The Calgary Flames kept rolling Monday night, but a chunk of their fan base never got to see it.
Calgary beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 at the Scotiabank Saddledome for its fourth straight win, yet the game did not air on Sportsnet West. Instead, it was available only through Sportsnet+ as part of the network’s new Monday Night Hockey setup.
That meant extra costs for viewers. Fans who already get Sportsnet through their TV provider still had to pay an added $12.99 per month for the Sportsnet+ TV provider add-on. Anyone without a qualifying TV subscription needed a Sportsnet+ Standard membership, priced at $34.99 a month or $269.99 a year.
There was one exception for eligible existing Sportsnet TV subscribers: participating providers such as Rogers, Rogers West and Shaw Direct included access to the streaming-only games.
Even so, many Flames fans were left frustrated enough to skip the broadcast entirely. Several vented on X about having to pay more despite already subscribing to Sportsnet, and one user summed up the mood bluntly: “Sounds like a good period of hockey! I am sure glad Sportsnet lets me see it,” o ne user chimed in on X.
Monday’s game was the first of eight Flames matchups set to stream exclusively on Sportsnet+ during the 2026-27 season. The next one is scheduled for Nov. 2 against the San Jose Sharks.
The other six Sportsnet+ exclusives are:
Nov. 23 @ Ottawa
Jan. 18 @ Chicago
Feb. 1 vs. Vegas
Feb. 15 @ LA
March 15. vs. Nashville
Apr. 5 @ Edmonton
The Flames also have four games that will land exclusively on Prime Video’s Wednesday Night Hockey:
Oct. 28 @ Edmonton
Nov. 11 vs. NY Rangers
Feb. 24 @ Utah
Mar. 3 vs. Edmonton
Sportsnet says it is working with other Canadian distribution partners to provide television subscribers more ways to access Sportsnet+ content.
For fans already juggling TV bundles and streaming subscriptions, though, the reaction was clear: another fee just to watch their team play is a tough sell.
In Other News...
Flames Game Takes A Turn After Leafs Winger Goes Down
A routine-looking matchup between the Flames and Maple Leafs took an uneasy turn in the second period when Kirill Marchenko went down after an awkward sequence along the boards. Marchenko exited in discomfort after a hit by Yegor Sharangovich sent him into the boards, adding a jolt of concern to a game that had already settled into its normal rhythm.
For Calgary, the moment became one of those bencheside reminders of how quickly a game can change. Marchenko had been on the ice for 7:05 before leaving, and the lower-body injury left the Leafs to adjust on the fly while the Flames continued trying to keep their composure around a play that suddenly carried more weight than the score. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Rivalry Loss Came With A Bigger Concern Calgary Will Notice
The Oilers night in Detroit was frustrating enough on the scoreboard, but the bigger worry for Calgary fans watching their biggest rival was the health of Zach Hyman. Edmonton kept finding ways to push in front, only to see the Red Wings answer each time before eventually taking it in a shootout, a result that left the Oilers with a loss despite doing enough in stretches to control play.
What will linger beyond the points lost is the hit Hyman absorbed late in the game, a collision that sent him out of action and kept him from returning. In a rivalry that always carries extra weight in Alberta, any injury to a top Edmonton forward gets noticed fast, especially when it comes in a game where the Oilers already let one slip away. [Read more 🡒]
Flames May Be Finding A New Role That Fits Martin Pospisil
Martin Pospisil has been carving out a different kind of job for the Flames lately, and it has given Calgary a little more lineup flexibility in the process. The Slovak winger has been used heavily on the penalty kill and has also logged a prolonged stretch at centre, a role he spent the summer and training camp preparing for. Head coach Ryan Huska gave him a real runway there, and Pospisil has looked comfortable enough to keep the experiment going.
The offensive contribution has been part of the appeal, too, with Pospisil showing he can still help drive play while handling more responsibility down the middle. There was also a brief altercation in the Toronto game, a reminder that his edge remains part of the package, but the bigger takeaway for the Flames is how smoothly he has taken to the new assignment. If this continues, Calgary may be finding a fit that gives Pospisil a clearer path to regular minutes and a more defined place in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]