Archives for December 2016

(All times ET)

 

The “Press Pass” on NBC Sports Group Press Box is a quick overview of upcoming program information and highlights from the NBC Sports Group Communications team. For live streaming information on NBCSports.com, and Golf Channel Live Extra, click here.

 

Friday, December 30^th

2:55 p.m. on NBCSN – Premier League: Hull City v. Everton

5 p.m. on NBCSN – Goal Zone

6 p.m. on NBCSN – Aviva Premiership Rugby: Newcastle v. Wasps

3 a.m. on NBCSN – Big Bash League Cricket: Adelaide Strikers v. Sydney Sixers

 

Saturday, December 31^st

9 a.m. on NBCSN – Premier League Live

9:55 a.m. on NBCSN – Premier League: Manchester United v. Middlesbrough

12:30 p.m. on NBCSN – Aviva Premiership Rugby: Bath v. Exeter

12:30 p.m. on NBC – Premier League: Liverpool v. Manchester City

2:30 p.m. on NBC – Goal Zone

2:30 p.m. on NBCSN – World Series of Fighting Pre-Show

3 p.m. on NBC – Premier League: Behind the Badge: Watford FC

4 p.m. on NBC – World Series of Fighting

 

Sunday, January 1^st

7:30 a.m. on NBCSN – Premier League Live

8:25 a.m. on NBCSN – Premier League: Watford v. Tottenham

10:55 a.m. on NBCSN – Premier League: Arsenal v. Crystal Palace

1 p.m. on NBCSN – Goal Zone

1:30 p.m. on NBCSN – Aviva Premiership Rugby: Leicester v. Saracens

3 p.m. on NBC – NHL Centennial Classic: Detroit Red Wings @ Toronto Maple Leafs

3:30 p.m. on NBCSN – Big Bash League Cricket: Adelaide Strikers v. Sydney Sixers

7 p.m. on NBC – Football Night in America

8:20 p.m. on NBC – Sunday Night Football: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions

 

Monday, January 2^nd

7 a.m. on NBCSN – Premier League Live

7:25 a.m. on NBCSN – Premier League: Middlesbrough v. Crystal Palace

9:55 a.m. on NBCSN – Premier League: Sunderland v. Liverpool

10:00 a.m. on CNBC – Premier League: Manchester City v. Burnley

12:10 p.m. on NBCSN – Premier League: West Ham v. Manchester United

1:00 p.m. on NBC – NHL Winter Classic: Chicago Blackhawks @ St. Louis Blues

2:15 p.m. on NBCSN – Goal Zone

7:00 p.m. on NBCSN – Premier League Match of the Day

9:00 p.m. on NBCSN – Premier League Match of the Week

 

NFL

NBC’s Sunday Night Football — primetime television’s No. 1 show — continues this week with #Game256, a battle for the NFC North division title, as the Green Bay Packers (9-6) visit the Detroit Lions (9-6) on New Year’s Day at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. Coverage begins with Football Night in America this Sunday, Jan. 1, at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

 

Calling Packers-Lions are Al Michaels (play-by-play); Cris Collinsworth; and sideline reporter Michele Tafoya.

 

Football Night in America, the most-watched weekly studio show in sports, is hosted by Mike Tirico, who will report on-site from Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. Dan Patrick will host from NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., and will be joined by Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison and Mike Florio. Paul Burmeister reports from Fed ExField in Hyattsville, Md., on the Giants-Redskins game.

 

NHL

NBC Sports presents a classic rivalry in one of the most iconic events in all of sports on Monday, January 2, 2017, when Alex Pietrangelo and the St. Louis Blues host Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo., in the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

 

In addition to the NHL Winter Classic, NBC presents a clash of young American NHL stars on New Year’s Day at 3 p.m. ET in the NHL Centennial Classic, when rookie sensation Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs host Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings at BMO Field in Toronto.

 

Play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk, and analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call of the Blackhawks-Blues Winter Classic showdown from Busch Stadium, home of Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals. Analyst Jeremy Roenick will also serve as a roving reporter during game coverage.

 

NHL Live host Liam McHugh will be on-site at Busch Stadium alongside former players and analysts Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Roenick to provide pre-game and post-game analysis, as well as commentary during intermissions. In addition, Bob Costas, will join NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2017 NHL Winter Classic.

