NHL on Hughes

NHL on Hughes is the de facto name of a TV program that broadcast National Hockey League games on the defunct independent Hughes Television Network during the 1979–80 season.^[1] The program aired under the title The NHL '80.^[2] Hughes broadcast Thursday night games,^[3] the All-Star Game,^[4] some playoff games, and the first five games of the Stanley Cup Finals^[5] (the final game, Game 6, was broadcast by CBS). Hughes technically, used CBC's Hockey Night in Canada feeds for the American coverage of the first five games of the Stanley Cup Finals. The first broadcast involved the Atlanta Flames against the Chicago Blackhawks on January 25.

Playoff coverage

Round	Teams	Games	Play-by-play	Color commentators
First round	Pittsburgh-Boston	Game 2
First round	New York Rangers-Atlanta	Game 4	Jiggs McDonald	Pete Stemkowski
Quarterfinals	Montreal-Minnesota	Games 6–7	Dan Kelly	Mickey Redmond
Semifinals	Buffalo-New York Islanders	Games 3, 6 (CBC's feed)	Jim Robson (first half of Game 3) Dan Kelly (second half of Games 3 and 6) Bob Cole (first half of Game 6)	Gerry Pinder (Game 3) Gary Dornhoefer (Game 6)
Semifinals	Philadelphia-Minnesota	Games 1, 3–4 Game 4 used (CBC's feed)	Dan Kelly (Games 1, 3, and first half of Game 4) Jim Robson (second half of Game 4)	Bill Clement (Game 1) Pete Stemkowski (Game 3) Gerry Pinder and Howie Meeker (Game 4)

Play-by-play	Color commentators
Bob Cole (Games 1 and 2, first half) Jim Robson (Games 3–5, first half) Dan Kelly (second half of Games 1–5 plus overtime in Game 1)	Gary Dornhoefer and Dick Irvin Jr.

^ "Sports BRIEFING". Chicago Tribune. October 10, 1979.
^ 1980 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6: NY Islanders - Philadelphia Flyers on YouTube
^ "Hughes Network to Show Number of Hockey Games". New York Times. October 11, 1979.
^ "NHL, Hughes Network Agree on Prime-Time TV Coverage". Los Angeles Times. October 10, 1979. p. F6.
^ Associated Press (May 13, 1980). "Games Will Be Televised". Reading Eagle. p. 22.