Fang's Bites

NHL Network To Air Niklas Lidstrom Announcement

Thursday morning, NHL Network will carry the Detroit Red Wings press conference that will unveil the future of celebrated captain Niklas Lidstrom. It’s expected that the Wings will announce that the 42 year old defenseman will call it a career. And he’s had a great career that has spanned 20 consecutive playoff appearances with Detroit plus winning the Norris Trophy seven times for Best Defenseman in the league.

NHL Network will celebrate Lidstrom by airing the NHL 36 documentary that focused on him and was originally shown on NBC Sports Network earlier in the season before and after the press conference.

The presser is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET. NHL.com will also stream the event live.

NHL NETWORK AND NHL.COM TO PROVIDE LIVE COVERAGE OF RED WINGS NEWS CONFERENCE TOMORROW

NEW YORK (May 30, 2012) – NHL Network will broadcast live and NHL.com will stream the Detroit Red Wings news conference featuring team Executive Vice President & General Manager Ken Holland and captain Nicklas Lidstrom Thursday, May 31, beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Before and after the news conference, NHL Network will air NHL 36: Nicklas Lidstrom beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET.

NHL Network Broadcast Schedule for May 31 (All Times Eastern)

10:30 a.m. — NHL 36: Nicklas Lidstrom
11:00 a.m. — Red Wings News Conference
After News Conference — NHL 36: Nicklas Lidstrom
5:00 p.m. — NHL Live
10:00 p.m. — NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final

That will do it.

NHL Network & NHL.com Reveal Stanley Cup Final Coverage Plans

We have this announcement from the National Hockey League in regards to this year’s Stanley Cup Final coverage. NHL Network will carry pregame coverage on days of the game.

It will begin Final coverage on Tuesday, May 29 at noon ET with Media Day at the home of the Eastern Conference Champion. Then the following day, NHL Tonight will air live an hour preceding the game and will do so on gamedays. Postgame coverage immediately following CBC and NBC going off the air and will have press conferences, interviews and analysis.

We have the announcement live from the National Hockey League. Check it all below.

NHL NETWORK AND NHL.COM UNVEIL COVERAGE PLANS FOR THE 2012 STANLEY CUP FINAL

Live Broadcast of Media Day, Fans Online Can Choose Live Stream of Three Podiums
New NHL Original Productions Program and Special Guest Analysts Among Highlights

NEW YORK (May 25, 2012) – NHL Network™ and NHL.com will be front and center throughout the 2012 Stanley Cup® Final between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Kings and the Eastern Conference champion, reporting on every angle and providing fans with the most comprehensive coverage of the NHL’s ultimate event.

NHL Network

NHL Network will begin its Stanley Cup Final coverage live from the Eastern Conference champion’s home on Tuesday, May 29, at Noon, ET, with four hours of exclusive programming from the League’s annual “Media Day” — a gathering of every player, coach and GM participating in the Final. For fans who aren’t able to watch the coverage live, NHL Network will air a recap show at 7:30 p.m. ET delivering all of the highlights from the day’s event.

On game days, NHL Network will have three hours of live coverage leading up to the contest beginning with NHL Live from 5-7 p.m. ET, followed by NHL Tonight: 2012 Stanley Cup Final Pre-Game Show. Once the game is completed, NHL Tonight: 2012 Stanley Cup Final Post-Game Show takes to the air to review every pass, hit, shot, block and goal. On non-game days, NHL Network will air NHL Live from 5-7 p.m. ET on weeknights, and NHL Tonight: 2012 Stanley Cup Final Edition every night.

On Sunday, June 3 at 8 p.m. ET, NHL Original Productions will roll out its latest program titled Inside the Cup. Throughout the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL Original Productions has made the most of its access to the League by having selected players wear microphones during games and capturing honest commentary straight from those battling on the ice every night in pursuit of the ultimate trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup. Inside the Cup weaves that unique footage and audio to tell how the remaining two teams beat the odds and earned their spot in the Stanley Cup Final.

On-Air Talent

NHL Tonight will be anchored by Kathryn Tappen, former NHL goaltender Kevin Weekes and Barry Melrose – the former head coach of the Los Angeles Kings who led the franchise during its last Stanley Cup Final run in 1993.

The show also will feature a number of special guest analysts. Darren Pang joins fellow NHL alumnus Doug Weight, who currently serves the New York Islanders as assistant coach and special assistant to the general manager. Joe Micheletti will join broadcaster Steve Mears.

NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek will host NHL Live on all game days and non-travel days. NHL alumnus Mike Johnson will cover the Eastern Conference and various NHL Network talent will rotate as guest analysts in the West. On off-days, NHL Live regulars Deb Placey and Bill Pidto will take the helm live from the New York studio.

Longtime Los Angeles Kings host Heidi Androl will join the Network crew in the West to deliver feature content, interacting with fans and players while reporting on the atmosphere surrounding the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.

All NHL Network programming will be carried in high-definition to U.S. audiences. NHL Network is available in the U.S. and Canada by contacting digital cable, satellite or telco providers. For more information or for an updated program schedule, please visit
www.nhlnetwork.com.

NHL .com

NHL.com will stream NHL Network original programming in addition to delivering original content created by a team of reporters, writers and videographers attending every press conference, practice and game. New this year, NHL.com will feature multiple camera choices for fans watching a live stream of NHL Tonight: 2012 Stanley Cup Final Media Day, allowing them to pick from three podiums at any point during the event to ensure they catch interviews with their favorite player or coach.

NHL.com also will live stream all post-game press conferences and feature extensive behind-the-scenes coverage of the Championship celebration with the Cup-winning club. Additional coverage includes pregame CoveritLive chats with popular NHL.com reporters and blogs submitted by hockey notables involved with the Final.

NHL Social™

NHL Social will be on location and behind the scenes at the Final, delivering real-time updates through the League’s official accounts on multiple social networking websites. Follow the NHL on Twitter (@NHL), Facebook (Facebook.com/NHL and Facebook.com/StanleyCup), FourSquare (foursquare.com/NHL), Instagram (@NHL) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/TheNHL). To join the conversation, fans are encouraged to use the official hashtags #StanleyCup and #Becauseitsthecup.

NHL Network Schedule: May 28 – June 3 (all times ET and subject to change)

Monday, May 28
NHL Tonight 2012 Stanley Cup Final Preview – 9 p.m.

Tuesday, May 29
NHL Tonight: 2012 Stanley Cup Final Preview (encore) – 11 a.m.
NHL Tonight: 2012 Stanley Cup Final Media Day – 12 p.m.
NHL Tonight: 2012 Stanley Cup Final Media Day (encore) – 4 p.m.
NHL Plays of the Week: Plays of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs – 7 p.m.
NHL Tonight: 2012 Stanley Cup Final Media Day Recap – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 30
NHL Live – 5 p.m.
NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Pre-Game Show – 7 p.m.
Game 1 – Los Angeles at TBD (NBC, CBC, RDS) – 8 p.m.
NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Post Game Show – Immediately following game

Thursday, May 31
NHL Live – 5 p.m.
NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Edition – 10 p.m.

Friday, June 1
NHL Live – 5 p.m.
NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Edition – 10 p.m.

Saturday, June 2
NHL Live – 5 p.m.
NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Pre-Game Show – 7 p.m.
Game 2 – Los Angeles at TBD (NBC, CBC, RDS) – 8 p.m.
NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Post Game Show – Immediately following game

Sunday, June 3
Inside the Cup: 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs – 8 p.m.
NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Edition – 9 p.m.
Inside the Cup: 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs (encore) – 11 p.m.

That’s all.

NHL Network, NHL.com and NHL Social Network Accounts All Over NHL Trade Deadline Day

One of the best days on the sports calendar, NHL Trade Deadline Day is coming on Monday. The Canadian sports networks, Rogers Sportsnet, The Score and TSN will be all over the big day as trades between teams can go fast and furious in the hours and minutes leading up to the 3 p.m. ET deadline. In past years, the trades can come quickly. Last year’s Trade Deadline Day was rather quiet, but with this year seeing teams having a lot of needs, we could see a lot of deals.

In the United States, NHL Network will simulcast TSN’s TradeCentre ’12 show starting at 8 a.m. Monday and lasting until 6 p.m. Following that simulcast, NHL Network will air a 90 minute trade deadline special hosted by Kathryn Tappen.

NHL.com will stream NHL Network’s coverage in addition to providing a real time trade tracker to allow fans to keep up on the latest trade news.

And fans can also follow the NHL’s official Twitter accounts throughout the day.

Here’s the press release.