 

John Forslund (play-by-play), Brian Boucher (analyst), and McGuire will call Red Wings-Maple Leafs from BMO Field, home of Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC. Host Kathryn Tappen will anchor coverage from Toronto with Roenick.

 

PREMIER LEAGUE

NBC Sports Group continues its Premier League packed holiday this week, with 20 consecutive hours of Premier League programming on Monday, Jan. 2.

 

This Friday, Dec. 30, NBCSN hosts coverage of Premier League Live at 2 p.m. ET followed by Hull City v. Everton at 3 p.m. ET.

 

Weekend match coverage begins this Saturday, Dec. 31, at 9 a.m. ET with Premier League Live on NBCSN followed by Manchester United v. Middlesbrough at 10 a.m. ET.

 

Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC and NBC UNIVERSO host coverage of Liverpool v. Manchester City. NBC Sports Group’s lead Premier League play-by-play announcer Arlo White calls the match, joined by analyst Graeme Le Saux at Anfield.

 

Coverage continues New Year’s Day, this Sunday, Jan. 1, at 7:30 a.m. ET with Premier League Live on NBCSN, followed by Watford v. Tottenham at 8:30 a.m. ET. Sunday at 11 a.m. ET, NBCSN host coverage of fourth-place Arsenal v. Crystal Palace.

 

Coverage continues Monday at 12:15 p.m. ET with West Ham v. Manchester United on NBCSN. White calls the match, joined by analyst Lee Dixon at London Stadium. Monday’s live match coverage wraps up at 2:15 p.m. ET on NBCSN with Goal Zone.

 

As a part of NBC Sports Group’s 20 consecutive hours of Premier League programming on Monday, Jan. 2, NBCSN will present a new Premier League Download featuring Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola at 4 p.m. ET. Hosted by the Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett, Premier League Download: Inside the Mind of Pep Guardiola features an in-depth discussion on the unique aspects of football that motivate the Manchester City manager. In addition, NBCSN will feature encore presentations of all four Behind the Badge: Watford FC shows Monday beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Rebecca Lowe hosts Premier League Live, joined by a combination of Robbie Earle, Kyle Martino and Robbie Mustoe.

 

Friday 30th December	Hull City	Everton	2000	Jim Proudfoot	Kevin Kilbane
Saturday 31st December	Burnley	Sunderland	1500	Gary Taphouse	Davie Provan
Channel + MUX game	Chelsea	Stoke City	1500	Rob Palmer	Tony Gale
	Leicester City	West Ham United	1500	Joe Speight	Andy Hinchcliffe
	Manchester United	Middlesbrough	1500	Jon Champion	Kevin Kilbane
	Southampton	West Bromwich Albion	1500	Tony Jones	Terry Gibson
	Swansea City	AFC Bournemouth	1500	Phil Blacker	Ray Houghton
	Liverpool	Manchester City	1715	Peter Drury	Jim Beglin
	Liverpool	Manchester City	1715	Peter Drury	Jim Beglin
Sunday 1st January	Watford	Tottenham Hotspur	1330	Peter Drury	Phil Neville
	Arsenal	Crystal Palace	1600	Jon Champion	Andy Townsend
	Arsenal	Crystal Palace	1600	Jon Champion	Andy Townsend

 

WSOF
NBC Sports Group presents World Series of Fighting action on New Year’s Eve, this Saturday, Dec. 31, highlighted by the undefeated Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (16-0) defending his lightweight title against Luiz “Buscape” Firmino (19-7) live at 4 p.m. ET on NBC from the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. Coverage on Saturday begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

 

In the co-main event, Jon Fitch (28-7-1) defends his welterweight title against Jake Shields (31-8).

 

Saturday’s card also features Yushin “Thunder” Okami (32-10) vs. Paul Bradley (23-6) in a welterweight bout, and Marlon Moraes (16-4) defending his bantamweight title against Josenaldo Silva (25-4).

 

Action on NBCSN includes a middleweight title fight between champion David Branch (19-3) and Louis Taylor (13-1); Jared Rosholt (14-3) vs. Caio Alencar (9-1) in a heavyweight bout; and Shane Kruchten (11-4) vs. Jeremy Mahon (5-4), fighting at a catchweight of 145 pounds.

