL schedule driven by broadcast rightsholders.
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decision → stop → rightsholders
It’s injected variety into when the puck drops for the NHL’s teams in Western Canada, and when their fans turn on their screens to watch them.
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fans → inject → them
“It’s out of our control,” Flames president and chief executive officer Robert Hayes said.
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Hayes → ’ → control
“I’ve always said in my business career, ‘let’s focus on the things we can control,’ and we can’t control that.
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we → say → that
“A decision was made by the province … and decisions were made by others that this is the time we’re going to start hockey games.
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we → make → games
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Only once before an Eastern road trip starting Dec. 10 do the Flames have back-to-back games starting at the same time.
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Flames → get → time
“Looking at the calendar, looking at the schedule, it looks like it’s a big variety this year,” Backlund said.
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Backlund → look → schedule
Calgary does get eight afternoon games starting at 2:30 p.m. or earlier, compared to five in 2025-26.
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Calgary → get → 2025
“We’ve got more afternoon games.
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We → get → games
That’s going to be exciting for families,” Hayes said.
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Hayes → go → families
“And then the 9 o’clock games, hopefully that just means, and I’ll couch my words here, a greater party atmosphere, if you will, for a Saturday night 9 o’clock game that happens to be on.”
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that → mean → game
Edmonton has seven games starting at 9 p.m., including Nov. 7 against the Canucks and March 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks at Rogers Place.
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Edmonton → have → Place
“I don’t think I’ll notice as much as my family at home watching,” said Oilers defenceman Jake Walman, who is from Toronto.
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who → think → Toronto
“They’ll probably be struggling to watch that one.”
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They → struggle → one
His teammate Trent Frederic will adjust his sleep routine for late games at Rogers Place.
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teammate → adjust → Place
“Sounds weird, but I’ll try to go to bed a little bit later the night before, probably take a later nap, eat my lunch a little bit later than normal,” he said.
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he → sound → lunch
A lot of times after games, the later games, you’re going to bed late, you’re still wired, so it’s just important to kind of stick with getting the good naps.”
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it → go → naps
Manitoba declared Sept. 17, the same day players hit the ice for NHL training camps, that the province will stay on daylight time permanently.
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province → declare → time
The next day, the NHL issued changes to a dozen Winnipeg Jets home games, pushing them back an hour, but none later than 7:30 p.m. local time.
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NHL → issue → p.m.
Winnipeg’s road schedule contains the odd nightcap for Jets fans, though, including a 10 p.m. game Feb. 13 against the Canucks and a 9:30 p.m. start Dec. 2 against the Utah Mammoth.
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schedule → contain → Mammoth
The Canucks on the West Coast also have some quirky start times on the road, including 4:45 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.
A seven-game road trip in late January contains five different start times ranging from noon to 6 p.m.
“One hundred per cent it’s going to be different,” Canucks winger Brendan Gallagher said.
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Gallagher → have → p.m.
“It’s something that we’ve never really been through.
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we → ’ → that
Even having an 8 p.m. game to start the season, a little bit different, but we’ll get used to it.
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we → have → it
“We’ll have plans, and you probably tinker with (it) a little bit, but it’s not going to change too much.
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it → have → it
Once the puck drops, it’s still hockey and you’ve got a job to do.
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you → drop → job
You try to stick to what your routine is as best you can.”
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you → try → ?
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2026.
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report → publish → Press
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