It wasn’t too far into the 2016-17 NHL season before Scott Moore was confident hockey ratings would take a turn for the better for Rogers and Sportsnet.“After Auston Matthews’ third goal,” said Moore, the president of Sportsnet and NHL Properties at Rogers Media. “I didn’t want to put too much emphasis on that first night, but it was like somebody turned the light on.”Matthews scored an eye-popping four goals in the season opener, with his third coming 1:25 into the second period of his first game. The Leafs, the league and Rogers — which was entering the third year of a 12-year deal as Canada’s national hockey broadcaster — had a star on their hands. The world’s biggest market was reborn. Not just because of Matthews but because of a slate of impressive rookies, including fellow forwards Mitch Marner and William Nylander. There were similar re-awakenings in Edmonton, with a new arena and a healthy and determined Connor McDavid, and in Montreal, with goaltender Carey Price back. Calgary and Ottawa were good, too.If there was a disappointing moment for Moore, it was that the Stanley Cup ended in six games. Article Continued Below“There was no Game 7,” Moore said. “Overall, I would say, we’re very pleased with the year. Over the course of a 12-year deal, there will be ups and downs. This year is up for sure.”Hockey Night in Canada’s ratings were up 11 per cent from the 2015-16 season to an average audience of 1.8 million viewers for the 7 p.m. game, and up six per cent (560,000 viewers) for the late game. Sunday’s Hometown Hockey was up 22 per cent (511,000 viewers). And Sportsnet’s regional Leafs broadcasts were up 32 per cent, to an average audience of 511,000. That gets them back to roughly where they were in 2014-15. TSN’s Leafs broadcasts were up 20 per cent.