from NHL.com,

The return of the NHL and the first games played in the Scotia North Division drew record TV ratings in the United States and Canada on Wednesday.

The opening game of the season, between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, averaged 972,000 viewers on NBCSN in the United States, making it the network's most watched regular-season game ever.

NBCSN's opening night tripleheader, which included the Chicago Blackhawks against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the St. Louis Blues against the Colorado Avalanche, averaged 774,000 viewers, making it the network's most-watched multigame opening night on record.

The first two games between teams in the North Division, made up of the seven NHL teams based in Canada, drew record numbers on Sportsnet in Canada.

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