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NHL scores highest TV ratings in 14 seasons

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Carolina Hurricanes at Washington CapitalsMay 6, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) is interviewed by ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan (R) after scoring the overtime goal against the Washington Capitals in game one of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

A year after NHL viewership shrunk, the league drew its highest average television audiences in 14 years for the just-concluded regular season, Sports Business Journal and Sports Media Watch reported on Tuesday.

In games on ESPN, ABC and TNT/truTV, the NHL posted averages of 546,000 viewers, per the reports. That’s a year-on-year increase of at least 23% and a better average than all seasons since 2012-13, when NBC and NBCSN averaged 590,000.

Nielsen’s change in methodology might explain a part of the decade-plus high, as ratings across all sports are higher based on the new measurement system. NBA ratings were up 35% this year, other sports also seeing double-digit-percentage increases.

The 54 games airing on ESPN and ABC drew 760,000 viewers on average, a 30% jump from 2024-25. ESPN games in particular saw a major rating improvement, with games attracting 602,000 on average, a 48% hike from the prior season.

TNT/truTV carried 72 games that brought in 381,000 viewers on average, a rise of 21% year-on-year. Those contests saw a significant bump after Team USA won hockey gold at the Milan Olympics, as NHL viewership on TNT Sports rose to 453,000 on average following the league’s midseason break.

The top-rated NHL game of the regular season was the Stadium Series game at Tampa on Feb. 1, when the Tampa Bay Lightning edged the Boston Bruins 6-5 in a shootout. ESPN drew 2.07 million viewers for that contest, a cable-TV record for an NHL regular-season game.

NHL ratings declined in the 2024-25 season despite the league replacing the All-Star Game with the wildly popular 4 Nations Face-Off that saw Canada defeat the United States 3-2 in overtime in the final.

–Field Level Media

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Teen's match-winner keeps New England rolling, Atlanta sliding

MLS: New England Revolution at Atlanta United FCApr 22, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New England Revolution defender Will Sands (23) and Atlanta United midfielder Saba Lobjanidze (11) collide while fighting for the ball during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Peyton Miller’s 78th-minute goal was the match-winner as the visiting New England Revolution defeated Atlanta United, 2-1, on Wednesday night.

Carles Gil assisted on both goals for the Revolution (5-3-0, 15 points), who extended their winning streak to four matches. They also snapped a six-match road losing streak dating back to 2025.

Atlanta (1-7-1, 4 points) dropped its fourth league match in a row and has gone winless in its last five MLS matches (0-4-1).

The 18-year-old Miller scored his team-high third goal of the season on a cross from Gil from the left side of the scoring area. The United States youth international chipped it over Atlanta goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos to make it 2-1 Revs.

The goal came shortly after Will Sands scored a 73rd-minute equalizer. Gil’s corner kick met Sands’ head and, with Hoyos off his line, it sailed into the net to make it 1-1. It was Sands’ first career goal.

Atlanta scored the match’s first goal after the Revs’ Alhassan Yusuf had his would-be opener disallowed on an offside call.

After Pedro Amador got on the end of a cross from Alexey Miranchuk, he fed it to Saba Lobjanidze in front of the goal. Revs goalkeeper Matt Turner parried away Lobjanidze’s point-blank attempt before Fafa Picault had a simple finish on the rebound to make it 1-0. It was Picault’s second goal with Atlanta United across all competitions.

Atlanta had an opportunity to equalize in second-half stoppage time, but Matt Turner stopped Emmanuel Latte Lath’s volleyed attempt.

Turner ended the evening with eight saves. Hoyos was credited with two saves for Atlanta.

With the loss, Atlanta United’s record in their last 13 matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium fell to 1-6-6.

Wednesday marked New England’s first road win since a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew on August 23, 2025.

–Field Level Media

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DC United ends scoring drought, earns 4-4 draw with Red Bulls

MLS: D.C. United at Red Bull New YorkApr 22, 2026; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; Red Bull New York forward Jorge Ruvalcaba (11) reacts after scoring a goal against D.C. United during the second half at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Tai Baribo scored his third goal in the 80th minute as D.C. United ended a long scoring drought and escaped with a 4-4 draw in an adrenaline-fueled match against the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night in Harrison, N.J.