NHL.COM, NHL NETWORK AND NHL SOCIAL FOCUS ATTENTION ON NHL TRADE DEADLINE DAY 2012

NHL Media Platforms to Deliver Complete, Up-To-The-Minute Coverage and Analysis on One of the Hockey Calendar’s Most-Anticipated Days

NEW YORK (February 24, 2012) – To satisfy its fans’ ever-increasing demand for the latest “Deadline Day” trade news and analysis, the National Hockey League will mobilize all of its media platforms to provide more coverage than ever of all the suspense, drama and intrigue. By tuning into NHL Network, logging onto NHL.com or connecting with NHL Social, fans can follow all the action leading up to Monday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline — and then engage in the post-deadline analysis and conversation as the stretch run for the Stanley Cup Playoffs kicks into high gear.

Beginning at 8 a.m. ET, NHL Network U.S. will simulcast TSN’s 10-hour flagship show, TradeCentre ’12. Host James Duthie will be joined by a team of hockey analysts, insiders, former NHL players, coaches and general managers, as TradeCentre ‘12 provides breaking news and instant assessment
of each transaction. Correspondents in various NHL markets will report the news and interview the general managers, coaches and players at the center of it all. Broadcasting live from the NHL Network’s New York studio, Deb Placey and E.J. Hradek will add their own unique analysis and updates.

Immediately following TradeCentre ’12, NHL Network will bring together an impressive panel of hockey insiders for NHL Network Trade Deadline Day Recap. This 90-minute show will provide
reactions from general managers and players while the panelists assess the impact of the Deadline Day deals on the playoff push and beyond. Kathryn Tappen will host NHL Network Trade Deadline Day Recap and will be joined by former NHL goaltender Kevin Weekes, NHL insider Hradek, Canadian Press hockey correspondent Chris Johnston, former NHL scout and general manager Craig Button and former NHL player and coach Barry Melrose.

Coverage continues at 7:30 p.m. ET with NHL on the Fly featuring David Amber, Billy Jaffe, Mike Johnson and Button. NHL Tonight wraps up the day-long coverage at 10 p.m. with Tappen, Weekes and Johnson at the desk.

Complete NHL Network Schedule for Monday, Feb. 27

8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. — TSN’s TradeCentre ‘12 (U.S. only)
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. — NHL Network Trade Deadline Day Recap
7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. — NHL On The Fly
10 p.m. — NHL Tonight

NHL.com
NHL.com, the League’s official destination on the Web, will be a one-stop hub of Trade Deadline news and information, available at nhl.com/tradedeadline. In addition to reporting on breaking news through stories and video reports, NHL.com will provide fans with live streaming video from NHL Network’s coverage of Trade Deadline news and information for those who are not near a television during the day.

Visitors to NHL.com on Trade Deadline Day can expect:

• More than seven hours of live streaming video from NHL Network beginning at Noon ET (portions available in U.S. only)
• An all-day “Cover It Live” chat featuring NHL.com writers and NHL Network personalities, with fan questions and interactive polls
• Instant trade analysis video reports
• A real-time Trade Tracker list of completed trades, with written features and analysis from the editorial team and correspondents reporting back from nearly every NHL market
• A Trade Deadline Diary documenting all the trades and coverage throughout the day
• Hourly video updates from NHL analyst E.J. Hradek
• Exclusive stories, analysis and reactions covering every move and what each means for the remaining weeks of the regular season

NHL Social
The Trade Deadline chatter on Twitter and Facebook will be everywhere. Those participating in the day’s conversation are asked to use #NHLTrade – the official NHL hashtag for Trade Deadline Day. Those who follow @NHL on Twitter or “like” the NHL on Facebook will be informed of all official trades, while a number of NHL Network hosts and analysts and NHL.com writers will comment throughout the day with Trade Deadline-related content.

NHL Twitter Accounts:
Adam Kimelman –  @NHLAdamK
Billy Jaffe — @bjaffe
Brian Compton –  @BComptonNHL
Brian Duff –  @dufferNHLN
Chris Johnston — @reporterchris
Corey Masisak — @cmasisak22
Craig Button — @CraigJButton
Dan Rosen — @drosennhl
Dave Lozo — @DaveLozo
David Amber — @DavidAmber
Deb Kaufman Placey — @DebPlacey
EJ Hradek — @EJHradek_NHL
Jeremy Roenick — @Jeremy_Roenick
Kathryn Tappen — @KathrynTappen
Kevin Weekes — @KevinWeekes
Mike Johnson — @mike_p_johnson
Mike Morreale — @mike_morreale
Shawn Roarke — @sroarke_nhl

That will do it.

“NHL Hour With Commissioner Gary Bettman” To Air Live on NHL Network Starting Today

This from the National Hockey League, Commissioner Gary Bettman’s weekly one hour radio show will now be simulcast on the NHL Network starting tonight. Bettman’s show has been aired weekly on Sirius XM’s NHL Home Ice every Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.