 

Play-by-play announcer Todd Harris will be joined by analysts Bas Rutten, Renzo Gracie and Joey Varner to call the action. Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison joins the telecast as an analyst in her broadcast debut.

 

Golf

Golf Channel presents Tiger Woods’ birthday (Friday, Dec. 30) programming featuring highlights from all 14 major championship victories in succession.

NBC’s Contributions to the “Rugged Frozen Terpsichore” of the NHL Date Back to 1940

STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 29, 2016 – With the NHL beginning its celebration of its Centennial season on New Year’s Day in Toronto, NBC Sports Group celebrates its storied legacy of NHL television coverage. NBC Sports Group has been the exclusive U.S. national broadcast partner of the NHL since 2005, and the network is woven into the fabric of U.S. hockey coverage, dating back more than 75 years.

In honor of the NHL’s Centennial celebration, following is a look back at some of NBC Sports’ historic NHL moments.

***Attached to the bottom of this release are photos and advertisements that illustrate NBC Sports Group’s historical contributions to the “rugged frozen terpsichore” of the NHL***

NBC SPORTS GROUP CELEBRATES STORIED LEGACY OF NHL COVERAGE

• February 25, 1940 – W2XBS-TV, which would become WNBC4 in New York, provides its first-ever telecast of an NHL game, featuring the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers from Madison Square Garden in New York.

 

• April 10, 1966 – NBC presents its first-ever national NHL Stanley Cup Playoff broadcast, and its first-ever NHL game in color, when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Detroit Red Wings in Game 2 of the NHL semi-finals from Chicago Stadium. Win Elliot provides play-by-play for the game alongside Bill Mazer, as the Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks 7-0. In the attached promotional photo for NBC’s coverage of the 1966 Stanley Cup Playoffs, NBC’s press team used the phrase “rugged frozen terpsichore” to reference NHL hockey.

 

 

• January 7, 1973 – NBC begins the first of three seasons of NHL regular-season coverage with its Hockey Game of the Week, featuring the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. Tim Ryan handles play-by-play duties from 1973-75, alongside NHL Hall-of-Famer Ted Lindsay and Brian McFarlane. In addition to its regular-season coverage, NBC televises select Stanley Cup Playoff and Final games during this time. NBC also introduces Peter Puck, a popular hockey puck-shaped cartoon character that appears on NBC’s NHL broadcasts. It was created by NBC executive Donald Carswell.

 

 

• 1990-1994 – In Pittsburgh in 1990, NBC provides coverage of the NHL All-Star Game, the first NHL game on a broadcast network game since Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Final, and the first time a national audience watches superstars Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky.

 

• May 19, 2004 – NBC Sports acquires NHL broadcast rights for 2004-05 and 2005-06 (the 2004-05 season was not played due to a lockout). NBC’s coverage begins with a regionalized tripleheader on Jan. 14, 2006, featuring New York vs. Detroit, Colorado vs. Philadelphia, and Dallas vs. Boston. The agreement is extended in 2007 and 2009, before the current 10-year deal, which is signed in 2011 and runs through 2021.

 

• 2005-06 – NBC Sports introduces the ‘Inside-the-Glass’ broadcast position for its NHL game telecasts. Now the industry standard in hockey broadcasts, the position is created by NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood in order to bring fans closer to the action by providing a unique perspective. Pierre McGuire serves as NBC Sports’ lead Inside-the-Glass analyst and won the 2013 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Reporter in that role.

 

• January 1, 2008 – Co-created by NBC Sports President of Programming Jon Miller, NBC televises the first ever NHL Winter Classic, featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres, from Ralph Wilson Stadium outside of Buffalo, N.Y. The Penguins win 2-1 in a shootout, with Sidney Crosby scoring the winner. The annual NHL Winter Classic regularly produces the most-watched regular-season games on record, peaking with Washington at Pittsburgh in 2011 at Heinz Field, which averaged 4.525 million viewers on NBC.

