Updated March 2, 2026, 6:21 a.m. ET
Monday’s Detroit Red Wings game is getting a rare 2 p.m. puck drop so the NHL can put the matchup in prime time for viewers across Europe. The league moved the game, originally slated for the usual evening slot, as part of a growing effort to schedule select contests at European-friendly hours.
The Red Wings will visit the Nashville Predators, with the puck drop at 1 p.m. Central in Nashville and 2 p.m. Eastern for fans watching in Detroit and around Michigan. That translates to an 8 p.m. Central European Time faceoff, lining up neatly with the kind of evening viewing window North American fans are used to at home.
League executives tied the decision directly to a surge of interest from overseas.
“Coming off the tremendous fan response to the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden last month, coupled with the huge excitement surrounding NHL players participating in the Olympic Winter Games this coming February, we wanted to provide our international fans the opportunity to see more prime-time hockey during the week,” Keith Wachtel, the NHL’s president of business, said in a press release from the league.“
“This furthers our commitment to deepening our connection with international fans and growth in European markets, while creating a fun and memorable experience for fans in the Nashville market with a unique matinee game,” he said.
The matchup itself offers plenty of international flavor to fit the concept. Detroit’s roster includes German defenseman Moritz Seider, Austrian forward Marco Kasper and a half-dozen Swedish-born players, while Nashville counters with Swedish star Filip Forsberg, Swiss captain Roman Josi and several Finnish standouts. Those names are already familiar to European fans who watched the Predators in last season’s NHL Global Series Sweden, part of the league’s traveling showcase that set the stage for more Europe-friendly broadcasts.
