NHL.com, NHL Network, NHL Mobile™ and NHL Social™ to Provide Up-to-the-Minute Reporting

NEW YORK/TORONTO (April 1, 2013) – With only two days left before the 2013 NHL Trade Deadline, one of the most-anticipated dates on the NHL® calendar, a flurry of activity already has taken place, delivering new addresses for some of the NHL’s biggest stars and putting more players’ futures into question.

Fans can follow all the action from around the NHL leading up to Wednesday’s 3:00 p.m. ET deadline through the 2013 NHL Trade Deadline™ Day Presented by BlackBerry® – the official League programming covering the Trade Deadline. With seamless coverage across NHL Network, NHL.com, the NHL’s various social media platforms and mobile web, fans can stay in the know anytime, anywhere, through the medium of their choice.

Beginning at 8 a.m. ET, NHL Network-U.S. will simulcast TSN’s 10-hour flagship show, TradeCentre ’13, featuring every trade and every team covered from all angles.  Host James Duthie leads TSN’s TradeCentre ’13 team of hockey analysts, Insiders, former NHL players, coaches, and general managers, reporters and correspondents through a full day of hockey talk – with breaking news and instant analysis of each transaction, along with interviews with players, coaches, and GMs.  TSN’s correspondents are also with NHL teams around the League to file live reports and deliver instant
reaction for each trade.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET, fans across North America will be offered unique access and information on NHL Network’s NHL Trade Deadline Day Recap Brought To You By The All New BlackBerry Z10, a 90-minute program that will discuss and analyze the buyers and sellers of the day and how the major transactions may impact playoff races. Host Kathryn Tappen will be joined by a panel of expert analysts, including Barry Melrose, Kevin Weekes, Mike Johnson, Billy Jaffe and EJ Hradek. The team also will have interviews and reactions from NHL insiders Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie.

A special edition of NHL Tonight™, also hosted by Tappen, will air at 10:00 p.m. ET. The show will wrap-up any last-minute trade activity and bring fans up to speed on scores and highlights from the five games on the NHL schedule that night.

NHL Network Schedule for Wednesday, April 3
8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.     TSN’s TradeCentre ’13 (U.S. only)
6:00-7:30 p.m.   Trade Deadline Recap Show Brought To You By The All New BlackBerry Z10
7:30-9:00 p.m.   Trade Deadline Recap Show Brought To You By The All New BlackBerry Z10 (replay)
10:00 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 also will provide fans with live streaming video from NHL Network’s coverage of 2013 NHL Trade Deadline™ Day Presented by BlackBerry.

NHL.com’s 2013 NHL Trade Deadline Day Presented by BlackBerry coverage will include:

·  More than seven hours of live streaming video from NHL Network beginning at noon ET (available to U.S. audiences only)
·  An all-day interactive chat experience with running commentary by NHL.com analysts and NHL Network personalities, fan questions, interactive polls and tweets from hockey personalities
·  Instant trade analysis video reports from the NHL’s New York and Toronto studios with Craig Button, E.J. Hradek and Steve Mears
·  A real-time trade tracker list of completed trades, with written features and analysis from the editorial team and correspondents
·  Exclusive stories and reactions covering every transaction and analysis of movement that happened leading up to Deadline Day

NHL Mobile
Fans can stay connected to the day’s events wherever they are by visiting NHL.com on their mobile device. New this  year, visitors will be treated to a special Trade Deadline news section presented by BlackBerry, collecting all of  NHL.com’s Trade Deadline editorial coverage in one convenient location.

NHL Social
Fans can join the Trade Deadline conversation, sharing their opinions, analysis and commentary on social media by  using the official NHL hashtag for Trade Deadline Day — #NHLTrade. Those who follow @NHL on Twitter or “like” the NHL on Facebook will be informed of all official trades with pertinent information on the players involved, including their scoring stats, facts and figures, hometown details as well as links to NHL.com’s special 2013 NHL Trade Deadline Day Presented by BlackBerry coverage.

Follow NHL Network on Twitter:
NHL Network: @NHLNetwork
Barry Melrose: @NHLBarryMelrose
Billy Jaffe: @BJaffe
Craig Button: @CraigJButton
EJ Hradek: @EJHradek_NHL
Glenn Schiiler: @GlennSchiiler
Jamie McLennan: @JamieMcLennan29
Kathryn Tappen: @KathrynTappen
Kelly Chase: @ChasenPucks39
Kevin Weekes: @KevinWeekes
Mark Roe: @MarkRoeTV
Mike Johnson: @Mike_P_Johnson
Steve Mears: @MearsyNHL

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE FACILITIES CELEBRATE EARTH HOUR 2013
All 30 NHL arenas join global call to action in support of the environment

NEW YORK (March 20, 2013) — For the second consecutive year, all 30 NHL facilities have pledged their commitment to World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Earth Hour, the world’s largest annual public action for the environment.

