There is no denying that ESPN's coverage and broadcasts of the NHL has been quite disappointing since ESPN and the NHL struck a new partnership deal. The broadcasts always seem to have an audio or visual issue and the fans have seemingly had enough.
It appears that the NHL is going to try to take a page out of the NFL's book with a new broadcast option.
The NHL is reportedly discussing airing an NHL broadcast on Disney channel, similar to what the NFL has done with Wild Card games on Nickelodeon. The NFL has done great viewership numbers on Nickelodeon. The 2021 game saw 2 million viewers, mainly from a younger demographic. The NHL needs to change something up and this is the perfect opportunity to grow the game to the younger generation.