Not only will it be shown on NHL Network, it will be streamed live on NHL.com.

We have the press release directly from our friends at the National Hockey League.

OTTAWA SENATORS GM BRYAN MURRAY IS TODAY’S GUEST ON “NHL HOUR WITH COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN”

SIRIUS XM RADIO SHOW WILL NOW AIR ON NHL NETWORK & STREAM ON NHL.COM

NEW YORK (January 19, 2012) – NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman, the only weekly call-in show hosted by the commissioner of a major professional sports League, will now telecast live on NHL Network and stream with video on NHL.com. The show will continue to air on Sirius XM Radio’s NHL Home Ice channel (channel 92 on XM and channel 207 on Sirius Premier).

Broadcasting live on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET, NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman encourages fans to call in with questions by calling 1-877-NHL-ON-XM (1-877-645-6696).

Ottawa Senators executive vice president and general manager Bryan Murray will call in to discuss the upcoming 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend, which will take place in Ottawa, Thursday, Jan. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 29. The Senators are riding a hot streak with nine wins in 11 games and 58 points for the season — just one fewer than first-place Boston in the Northeast Division. The Senators’ Daniel Alfredsson was named captain of one of the All-Star teams and will join teammates Milan Michalek, Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson and Colin Greening in the weekend activities. The Senators’ six-game road trip continues tonight in San Jose against the Sharks.

And that will do it.

NHL Network Signs Long-Term Contract For IIHF Junior Championships

Coming later this month, NHL Network will air the annual IIHF Junior Championships from Edmonton and Calgary. This is an event I have grown to enjoy very much over the last few years. NHL Network has gone from simulcasting TSN to producing its own coverage with its own announcers. Two years ago, JP Dellacamera was the lead announcer. Last year, NHL Network utilized Gary Thorne. This year, it’ll be Matt Rosen calling the games for NHL Network.

In addition, NHL Network has signed a new agreement with IIHF to air the event in the United States for 7 years and allows for streaming on NHL.com of the games involving the US National team.

We have the press release from NHL Network.

NHL NETWORK REMAINS EXCLUSIVE HOME OF IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP IN U.S. FOR SEVEN YEARS

Live Game Coverage of 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship Begins December 26 on NHL Network and NHL.com

NEW YORK, NY / COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (December 20, 2011) – NHL Network U.S. and USA Hockey have agreed to a long-term extension of their media contract that will keep the Network as the exclusive television and streaming home for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in the United States through the 2018 event.

NHL Network U.S. will provide live broadcasts and NHL.com will provide live streams of the U.S. National Junior Team games at the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. NHL Network also will televise all medal-round games and five additional preliminary-round match-ups, airing a total of 15 games in high-definition from the tournament. All USA games will be NHL Network original broadcasts.

This year’s event will take place in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, from Dec. 26-Jan. 5, and the U.S. will look to medal in the tournament for the third straight year. The last time the event was staged in Canada (2010), the United States beat Canada in overtime to capture gold.

NHL.com writers Mike Morreale and Aaron Vickers will cover all angles of the 2012 World Junior Championship, ranging from country-by-country tournament previews to daily live blogs to covering every game from Edmonton and Calgary starting Dec. 26. NHL.com will provide customized coverage in seven additional languages including Czech, Finnish, French, German, Russian, Slovak and Swedish, for fans to follow favorite players from their countries. Game highlights and full coverage of the 2012 World Junior Championship will be available at NHL.com and NHL.com/Draft.

“The IIHF World Junior Championship is not only a preeminent international hockey tournament, it has become known as the place to view future NHL stars,” said Bob Chesterman, NHL Network vice president of programming. “Viewers will see a high level of skill and talent and intense match-ups between rival countries. The World Junior Championship is an excellent complement to our NHL programming.”

“We’re extremely pleased to extend our partnership with the NHL Network,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “They’re passionate about televising the World Junior Championship and I think fans will notice continued enhancements in their coverage of Team USA and the tournament overall as time moves forward.”