Jackson Hopkins added a goal and an assist for D.C. United (2-4-3, 9 points), who rallied from a two-goal deficit. D.C. has not won in its last five games, going 0-2-3 over that stretch.

The offensive splurge came from a D.C. team that entered the match with an MLS-low four goals. Baribo has now scored six of the team’s eight goals this season.

Jorge Ruvalcaba scored two spectacular goals in the second half for struggling New York (3-3-3, 12 points), which has won only one of its last seven MLS matches.

Ronald Donkor added a goal and two assists and Julian Hall scored his team-high sixth goal for the Red Bulls, who have surrendered 18 goals in their last five matches.

New York struck first in the 15th minute with a precise pair of passes by Adri Mehmeti and Donkor, which set up Hall for a low right-footed shot past on-rushing D.C. keeper Sean Johnson (one save).

Just six minutes later, the Red Bulls took advantage of a lack of pressure from the D.C. defense as a cross by 17-year-old Matthew Dos Santos was deflected by D.C. defender Aaron Herrera.

The ball found Donkor in the center of the box and he fired a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner for a 2-0 lead.

D.C. answered in the 37th minute in transition as Hopkins crossed from the right side to Baribo in the middle of the box. With a sliding right-footed shot, Baribo beat New York keeper Ethan Horvath (one save).

New York countered in the 52nd minute in transition as Emil Forsberg found Ruvalcaba sprinting down the left wing. Ruvalcaba beat one defender then watched another slide past before rifling a tough-angle shot into the top right corner for a 3-1 lead.

But D.C. answered, taking advantage of the tendency of the back line of New York to play too far forward. D.C.’s Joao Peglow won two balls near midfield and sent them forward for breakaway goals five minutes apart.

Hopkins scored the first to make it 3-2 and Baribo followed in the 59th minute to tie it up.

After Ruvalcaba scored again in transition in the 71st minute, Baribo answered from just in front of the goal line with his equalizer on a feed from Silvan Hefti, who had two assists in the match.

In stoppage time, D.C.’s Jacob Murrell appeared to score a transition goal but was called for a foul, shoving a defender out of his way before flicking in a shot with his left foot.

–Field Level Media

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Strong second period carries Flyers past Penguins for 3-0 edge

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia FlyersApr 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Travis Konecny (11) checks Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Trevor Zegras, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nick Seeler and Noah Cates all scored their first career playoff goals to guide the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-2 home victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday and a three-games-to-none series lead.

After capturing Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia scored three times in the second period of this one, and Dan Vladar took care of the rest with 28 saves.

Owen Tippett had the other goal for the Flyers. Cates and Zegras each added an assist, and Jamie Drysdale, Sean Couturier and Noah Juulsen logged two assists apiece.

Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson scored for Pittsburgh, which needs to win Saturday in Philadelphia to save its season. Stuart Skinner made 24 saves for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh opened the scoring 4:18 into the contest on a power play. Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust and Malkin connected on a tic-tac-toe passing sequence that ended with Malkin’s tally from the doorstep.

That was the only goal of the first period, but the middle session saw plenty of offense — all from Philadelphia — and a significant amount of physical play.

The second-period scoring began with Zegras’ power-play goal on a one-timer from the right circle at 5:18.

At the time, there were 11 players in the penalty boxes. Following a scrum on the previous shift, all 10 skaters were assessed roughing penalties with Rust getting an extra minor that had to be served by a teammate.

Less than four minutes later, the teams were back at full strength when Ristolainen scored from the right circle after a nice feed from Juulsen. Ristolainen received the puck with space and beat Skinner through the five-hole.

About two minutes later, Seeler’s shot from the blue line got through traffic and found the back of the net.

Pittsburgh pressured in the third period, which turned out to be an eventful stanza for Vladar. He lost a skate blade early in the session and then hurt his right arm on a collision with Rust a couple minutes later.

The injury appeared to affect Vladar, as he promptly allowed a power-play goal when Karlsson’s shot snuck just under his arm with 10:21 remaining.

However, Philadelphia regained the momentum with a power-play goal less than three minutes later when Cates took a pass on the doorstep, reverse-pivoted into the crease and lifted a forehand under the crossbar.

Tippett’s empty-netter with 1:12 left put an exclamation point on the victory.

–Field Level Media

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