 

• February 20, 2011 – NBC Sports presents the first ever Hockey Day In America, which celebrates America’s affinity for hockey and includes multiple national NHL broadcasts. The annual event has featured numerous marquis matchups, including last year’s Blackhawks-Wild Stadium Series game from TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. Coverage has featured on-site broadcasts from various locations, including Lake Placid, N.Y., home of the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice.’

 

• June 15, 2011 – The Boston Bruins defeat the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final on NBC in what is the most-watched NHL game on record, averaging 8.54 million viewers. NBC Sports Group has televised every NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game nationally since 2012.

 

• January 16, 2013 – NBCSN presents the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers in the first-ever Wednesday Night Rivalry Dubbed “the hottest new brand in sports” by Forbes in its inaugural season, the exclusive Wednesday night window features the biggest rivalries in the sport and has become destination viewing for NHL fans each week on NBCSN.

 

• January 25, 2014 – Dovetailing off of the successful Winter Classic games, NBC Sports presents the first-ever NHL Stadium Series outdoor game, featuring the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings from Dodger Stadium on NBCSN. Other locations include Yankee Stadium in New York and Soldier Field in Chicago, which featured an NBC primetime showdown between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks.

 

• September 30, 2015 – NBCSN televises the first-ever Kraft Hockeyville USA pre-season game, featuring the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins, from Johnstown, Pa. Johnstown is named Kraft Hockeyville USA after a fan vote, and is awarded $150,000 in arena upgrades. The event celebrates the impact of hockey in local communities across the country.

 

• 2016-17 – NBC Sports Group is scheduled to televise 106 NHL regular-season games, more than ever before. Since the 2005-06 season, regular-season cable viewership on Versus/NBCSN has increased 132%.

 

***

NBC Sports rings in the New Year with a pair of Outdoor Classics, beginning with the NHL Centennial Classic on New Year’s Day at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings at BMO Field in Toronto. Coverage continues on Monday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m. ET on NBC with the 2017 NHL Winter Classic, when the St. Louis Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Click here for more details on NBC Sports’ coverage of the NHL Winter and Centennial Classics.

-NBC SPORTS GROUP-

World Series of Fighting Action Begins This Saturday Live at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Kayla Harrison to Serve as an Analyst

Jon Fitch vs. Jake Shields in Welterweight Title Bout

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app to Stream All Bouts

STAMFORD, Conn. – December 29, 2016 – NBC Sports Group presents World Series of Fighting action on New Year’s Eve, this Saturday, Dec. 31, highlighted by the undefeated Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (16-0) defending his lightweight title against Luiz “Buscape” Firmino (19-7) live at 4 p.m. ET on NBC from the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. Coverage on Saturday begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Gaethje is the first – and only – lightweight champion in World Series of Fighting history. He’s won all nine World Series of Fighting bouts, earning eight of those wins by knockout or TKO, including a successful title defense against Nick Newell at WSOF11. Most recently, he downed Luis Palomino at WSOF19 for the second official defense of his belt, and then repeated the feat in a rematch with Palomino at WSOF23. Both fights with Palomino were considered “Fight of the Year” candidates. Gaethje earned the fourth successful defense of his title at March’s WSOF29, where he scored a TKO over Brian Foster in less than two minutes.

Firmino is a Brazilian native who has competed professionally since 2000. He looks to rebound from a loss against Foster at WSOF33. Prior to that loss, he won five straight fights, including a WSOF10 victory over Tyson Griffin and a WSOF6 win over Jacob Volkmann. Firmino also downed former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Luis Palomino in 2013.

In the co-main event, Jon Fitch (28-7-1) defends his welterweight title against Jake Shields (31-8). Fitch first challenged for the welterweight title in December 2014 (WSOF16), though he suffered a submission loss to then-champ Rousimar Palhares. Fitch then rebounded with an October 2015 win over Yushin Okami (WSOF24) on his way to earn the title against Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino in WSOF30.

Saturday’s card also features Yushin “Thunder” Okami (32-10) vs. Paul Bradley (23-6) in a welterweight bout, and Marlon Moraes (16-4) defending his bantamweight title against Josenaldo Silva (25-4).

Action on NBCSN includes a middleweight title fight between champion David Branch (19-3) and Louis Taylor (13-1); Jared Rosholt (14-3) vs. Caio Alencar (9-1) in a heavyweight bout; and Shane Kruchten (11-4) vs. Jeremy Mahon (5-4), fighting at a catchweight of 145 pounds.