The tournament’s popularity stems from its reputation as a showcase for the game’s best up-and-coming young players from around the world. Many current NHL stars have played in the tournament; an abbreviated list includes Patrick Kane (Blackhawks), Zach Parise (Devils) and Bobby Ryan (Ducks) for the United States; Sidney Crosby (Penguins), Steven Stamkos (Lightning) and P.K. Subban (Canadiens) for Canada; Alex Ovechkin (Capitals), Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) and Ilya Kovalchuk (Devils) for Russia; Nicklas Lidstrom (Red Wings), Henrik Zetterberg (Red Wings) and the
Sedin twins (Canucks) for Sweden; Martin Havlat (Sharks), Jaromir Jagr (Flyers) and Tomas Kaberle (Canadiens) for the Czech Republic; Teemu Selanne (Ducks) and the Koivu brothers (Saku – Ducks, Mikko – Wild) for Finland and Marian Hossa (Blackhawks), Marian Gaborik (Rangers) and Jaroslav Halak (Blues) for Slovakia.

Many players who will take to the ice in this year’s tournament are very close to realizing their dream of an NHL career. No fewer than 57 players who played in the 2010 and 2011 competitions already have made their League debut.

Broadcast Team
Matt Rosen, Dave Starman and Rob Simpson will make up the broadcast team for the NHL Network’s coverage of Team USA’s games.

Rosen, who will handle play-by-play duties, has called hockey and football for the Big 10 Network in addition to his extensive broadcast and hosting experience with the Phoenix Coyotes. Rosen has served as the host for all Coyotes Radio Broadcasts as well as the team’s post-game call-in show, “Coyotes Wrap-Up,” and the weekly magazine show “Coyotes Weekly.”

Starman, who will serve as analyst, is currently in his ninth season as lead analyst for CBS College Sports coverage of NCAA hockey. He served as the analyst for the NHL Network’s coverage of Team USA’s games at the 2009, 2010 and 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship, as well.

Simpson, who will serve as rinkside reporter for all U.S. games, has contributed to the popular NHL LIVE show on NHL Network, MSG Network in New York, SIRIUS XM Radio and NHL.com broadband original programming.

2012 IIHF World Junior Championship – NHL Network-U.S. Broadcast Schedule
December 26 — January 5

Monday, December 26
Canada vs. Finland — 3:30 p.m.
USA vs. Denmark — 8 p.m.

Tuesday, December 27
Denmark vs. Czech Republic — 8 p.m.

Wednesday, December 28
Finland vs. USA — 3:30 p.m.
Czech Republic vs. Canada — 8 p.m.

Thursday, December 29
Canada vs. Denmark — 8 p.m.

Friday, December 30
Czech Republic vs. USA — 3:30 p.m.
Finland vs. Denmark — 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 31
USA vs. Canada — 8 p.m.

Monday, January 2
Quarterfinal #1 — 5:00 p.m.
Quarterfinal #2 — 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 3
Semifinal #1 — 5:00 p.m.
Semifinal #2* — 9:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 5
Bronze-Medal Game — 3:30 p.m.
Gold-Medal Game — 8:00 p.m.

That will do it.

NHL Network & NHL.com All Over Sidney Crosby’s Return

As you may be aware, Sidney Crosby is making his return to the NHL tonight for the Pittsburgh Penguins after missing 61 regular season due to a concussion. Versus is picking up his season debut against the New York Islanders in the US while CBC carries it in Canada.

The NHL Network will have extensive pregame coverage offering up a good guest list for NHL Live at 5 p.m. ET. And of course, NHL.com is all over Sid the Kid’s return as well with live streaming coverage of his skatearound plus much, much more.

We have a quick blurb on what’s being offered. Take a look at the press release directly from the National Hockey League.

NHL NETWORK:

• Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero will be on NHL Live at 5:30 p.m. NHL.com will also post the interview.
• Dave Strader, who is calling the game on VERUS, will call into NHL Live
• NHL Insider Bob McKenzie will call into NHL Live
• NHL Network analysts and commentators Barry Melrose, Darren Dreger and Marc Crawford along with NHL.com Senior Writer Dan Rosen will be reporting live from Pittsburgh for NHL Live (5-7pm ET) and NHL On the Fly (7pm ET – end of last game).</ul>

Current NHL.COM coverage:

• The wait is over: Crosby returns Monday
• Sidney Crosby returns live blog: All-day coverage
• NHL Network Analyst Barry Melrose discusses Crosby’s return
• The fantasy spin for Crosby’s return
• NHL.com correspondent Alan Robinson video hit Sunday night on On the Fly

Go to NHL.TV, choose the “Press Room” channel for the following videos:

• The NHL Arena Cam streamed the Penguins morning skate live on NHL.com
• Crosby media scrum stream, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Penguins

Stories/Features to come on NHL.COM:

• Pre-game Crosby reaction story
• Penguins teammates’ reaction story
• Islanders react to being Sid’s first opponent
• Photo gallery documenting Crosby’s first game back in photos
• NHL.com videographer will be filing video reports both pre and post-game, including an iso-cam feature on Crosby’s first shift
• Running blog of each Crosby shift
• Game story
• Post-game reaction story

That will do it.

