from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star,

It appears the NHL is headed back to ESPN starting in 2018 as part of an on-line streaming service and app, which is great news for the NHL, as well as hockey fans who get to renew their love-hate relationship with the American cable sports provider.

First the deal. It's complicated. As reported by Forbes.com, it began with ESPN's parent company, Disney, having already purchased BAMTech, LLC....

Now, this is not an over-the-air television or cable deal -- those rights still belong to NBC through the 2020-21 season.

This is also for Americans. The move is not likely to impact any Canadian viewing or streaming services.

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