Versus, however, would have us look at the bigger picture here. Like the fact there was a 30-minute pregame show Thursday night. Like the fact Dreger was a part of it.

Since the lockout, the NHL and, more specifically, Gary Bettman have taken a lot of heat from fans about the arrangement with Versus. Many note that Versus does not reach as many screens as ESPN ...

The NHL signed a massive agreement with NBC and then-Versus on April 17 (well after the Comcast purchase) that will extend coverage of hockey on the two stations until the end of the 2020-2021 season.

In the current contract, Versus pays the NHL about $75 million per year but NBC doesn't pay at all because of a revenue-sharing agreement with the league. That will now change.