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Has the NHL ever played on Thanksgiving? A brief history of the league's 'Thanksgiving Showdown' spectacle
American Thanksgiving is arguably the biggest holiday in the States, but the NHL won't be having any games on Thursday this year.
Thanksgiving Day has been owned by the NFL, as Americans are used to watching football at noon, 4 p.m. ET, and at night. With that, the NHL has opted to not have any games on that day, as the league does not want to go head-to-head with the NFL.
However, the NHL has gotten creative and has created the Thanksgiving Showdown which features nearly every single team playing on the Wednesday - the day before Thanksgiving - and the Friday - the day after the holiday.
NHL's history of Thanksgiving Showdown
With the NHL not playing on Thanksgiving, in 2011, the league created the Thanksgiving Showdown.
The Thanksgiving Showdown is a game featuring a rivalry or a matchup between two top teams.
In 2011, the first Thanksgiving Showdown saw the Boston Bruins play the Detroit Red Wings. The game ended up needing extra time with the Red Wings winning 3-2 in a shootout.
Another tradition of Thanksgiving Showdown is the Boston Bruins have been hosting a game in the afternoon on Friday. This year is no different, as Boston is set to host the Detroit Red Wings at 1 p.m. ET on Friday.
Best games to watch in 2023 Thanksgiving Showdown
This year, there are plenty of great games to watch on Wednesday and Friday in the Thanksgiving Showdown.
On Wednesday, the Boston Bruins will go on the road to play the Florida Panthers at 7 p.m. ET. It's a battle between the top two teams in the Atlantic Division and could be a playoff preview of the second round. Right after this game, the Dallas Stars will host the Vegas Golden Knights in what could be a Western Conference preview.
On Friday, the Toronto Maple Leafs go on the road to play the Chicago Blackhawks at 2 p.m. ET.
The other game to watch on Friday is the Tampa Bay Lightning going on the road to play the Carolina Hurricanes at 8 p.m. ET. Both Tampa Bay and Carolina have Stanley Cup aspirations this season.
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