NHL Network & NHL.com All Over Stanley Cup Final

NHL Network has been in Stanley Cup Final mode for the last few days, but it will really ramp up coverage starting today with NHL Live and NHL on the Fly. Throughout the series, NHL on the Fly will have pregame and postgame editions from the game sites in Vancouver and Boston. Deb Placey will host and will be accompanied by Kevin Weekes and Marty Turco. On off days, NHL on the Fly will originate from the NHL Network studios in Toronto.

NHL Live will be seen live from its usual studios in New York. Bill Pidto and EJ Hradek will co-host the show. NHL.com will stream the show in addition to it be being seen live on NHL Network.

We have details of the coverage plans for the NHL’s official media providers.

NHL NETWORK AND NHL.COM ARE FRONT AND CENTER  AT THE NHL’S PINNACLE EVENT — THE STANLEY CUP FINAL
Current and Former Players and Special Guests Join NHL On The Fly Daily Coverage

NEW YORK (May 30, 2011) - The stage is set for the NHL®’s most exciting time of the year and NHL Network™ and NHL.com will have all angles covered throughout the 2011 Stanley Cup® Final between the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks and Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins.

NHL Network – NHL On The Fly
For both U.S. and Canadian audiences, NHL Network will begin its Stanley Cup Final coverage on Tuesday, May 31, at 4 p.m. ET with four-hours of programming from Vancouver,  NHL On The Fly™ at the Stanley Cup Final: Media Day. Live from the concourse of Rogers Arena, NHL Media Day will give fans a first taste of the playoff excitement as reporters talk with players, coaches and team management from the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. Together with players, special guests – including the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy — will also join the set for Media Day festivities.

NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Pre-Game will be on the air each game day at 6 p.m. NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Post Game will hit the airwaves immediately following the conclusion of every game to bring viewers instant analysis, coverage of post-game news conferences and all the news and notes.  Both pre- and post-game shows will broadcast live from fan plaza and concourse areas in Vancouver and Boston.

NHL Live™ host Deb Placey will anchor the on-site shows with an impressive line-up of guest analysts and show regulars who bring an on-site view of the NHL’s biggest event and up-to-the-minute analysis of game-day preparations. A pair of 11-season NHL goaltenders, Kevin Weekes and Marty Turco, will have all of the angles from the crease covered.  Both Weekes and Turco have played deep into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and can speak from experience about all the pressures that come with playing on the NHL’s main stage. Newly-retired forward Doug Weight, long-time NHL On The Fly analyst Mike Johnson and Stanley Cup-winning coach Marc Crawford, who was drafted by the Canucks in 1980 and played and coached the team throughout his 13-year stay with the Club, also will provide their insight and predictions.

Throughout the series, NHL reporters Billy Jaffe, with the Bruins, and Bob Harwood, covering the Canucks, will interact with fans and players and check out the atmosphere surrounding the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.

On all off days, NHL Network’s flagship show, NHL On The Fly: Stanley Cup Final Edition will broadcast an hour-long show beginning at 6 p.m. ET. On travel days, NHL On The Fly: Stanley Cup Final Edition will originate from the Network’s Toronto studio with hosts David Amber and Brian Duff and a panel of hockey experts.  Show analysts include Kelly Chase, former NHL enforcer and current color commentator for St. Louis Blues games; Bob Errey, two-time Stanley Cup winner and TV analyst for the Pittsburgh Penguins; Brad May, a veteran of more than 1,000 NHL games over 22 seasons; and Craig Button, frequent NHL On The Fly guest and former NHL general manager.

NHL Live on NHL Network
NHL Network’s daily signature show, NHL Live™ will also broadcast Monday through Friday from 4 – 6 p.m. during the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. The show, streamed live on NHL.com will broadcast from its Manhattan studio with NHL Insider EJ Hradek and Bill Pidto, host of NHL Overtime on Versus.

NHL Live will have all the latest series information and reports from Vancouver and Boston. The interactive show, which incorporates fans voices from a social media and phone call perspective, takes viewers beyond the ice with access to players, coaches and management while preparing for upcoming matches.

All NHL Network programming will be carried in high definition to U.S. audiences. NHL Network is available in the U.S. and Canada by contacting digital cable, satellite, or telco providers. For more information or an updated program schedule, please log on to www.nhlnetwork.com.