On Saturday, March 23, all NHL arenas will join hundreds of millions of homes and businesses worldwide, switching-off non-essential lighting for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., local time. Eighteen of the League’s 30 Clubs will be in action that Saturday.

While energy builds on the ice with Playoff positions at stake, all facilities will scale back the electricity used in their operations during the globally recognized hour.

The goal of Earth Hour is to show the world that even taking the seemingly smallest measures to conserve energy is a big step in the right direction for communities, businesses and governments across the globe.

“During my career as a hockey player, I learned the importance of teamwork,” said Scott Niedermayer, Stanley Cup Champion and WWF-Canada Ambassador. “Join Earth Hour and help win the fight against climate change. We’re all on the same team when it comes to the future of our planet.”

NHL Green is further supporting this initiative by reducing energy usage at NHL headquarters in New York City at that time.

“The NHL is a great example of how an organization with immense influence can motivate its members, players, partners and fans to take action to protect the Earth,” said Andy Ridley, CEO and Co-Founder of Earth Hour. “As our planet warms, outdoor ice hockey areas – where future NHL heroes practice – are at risk, due to shorter ice seasons. We challenge the NHL to take its crucial role in environmental initiatives like Earth Hour and go beyond the hour, to not only protect the future of the sport, but also the future of the planet for coming generations.”

NHL Green encourages all fans to participate in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 23 and commit to making small adjustments that reduce their impact on the natural environment.

About Earth Hour:  Earth Hour was launched in 2007 by World Wildlife Fund. In 2012, millions of organizations and people switched off their lights for the globally recognized hour, including more than 7001 cities and towns in 152 countries and territories, including landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Rome’s Coliseum and Empire State Building.

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 NHL BOARD APPROVES REALIGNMENT, DIVISION-BASED PLAYOFF FORMAT

NEW YORK (March 14, 2013) – The National Hockey League’s Board of Governors has approved realignment and a division-based format for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, effective for the 2013-14 season. The realignment plan creates two eight-team divisions in the Eastern Conference and two seven-team divisions in the Western Conference. The names of the divisions will be formalized at a later date.

The new alignment will place several clubs in more geographically appropriate groupings and will intensify already-fierce rivalries throughout the League. The new scheduling matrix will ensure that all 30 teams play in all 30 arenas at least once a season.

The new alignment:

Among the many strategic goals achieved by the realignment plan:

* provides the Winnipeg Jets a more geographically suitable grouping of rivals;

* enables the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings to compete primarily against clubs in their own time zone;

* moves the Dallas Stars out of the Pacific Division to a more geographically appropriate and time-zone friendly grouping;

* changes the Minnesota Wild’s alignment to a more historically relevant and time zone friendly grouping;

* ensures that the Colorado Avalanche, as the only U.S.-based team in the Mountain Time Zone, is placed in a more geographically suitable grouping.

NEW REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE MATRIX

Western Conference (7-Team Divisions)

Within Conference (Division): 29 games
* 5 games vs. five teams (3 Home/2 Away vs. two teams, 2 Home/3 Away vs. three teams) AND 4 games vs. one team (2 Home/2 Away). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 5 X 5 =25 games
* 1 X 4 = 4 games

Within Conference (Non-Division): 21 games
* 3 games vs. each team (2 Home/1 Away vs. four teams, 1 Home/2 Away vs. three teams). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 3 X 7 = 21 games

Non-Conference: 32 games
* 2 games vs. each team (1 Home/1 Away)
* 2 X 16 = 32 games

(Exception: one team from each division plays one less game inside Division and one more game inside Conference outside Division)

Eastern Conference (8-Team Divisions)

Within Conference (Division): 30 games
* 5 games vs. two teams (3 Home/2 Away vs. one team, 2 Home/3 Away vs. one team) AND 4 games vs. five teams (2 Home/2 Away). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 5 X 2 =10 games
* 4 X 5 = 20 games

Within Conference (Non-Division): 24 games
* 3 games vs. each team (2 Home/1 Away vs. four teams, 1 Home/2 Away vs. four teams). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 3 X 8 = 24 games

Non-Conference: 28 games
* 2 games vs. each team (1 Home/1 Away)
* 2 X 14 = 28 games

NEW STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF FORMAT

Playoff qualification will be primarily Division-based, with the top three finishers in each Division qualifying for the first 12 spots in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (and the first three “seeds” in each Division).

The two additional playoff spots in each Conference, designated as “Wild Cards,” will be awarded to the next two highest-placed finishers in each Conference, ranked on the basis of regular-season points and regardless of Division.

“Seeding” of the Wild Card teams within each Divisional Playoff will be determined on the basis of regular-season points. The first-place finisher with the highest number of regular-season points in the Conference will be matched against the Wild Card team with the lowest number of regular-season points, and the first-place finisher with the second-highest number of regular-season points in the Conference matched against the Wild Card team with the second-lowest number of regular-season points.

The Playoffs will proceed as follows:

* #1 vs. #4 / #2 vs. #3 — winners play each other for berth in Conference Championship
* Conference Finals — Two advancing teams in the West and two advancing teams in the East meet in Conference Championship
* Eastern and Western Conference Champions will meet in Stanley Cup Final.

The National Hockey League Players’ Association has given its consent to play under this new Alignment and Playoff System for a minimum of three seasons, through the 2015-16 NHL season.

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Stretch Drive Promises Closely-Contested Races for Stanley Cup Playoff Berths;

League’s Return Marked by Strong Fan Engagement Across All Platforms

NEW YORK (March 8, 2013) — Punctuated by a record start by the Chicago Blackhawks, who have earned a point in each of their first 24 games, the National Hockey League’s 2012-13 regular season reaches its midpoint Saturday amid intense competition for Stanley Cup Playoff berths and strong business metrics.

Blackhawks’ Record Start

In posting their active 24-game point streak (21-0-3), the Blackhawks have smashed the NHL’s longest previous season-opening streak of 16 games set by the Anaheim Ducks in 2006-07. Dating back to last season, Chicago has recorded a point in each of its past 30 regular-season contests (24-0-6).

The Blackhawks have tackled a challenging schedule that sent the club on the road for 10 of its first 12 games, including a six-game road trip from Jan. 30 through Feb. 10; road contests in 11 Western Conference rinks overall, including those of the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings (Jan. 19), rival Vancouver Canucks (Feb. 1) and traditional foe Detroit Red Wings (March 3); and six sets of games on consecutive days.

The Blackhawks will attempt to extend their streak tonight in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m., ET, NHL Network-US).

Big Rebounds

The Anaheim Ducks (16-3-3) and Montreal Canadiens (15-5-4), who ranked 25th and 28th, respectively, in the 2011-12 overall standings, have jumped to second and third overall this season. Eight of the 14 clubs that missed the playoffs last season either hold a postseason berth or are within three points of one. Three of the six current division leaders (Anaheim in the Pacific, Montreal in the Northeast and the Carolina Hurricanes in the Southeast) did not qualify for the postseason in 2011-12.

Vintage Season for the ‘Originals’?

The NHL’s ‘Original Six’ — the Boston Bruins (15-3-3), Blackhawks (21-0-3), Detroit Red Wings (12-8-4), Canadiens (15-5-4), New York Rangers (12-8-2) and Toronto Maple Leafs (15-10-0) — all hold playoff berths and have posted a combined 90-34-16 record. It has been 17 years since all six qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the same season (1995-96).

Wild Wild West

While the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks have created some separation at the top of the Western Conference standings, just eight points cover the remaining 13 teams. A mere four points is the gap between No. 3 Vancouver Canucks and No. 10 Minnesota Wild. With the closely-packed standings, clubs are being rewarded with dramatic jumps up the ladder on a nightly basis. In the past week, the Phoenix Coyotes moved from 11th to 7th on March 2; the Dallas Stars made the same jump the following night; the Los Angeles Kings vaulted from 11th to 5th on March 4 and the Red Wings climbed from 10th to 6th on March 5.

Individual Honors

Mirroring team competition, the races for individual honors promise more excitement down the stretch. Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins (11-28–39) holds a slight lead over Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-17–35) for the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring leader. Crosby is seeking his second career Art Ross crown (2007), while Stamkos is in quest of his first points title.

Stamkos’ 18 goals put him in the lead for his third career Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHL’s goal-scoring leader, but there are a dozen players within six goals of the 23-year-old Tampa Bay center.

The closest pursuer to Stamkos in the goal-scoring race is Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter, who is enjoying a bounceback regular season following an injury-shortened 2011-12. Carter has 16 goals, including 10 in his past nine games, and leads the NHL with six game-winning goals. Including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Carter has 30 goals in 58 games since arriving in Los Angeles last spring.

Joining Stamkos from the 25-and-under group among statistical leaders are 22-year-old New York Islanders center John Tavares (14 goals, T-fourth); 23-year-old Philadelphia Flyers right wing Jakub Voracek (12-17–29, T-fifth); 23-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs left wing James van Riemsdyk (13 goals, T-sixth); 23-year-old Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (26:16 in ice time per game, third); 25-year-old Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (12 wins, first); and 25-year-old Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (11 wins, T-second).

Fans also have marveled at the performance of the League’s two oldest active players, 42-year-old Anaheim Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne and 41-year-old Dallas Stars right wing Jaromir Jagr.

Selanne (6-11–17 in 22 GP) scored his 250th career power-play goal on Feb. 24 vs. Colorado, passing Phil Esposito for sole possession of third place on the all-time PPG list. More recently, he scored a goal on March 1 vs. Minnesota to pass Luc Robitaille into sole possession of 11th place in all-time goals (669).

Jagr (9-8–17 in 22 GP) is the Stars’ leading scorer. He tallied a pair of goals in Dallas’ 5-2 victory at Los Angeles Thursday to increase his career total to 674 — 10th on the all-time list and five ahead of the 11th-place Selanne. With 115 career game-winning goals, Jagr is three away from tying Esposito for the most in NHL history. He also needs four assists to become the 12th player in League history to reach 1,000.

Among the players in a five-way tie for the League lead in plus-minus (+17) is Carolina Hurricanes off-season free agent acquisition Alexander Semin. The 29-year-old right wing has posted a +109 rating since the start of the 2008-09 season. Joining Semin at the top:

* His Carolina linemate, center Eric Staal;
* Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, who led the NHL in plus-minus last season (+36);
* Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Fraser, who entered his debut season in Toronto with 98 career NHL appearances in his six pro seasons;
* Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz, who also ranks among League leaders in points (31, T-third) and goals (14, T-fourth).

Strong Business Metrics

The excitement generated by the League’s return is reflected in strong business metrics. Indicators of fan engagement — at the rink, on television and online — are up across the board:

In-Arena
- Overall, NHL teams are playing to 96.7% capacity, with a per-game average of 17,662 (up 3.6% over 2011-12). The average figure during February (17,625) was the highest recorded for that calendar month in League history.

National Broadcasts (all ratings numbers compared to last year’s full regular season figures)
- NBC network broadcasts are +29% and NBC Sports Network broadcasts are +23% over 2011-12;
- CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Prime East broadcasts are +16% and Prime West are +12% over 2011-2012;
- TSN Wednesday Night exclusive is +30% and TSN2 broadcasts are +26% over 2011-12;
- NHL on RDS broadcasts are +16% over 2011-12.

Regional Broadcasts
From coast to coast. Regional Sports Networks repeatedly have broken ratings records for their live broadcasts of NHL games this season:

- 28 of the 29* measured clubs are up or even over 2011-12;
- 25 of the 29* measured clubs are showing double/triple digit increases
over 2011-12.

* TSN Jets Regional no longer measured by Nielsen

Online
- GameCenter Live subscriptions are +166% compared to 2011-12;
- The in-season weekly-average for Unique Visits and Page Views on NHL.com are +20% and +13%, respectively, year-over-year;
- Total social audience is +104% from a year ago to 6.6MM.

What’s Ahead

With so many clubs separated by so few points, pressure and speculation will continue to build in anticipation of the NHL Trade Deadline on Wednesday, April 3 at 3 p.m., ET. After the rosters are set, the frantic Stanley Cup Playoff stretch drive will be capped by a 13-game slate to close the regular season on Saturday, April 27. Before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, the fortune of a franchise could turn at the 2013 NHL Draft Lottery on Monday, April 29. For the first time in NHL history, all 14 clubs not qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, or the clubs that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams, will have a chance at winning the right to the first overall selection at the 2013 NHL Draft — a pick that would land the lucky winner a prized prospect in a class led by Portland Winterhawks (WHL)  defenseman Seth Jones and Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs open on Tuesday, April 30.

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