The numbers are in for the NHL on OLN. From MediaWeek:

The Comcast-owned network’s inaugural NHL telecast of the New York Rangers-Philadelphia Flyers opening night matchup scored a 0.4 household share, averaging 353,439 viewers, a significant jump from OLN’s Wednesday-to-date average of 125,089 viewers.

Factoring in OLN’s pre-game and post-game coverage, the net’s prime time average for Wednesday night was 276,869 total viewers, or a 0.3 household rating.

Checking the Nielsen Media Research numbers that had been forwarded to him Thursday afternoon, OLN president Gavin Harvey pumped his fist. “Oh, we’re happy,” Harvey said.

Considering the fact that OLN is available in over 64 million homes, its initial foray into pro hockey was more than respectable. While the net didn’t match the numbers ESPN took in with its opening night triple-header on Oct. 8, 2003 (average households: 476,000), it’s noteworthy that ESPN boasted a distribution of around 88 million homes two years ago.

And from Hollywood Reporter:

Monday and Tuesday night games of the first full week of OLN’s NHL telecasts scored for the network but fell from its opening-night numbers. The Pittsburgh Penguins-Buffalo Sabres game Monday night averaged a 0.3 household rating and 278,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. That compared with a 0.1 household rating and 111,336 viewers OLN delivered a year ago. Tuesdaye saw a lower rating for the Phoenix Coyotes-Dallas Stars game, a 0.2 and 143,438 viewers, double the 0.1 and 70,554 viewers in the same time period last year.

These numbers are promising for both OLN and the NHL. Many leagues have complained about their agreements with ESPN. While they enjoy the payoff they get from the broadcaster, what they don’t like is the oversaturation of leagues and coverage on ESPN. With so many leagues on ESPN, many at the same time, each sport has to worry about being outdone by the other. On OLN, the NHL is it. No college basketball games that are higher priority. No MAC college football games that execs prefer to air. No NBA games that are highlighted that would bump the NHL to ESPN2, where a 3 rating is considered golden.

More importantly is how the other leagues perceive OLN. OLN, a Comcast property, has been hot for some time. Leagues are looking at OLN to be able to do what Fox Sports has not: take a national nip out of the ESPN synergy.

Need more proof? The hot talk is that the NFL is taking pitches from various channels for rights to an exclusive weekly Thursday night NFL game. OLN is rumored to be far and away the favorite to land this deal.