1 5 ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁Rog ers ▁Media - produ ced ▁broadcast ▁under ▁a ▁sub - lic ense ▁agreement . ▁ ▁French - language ▁broadcast s ▁in ▁Canada ▁also ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁with ▁play - by - play ▁comment ator ▁René ▁L ec aval ier ▁and ▁colour ▁comment ator ▁Jean - M aur ice ▁B ail ly ▁on ▁C BC ' s ▁T élé vision ▁de ▁Radio - Can ada ▁( S RC ) ▁division . ▁S RC ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁exclusive ▁French - language ▁broad c aster ▁until ▁ ▁when ▁Ré seau ▁des ▁sports ▁( R DS ) ▁took ▁over . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁under ▁a ▁sub - lic ense ▁agreement ▁with ▁Rog ers , ▁TV A ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁exclusive ▁home ▁of ▁French - language ▁broadcast s ▁in ▁Canada . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁broadcast ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁in ▁, ▁covered ▁by ▁local ▁Chicago ▁station ▁W GN , ▁while ▁network ▁broadcast s ▁started ▁in ▁ ▁on ▁N BC . ▁However , ▁national ▁coverage ▁on ▁American ▁television , ▁like ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁N HL ▁season , ▁remained ▁in ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁flux ▁for ▁dec ades . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁N BC ▁and ▁CBS ▁held ▁the ▁rights ▁at ▁various ▁times , ▁but ▁they ▁each ▁only ▁covered ▁selected ▁games ▁of ▁the ▁series . ▁It ▁was ▁then ▁carried ▁on ▁synd ic ation ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁to ▁ 1