TEAM USA FACES RIVAL FINLAND AS UNIVERSAL SPORTS BROADCASTS 2009 IIHF MEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS
TV and Live Online Coverage starts Tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. ET
Gold Medal Game Live Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET
LOS ANGELES – May 5, 2009 – Team USA faces perennial rival Finland, the team that has eliminated the U.S. from the last two World Championships, in a quarterfinal match as Universal Sports presents coverage of the 2009 IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championships from Berne, Switzerland, including live coverage of the gold medal game. Live online coverage begins tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. ET, with live TV coverage starting with the Finland vs. USA quarterfinal match tomorrow at 2:30 ET.
The Universal Sports broadcast team consists of the Los Angeles Kings’ play-by-play announcer Nick Nickson joined by former Kings forward Daryl Evans.
COVERAGE ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports, available in 45 million homes, will present more than 20 hours of coverage starting with the Finland vs. USA quarterfinal matchup tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. ET and will continue through to the medal matches. The gold medal game will be shown live on Universal Sports on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., ET.
Date Events Time (all times Eastern)
Wed. FIN vs. USA (LIVE) 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
RUS vs. BLR 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Thurs. SWE vs. CZE (LIVE) 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
CAN vs. LAT 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Fri. Semifinal #1 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Semifinal #2 9 –11:30 p.m.
Sun. Bronze Medal Game (LIVE) 10 – 1:30 p.m.*
Gold Medal Game (LIVE) 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
LIVE COVERAGE ON UNIVERSALSPORTS.COM: UniversalSports.com will begin its coverage with a live webcast of the Russia vs. Belarus game tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. ET. Log onto UniversalSports.com/hockey for the complete schedule, video highlights, recaps and photo galleries.
Date Events Time (all times Eastern)
Wed. RUS vs. BLR 10:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
FIN vs. USA 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Thurs. CAN vs. LAT 10:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
SWE vs. CZE 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Fri. Semifinal #1 10:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Semifinal #2 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Sun. Bronze Medal Game 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.*
Gold Medal Game 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
*Schedules subject to change, coverage available only in the U.S. and territories.
TOURNAMENT: Team USA has been eliminated four straight years in quarterfinal play from the last two years by Finland. The winner of this match-up will face the winner of the Russia vs. Belarus game, while the winner of Canada vs. Latvia plays the winner of Sweden vs. Czech Republic.
TEAM USA ROSTER: The 2009 U.S. team includes Head Coach Ron Wilson (Riverside, R.I.) and Assistant Coaches Scott Gordon (Easton, Mass.) and Joe Sacco (Medford, Mass.). Wilson, currently the head coach at the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, will also coach the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team at the Vancouver Olympics. USA hockey has won gold medals at the IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship, the Men’s Under-18 Championship and at the Women’s World Championship this year.
Name Hometown
Goaltenders
Scott Clemmensen Des Moines, Iowa
Robert Esche Utica, N.Y.
Al Montoya Chicago, Ill
Defensemen
Keith Ballard Baudette, Minn.
Zach Bogosian Massena, N.Y.
Ron Hainsey Bolton, Conn.
Jack Johnson Indianapolis, Ind.
John-Michael Liles Indianapolis, Ind.
Matt Niskanen Virginia, Minn.
Ryan Suter Madison, Wis.
Forwards
David Backes Minneapolis, Minn.
Jason Blake Moorhead, Minn.
Dustin Brown Ithaca, N.Y.
Nick Foligno Buffalo, N.Y.
Peter Harrold Kirtland Hills, Ohio
Christopher Higgins Smithtown, N.Y.
Kyle Okposo St. Paul, Minn
T.J. Oshie Warroad, Minn.
Patrick O’Sullivan Winston-Salem, N.C.
Joe Pavelski Stevens Point, Wis.
Ryan Shannon Darien, Conn.
Drew Stafford Milwaukee, Wis.
Lee Stempniak West Seneca, N.Y.
Colin Stuart Rochester, Minn.
Colin Wilson Greenwich, Conn.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, serves as the preeminent multiplatform destination for Olympic-related and lifestyle sports programming available on television and online. Universal Sports is a 24-hour television channel available in 45 million television households in markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Reno and Omaha. Major world championship and Olympic qualifying events found on Universal Sports range from track and field, skiing, swimming, gymnastics, marathons and cycling, to volleyball, rowing, triathlon, fencing, speed skating and martial arts. UniversalSports.com delivers an immersive experience via live and on-demand competition coverage, interaction with top athletes through blogs and in-depth access to Olympic sports news and information year round. For more information on the availability of the Universal Sports 24-hour television channel, please visit UniversalSports.com
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