Play-by-play announcer Todd Harris will be joined by mixed martial artists and analysts Bas Rutten, Renzo Gracie and Joey Varner to call the action. Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison joins the telecast as an analyst in her broadcast debut.

World Series of Fighting will be streamed live on NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, and Xbox.

–NBCSN–

 

NHL CENTENNIAL CLASSIC – RED WINGS-MAPLE LEAFS AT BMO FIELD IN TORONTO – SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBC

Bob Costas Joins NBC Sports’ Winter Classic Coverage in St. Louis – “I lived in St. Louis for more than 30 years and I still think of it as my hometown.”

Coverage to Include Live Interview with Wayne Gretzky in Toronto, Costas Feature on the Chicago-St. Louis Rivalry, NBC Sports’ Debut of Ref Cam

NBC Sports Radio to Provide National Radio Broadcast of 2017 NHL Winter Classic

This Week’s NHL Coverage Begins Tonight on NBCSN with Flyers-Blues at 8 p.m. ET, Followed by Devils-Capitals Tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 28, 2016 – NBC Sports presents a classic rivalry in one of the most iconic events in all of sports on Monday, January 2, 2017, when Alex Pietrangelo and the St. Louis Blues host Patrick Kane and the rival Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo., in the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

In addition to the NHL Winter Classic, NBC presents a clash of young American NHL stars on New Year’s Day at 3 p.m. ET in the NHL Centennial Classic, when rookie sensation Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs host Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings at BMO Field in Toronto. The NHL Centennial Classic represents the start of the league’s year-long Centennial celebration.

This week’s NHL coverage begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, when the Blues host Claude Giroux and the Flyers, and continues tomorrow in Washington D.C., when Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals host Taylor Hall and the New Jersey Devils at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Four-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member, analyst and former Blackhawk Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call of the Blackhawks-Blues Winter Classic showdown from Busch Stadium, home of Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals. Analyst and former Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick will also serve as a roving reporter during game coverage.

NHL Live host Liam McHugh will be on-site at Busch Stadium alongside former players and analysts Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Roenick to provide pre-game and post-game analysis, as well as commentary during intermissions. In addition, Bob Costas, a 27-time Emmy Award-winner who began his professional broadcasting career in St. Louis, will join NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2017 NHL Winter Classic.

John Forslund (play-by-play), Brian Boucher (analyst), and McGuire (‘Inside-the-Glass’) will call Red Wings-Maple Leafs from BMO Field, home of Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC. Host Kathryn Tappen will anchor coverage from Toronto with Roenick.

NBC Sports will surround the NHL Centennial and Winter Classics with numerous interviews and features, highlighted by Kathryn Tappen’s live interview with “The Great One” – Wayne Gretzky – at the Centennial Classic. Coverage will also include a feature on the young stars of the NHL, including Auston Matthews and Dylan Larkin, a feature on Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo, a look back at the Chicago-St. Louis rivalry by Bob Costas, as well as player and executive interviews throughout the broadcasts.

For the first time, NBC Sports will utilize “Ref Cam” during the 2017 NHL Winter Classic on NBC to bring fans closer to the action than ever before. “Ref Cam” will be used during replays and stoppages to bring fans onto the ice, showcasing the speed, sights, and sounds of the game from the view of the referee.

BOB COSTAS JOINS NBC SPORTS’ 2017 NHL WINTER CLASSIC COVERAGE IN ST. LOUIS

It was announced last week that Bob Costas will join NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2017 NHL Winter Classic. Costas has strong ties to St. Louis. He was the radio play-by-play announcer for the American Basketball Association’s Spirits of St. Louis from 1974 to 1976 on KMOX Radio, hosted “Sports Open Line” on KMOX, and served as the University of Missouri men’s basketball play-by-play voice, prior to joining NBC Sports in 1980. Costas also called a number of Blues games during his time in St. Louis, occasionally substituting for legendary commentator Dan Kelly on KMOX.

This marks the sixth occasion that Costas will be a part of NBC Sports’ NHL Winter Classic broadcast team, having previously served as a host for the first five iterations of the event from 2008-2012. Click here for more information.

