ESPN, Turner Sports ready to drop the puck on NHL coverage

One of Jimmy Pitaro’s top objectives when he became ESPN’s president was to get the National Hockey League back on the network

One of Jimmy Pitaro's top objectives when he became ESPN president was to get the National Hockey League back on the network. On Tuesday night, Pitaro's goal will be realized.

Besides the Seattle Kraken's first game, the return of hockey to ESPN and the addition of Turner Sports are among the main storylines when the regular season begins this week. ESPN and Turner replace NBC, which was the league's broadcaster since 2005.

Besides a huge influx of revenue to teams, it also marks the first time since the 1999-2000 season that the league has partnered with multiple national networks.

Both networks will kick off their seasons with doubleheaders.