(Ed. Note: We're using NHL.com for our totals. Please keep in mind that the Versus schedule was jacked up twice by the network last year. We'll look out for any late edits.)

From a year-to-year perspective, the Carolina Hurricanes are simply going from one game to zero games on Versus during the NHL regular season. But a lot changed in that year.

The Hurricanes were an Eastern Conference finalist who dispatched two prominent teams (the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins) before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins. A regular-season rematch with either of their vanquished foes would have been a game of interest: Like Martin Brodeur(notes) batting his postseason tormentors, who eliminated him in the final seconds of a Game 7, or the Bruins' rematch with a Hurricanes team that infuriated them before knocking them out in a Game 7 overtime.

In fairness, Versus takes what it can get. If the game's not on a Monday or a Tuesday (or, sometimes, a rare Wednesday) then it's not going to be on the NHL's cable partner in the U.S. Carolina plays Boston on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, but that's far removed from their postseason ire. So fans will see the Rangers and Habs instead.

This doesn't excuse not finding a way to get Eric Staal(notes) and a conference finalist on at least as many times as the Calgary Flames (once) or Phoenix Coyotes (once); but Versus is paying top coin for these rights, and believes it understands how to draw the numbers to justify it.

Which, of course, means a steady diet of the Blackhawks, Red Wings, Rangers, Flyers and Penguins; who do they think they are, NBC?

Steve Lepore has tons of TV schedule day coverage over on Puck The Media. Coming up, we break down the Versus regular season TV schedule team-by-team and compare the totals to last season's. Apologies ahead of time to Islanders, Ducks and U.S.-based Senators fans; even if you're showing your 'V' next season, no one's going to see it.

Here's are the team-by-team appearances on Versus for the 2009-10 regular season, via NHL.com. (The Versus ... ahem, MHL schedule, is here and sans European games.) Last season's appearance totals are in parenthesis.

Chicago Blackhawks: 9 (3)

Detroit Red Wings: 9 (7)

New York Rangers: 8 (8)

Philadelphia Flyers: 8 (7)

Pittsburgh Penguins: 8 (8)

Boston Bruins: 7 (8)

Buffalo Sabres: 7 (8)

Minnesota Wild: 7 (8)

Washington Capitals: 7 (7)

New Jersey Devils: 6 (6)

Dallas Stars: 5 (4)

St. Louis Blues: 5 (5)

San Jose Sharks: 4 (3)

Colorado Avalanche: 3 (5)

Columbus Blue Jackets: 2 (1)

Montreal Canadiens: 2 (3)

New York Islanders: 2 (4)

Tampa Bay Lightning: 2 (4)

Toronto Maple Leafs: 2 (3)

Calgary Flames: 1 (0)

Florida Panthers: 1 (1)

Los Angeles Kings: 1 (0)

Nashville Predators: 1 (1)

Phoenix Coyotes: 1 (1)

Anaheim Ducks: Zero (1)

Atlanta Thrashers: Zero (2)

Carolina Hurricanes: Zero (1)

Edmonton Oilers: Zero (0)

Ottawa Senators: Zero (2)

Vancouver Canucks: Zero (1)

Again, the limitations on available games and the Winter Olympic break likely messed with the totals for some teams next season. A few thoughts:

• Pretty consistent year-to-year throughout the standings, although the sum total for Canadian teams plunged by three games. (Reminder, once again, that Versus draws no ratings from Canada.)

• We're always amused by the way Versus uses its elite ratings teams to perk up lesser draws, much in the way the WWE will pair a superstar with a jobber in a TV match. Nashville and Phoenix make their only appearances against Detroit, for example; Tampa Bay, Montreal and San Jose all face the Rangers.

• Finally, so much for the John Tavares(notes) hype, huh? The Islanders were on Versus more last season when Bill Guerin(notes) was the marquee name...

UPDATE: A friend in Carolina writes ...

Dec. 7 on Versus:

Buffalo vs. New Jersey

Or

Carolina vs. Pittsburgh?

Outside of The Zach Parise(notes) Adorability Factor, we haven't a clue.

UPDATE 2: Lepore has the NHL on NBC flex schedule. Hope you like the Flyers. Oh, and Carolina actually makes an appearance, even if it has no chance in hell of getting instead of Detroit vs. Chicago.

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