NHL .com
On the web, NHL.com will have a team of reporters, writers and videographers on-site for every media availability, practice and game as well as everything in between. NHL.com’s  24/7 coverage will take fans into the heart of the action and hockey enthusiasts can follow Twitter posts, shot charts, the interactive Q & A’s and instant analysis after all games with EJ Hradek. Each game, NHL.com will also continue to monitor the NHL Situation Room with entries and detailed explanations from NHL Hockey Operations posted to the home page immediately following goal reviews.

Special segments for the NHL’s daily digital newscast, The Blackberry All-Access Pregame Show, will also be produced each day with player and team management interviews, fan reports from the streets of the host city and special coverage from dueling guest bloggers.

NHL Network Schedule (May 30 – June 5) all times ET

Tuesday, May 31
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Media Day 4 – 7:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly: Media Day Recap 7 – 8:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Media Day (encore) 8 – 11:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly: Media Day Recap (encore) 11 p.m. – midnight

Wednesday, June 1
NHL Live 4 – 6:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Pre-Game  – 8:00 p.m.
Game #1 – Boston at Vancouver (NBC, CBC, RDS) 8:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Post Game following game

Thursday, June 2
NHL Live 4 – 6:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final 6 – 7:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final (encore) 7 – 8:00 p.m.
Encore Presentation: CBC: Boston at Vancouver, Game #1 (US only) 8:00 p.m.

Friday, June 3
NHL Live 4 – 6:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final 6 – 7:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final (encore) 7 – 11:00 p.m.
Encore Presentation: CBC: Boston at Vancouver, Game #1 (US Only) 11:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 4
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Pre-Game – 8:00 p.m.
Game #2 – Boston at Vancouver (NBC, CBC, RDS) 8:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Post Game following game

Sunday, June 5
Encore Presentation: NBC: Boston at Vancouver, Game #2 (US only) 4:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final Edition 6 – 7:00 p.m.
NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final Edition (encore) 7 – 8:00 p.m.

That is all.

NHL Network, NHL.com & TSN To Carry Announcement

The prospective new owners of the Atlanta Trashers have called a news conference for noon ET to announce that the team will be moving to Winnipeg, the former home of the Phoenix Coyotes. NHL Network and NHL.com will carry the announcement across North America. TSN will have the newser in Canada.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will be on hand for the press conference and will announce that True North will be the new owners of the team and MTS Centre will be the home. It’s not known what the team will be called, but I do like the old name of the Jets. We’ll see if the NHL allows this.

Again, the press conference announcing the Atlanta Thrashers move to Winnipeg will be carried live at noon Eastern time on NHL Network, NHL.com and TSN.

NHL Sees Huge Gains in TV and Digital Site For Opening Night of Playoffs

The NHL is saying it’s US and Canadian TV partners saw huge viewing gains for Wednesday night, the opening of the 2011 Postseason. In addition, local ratings on various US regional sports networks increased from the year before. For instance, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic saw record ratings for the Washington Capitals’ overtime win over the New York Rangers. Root Sports Pittsburgh saw an astounding 16.2 rating for the Penguins win over Tampa Bay.

And unique visits to NHL.com saw a 22% spike from the year before so people are finding the NHL Playoffs despite what naysayers contend. Yes, the numbers aren’t as big as the NBA or even MLB, but for the NHL, it’s pretty good.

Here’s the press release.

NHL SEES TV & DIGITAL GAINS ON DAY ONE OF THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

VERSUS Sets Opening Night Network Record
RSN’s Deliver Strong Ratings & Milestones

NEW YORK (April 15, 2011) – The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are off to a flying start with substantial viewership increases at both the national and local levels and huge gains on NHL.com in traffic and consumption.

In the U.S., VERSUS set a network record by averaging 534,328 viewers with their opening night triple-header, the best opening night in its six years of Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage and a 12 percent increase over last year. In Canada, CBC earned a 29 percent increase over last year by averaging 1.58 million viewers for its two opening night playoff broadcasts, highlighted by its coverage of Chicago-Vancouver, up a whopping 207 percent over the comparable game last year (Colorado-San Jose). TSN’s telecast of New York-Washington delivered 664,000 viewers; good for a 38 percent gain compared to last year’s opening playoff broadcast featuring two U.S. based teams (Philadelphia-New Jersey, 481,000 viewers).

Locally, Comcast SportsNet’s scored with its Game 1 coverage of the Washington-New York series, posting a 6.2 rating in the D.C. market, making it the second-highest Capitals rating in network history, behind only Game 7 of last year’s first-round series vs. Montreal (8.10) and up 21 percent over last year’s Game 1 against Montreal. The game also earned strong ratings in New York despite head-to-head competition from the Knicks, Yankees and Mets. The 3.4 local rating in New York on MSG Plus made it the highest-rated Conference Quarterfinal telecast for the Rangers since 1997. On ROOT Sports in Pittsburgh, the Penguins earned a massive 16.2 for its win over Tampa Bay. Detroit responded to the Red Wings Game 1 victory over Phoenix with a 9.4 rating on Fox Sports Detroit, while the Blackhawks drew a 5.1 on Comcast SportsNet for its Game 1 loss in Vancouver.

NHL.com continued its upward trajectory for the first day of the playoffs with unique visitors up 23 percent, page views up 22 percent and video starts showing a huge 163 percent increase. On the mobile side, page views were up a healthy 66 percent.

Some notes from NHL.com’s opening night success:

• The top 10 U.S. markets showed year over year growth, even across cities that participated in last year’s opening day of the playoffs but did not have a game on Wednesday such as Philadelphia and San Jose
• Five of the six Canadian NHL cities also showed growth despite one fewer Canadian team making the playoffs
• International demand for the game continues to be strong, with double digit unique visitor growth across the top 10 countries
• · The U.S. gained 27 percent, Canada gained 17 percent, while Finland led with 68 percent growth
• The Capitals are showing strength as a regional team with Norfolk (58 percent), Washington D.C. (50 percent) and Richmond (46 percent) all among the top 10 U.S. markets in terms of year over year growth in unique visitors to NHL.com
• In New York, where the Rangers returned to the playoffs after a one year absence, unique visitors were up 38 percent
• Tampa-St. Pete showed substantial growth of 79 percent as did Nashville, up 52 percent
• The state of California also registered gains with Los Angeles up 32 percent and San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland up 22 percent

NHL in Midst of Best-Ever Business Year
As announced on Wednesday, the NHL experienced unprecedented success off the ice this year, achieving a host of business records and milestones. Led by dramatic increases in sponsorship and merchandise sales, landmark corporate investment in its big events and impressive digital growth, the NHL is on pace for its fifth consecutive year of record total revenue and is projected to bring more than $2.9 billion by the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. NHL Enterprises’ revenue is forecasted to increase by 14.8 percent and also will set a new best. Sponsorship sales set an all-time record with gross sales increasing by 33 percent over last year as the League added to its blue chip roster of corporate partners, attracted by the most coveted fan demographic in all of pro sports. In February, the NHL announced a new seven-year partnership with Molson Coors in Canada and MillerCoors in the U.S. to begin in July – the biggest sponsorship in the League’s 93-year history.

The NHL’s large-scale events in 2010-11 were once again a big driver of business growth for the League. The NHL Winter Classic, the League’s annual outdoor New Year’s Day game, played this year at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, sold out of all of its sponsorship opportunities and at the time generated more revenue than any event in NHL history. That record was broken just seven weeks later when the NHL Heritage Classic in Calgary, played for the first time since 2003, surpassed that mark. NHL All-Star returned after a one-year hiatus for the Olympics and was a huge success, boasting a 64 percent increase in sponsorship revenue over the last U.S.-based All-Star, as Discover Card was brought on board as the first presenting sponsor in a decade. Interest in the event spiked as the NHL introduced the innovative NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft as a means to select the two teams.

On the TV side, all North American partners experienced viewership increases while reaching new heights. NBC Sports’ NHL Winter Classic broadcast was the most watched regular season game in the U.S. in 36 years. On U.S. cable this season, VERSUS recorded its top four games in network history this season. VERSUS also earned its highest ever NHL All-Star ratings for the 2011 game in Raleigh.

The League’s loyal fans continued to crave all things NHL, driving merchandise sales to a robust a 15 percent increase over last year with Shop.NHL.com setting a new best with nine percent growth over last year’s record.

The NHL’s digital businesses continued to deliver new high-water marks and record revenue. Average monthly unique visitors to NHL.com this season are up 30 percent. In March, NHL.com set monthly records in unique visitors and video starts, and is currently on pace to top those numbers in April. Revenue for the NHL’s digital businesses increased by 14 percent, with NHL.com revenue alone up 28 percent, setting a new best. Fans also continued to connect with the NHL via social media platforms, with the League reaching nearly 1.5 million fans on Facebook and growing its number of Twitter followers by 54 percent.

And we can end the post right here.