16 nationally televised games drives one major point home about the Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins may be in for a chaotic year, but neither that nor the fact that they've struggled to put a respectable product on the ice over the past three seasons deterred anyone from giving them an unprecedented 16 nationally televised games.

That ties them with the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, and Edmonton Oilers. Want more fun? They got one more game on national TV than the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers.

Only the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Detroit Red Wings (17 apiece) and Washington Capitals (18) have mroe than the Pens. And it's a testament to just how much of a hockey city Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has transformed into and continues to thrive.

Pittsburgh Penguins seeing 16 nationally televised games is no fluke

Here's the kicker: The Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets have exactly zero games in front of a national audience.

While those numbers don't include Canada, since the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, and Vancouver Canucks also have zero, it tells us that nobody saw any reason to give TNT nor ESPN/ABC exposure for the regular season champs to American households.

The final Canadian team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, have 14 games. And with the Oilers clocking in at 16, as I mentioned earlier, it shows that yes, the powers that be will give teams north of the border airtime on US networks if they think they'll drive ratings.

Penguins are still a relevant hockey team regardless of their futility

Right now, the only reason to get excited about the Penguins involves Sidney Crosby chasing Mario Lemieux in a few stats. Other than that, it'll be a long 2025-26 campaign for one of the league's most successful franchises.

But the Pens could tear everything down to the foundation following the season and I doubt we'd see much of a difference. No, they're not an Original Six franchise like the Bruins, Wings, or Chicago Blackhawks (15 games), but the Pens have a large and loyal enough of a fanbase for national exposure, regardless of their shortcomings.

So, even in their most irrelevant days, especially if that downward spiral continues into 2026-27 and beyond, they've more than become a recognizable brand in the world of hockey. And for that, they've been rewarded.