 

COSTAS, MCGUIRE AND ROENICK PREVIEW NHL CENTENNIAL AND WINTER CLASSICS

McGuire on Matthews and Larkin, and the growth of hockey in America: “Auston Matthews is a generational player – he’s been on the NHL landscape since he was 15 years old. Dylan Larkin is a dynamic goal-scoring forward. There are so many great young American players on the landscape right now. The vision of Commissioner Bettman to have non-traditional hockey markets in expansion has paid dividends.”

Roenick on Matthews and Larkin: “Auston Matthews has come on like a bolt of lightning and is living up to the potential. Dylan Larkin has become the new leader of the Detroit Red Wings. These kids are wise and talented beyond their years.”

McGuire on the St. Louis market: “The St. Louis market produced three or four first-round picks last season – it’s a phenomenal hockey market. Every time you go to St. Louis to for a game, you know you won’t be disappointed.”

Roenick on the Blackhawks-Blues rivalry: “The Blackhawks and Blues will always be oil and water, fire and ice. St. Louis found a way to beat them in the playoffs last year, which they haven’t done much in the last 25 years. There aren’t many rivalries in the NHL that are bigger than Chicago-St. Louis. A lot is expected of both teams, and high expectations always breed high animosity”

McGuire on the Blackhawks franchise: “They are a preeminent franchise in the league. Every franchise should try and emulate the way they play, the way they conduct themselves, and how they are run.”

Costas on St. Louis and the Blues: “I lived in St. Louis for more than 30 years and I still think of it as my hometown. I hope I’ll be able to complement our always excellent hockey coverage by adding a bit of hometown perspective about the Blues. The game of course is at Busch Stadium, and all sports fans know what a terrific baseball town St. Louis is. But there is a strong fan attachment to the Blues as well, maybe even more so now because St. Louis has only two major professional sports teams. In that sense, the Blues are pretty much the center of attention for sports fans in St. Louis from November until the start of the baseball season.”

 

NBC SPORTS RADIO TO PROVIDE NATIONAL RADIO BROADCAST OF 2017 NHL WINTER CLASSIC

NBC Sports Radio, distributed by Westwood One, will provide broadcast coverage of the 2017 NHL Winter Classic to affiliated and other terrestrial radio stations. The broadcasts will also be available via NBCSportsRadio.com, the NBC Sports Radio App and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and the TuneIn digital radio platform.

Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Joe Micheletti (analyst), and Steve Goldstein (ice-level reporter) will serve as NBC Sports Radio’s broadcast team for the 2017 NHL Winter Classic. Albert calls regular-season and post-season NHL games on NBC and NBCSN and has served as a hockey play-by-play commentator for NBC Sports at four Winter Olympics. Micheletti serves as an analyst for NBC Sports Group’s NHL regular-season and post-season coverage, and began his broadcasting career in 1985 as part of the St. Louis Blues radio team.

 

NHL WINTER CLASSIC – BLACKHAWKS-BLUES – MONDAY, JAN. 2, AT 1 P.M. ET ON NBC

The Blues (18-12-5, 41 pts) are led offensively by Vladimir Tarasenko, who ranks fourth in the NHL in points (38) and is tied for third in the league in goals (16). Alex Pietrangelo has taken over the captaincy of the Blues following the departure of David Backes during free agency in the offeseason. Jake Allen has taken over the reins in net for St. Louis this season, and is seventh in the NHL in wins (16).

Chicago (22-10-5, 49 pts) leads the Western Conference and trails only Columbus and Pittsburgh for best record in the NHL. The Blackhawks boast two players in the NHL’s Top 10 in points (Artemi Panarin; 37, Kane; 35). The last time these two teams met on Dec. 17, both Kane and Panarin scored in a 6-4 Blackhawks win in St. Louis.

 

NHL CENTENNIAL CLASSIC – RED WINGS-MAPLE LEAFS – SUNDAY, JAN. 1, AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBC

Detroit (15-16-4, 34 pts) is led offensively by second-year star Dylan Larkin, whose 10 goals are tops on the team. Sunday’s game marks the first of four meetings between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs this season, and also serves as a rematch of the 2014 NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which Toronto won in a shootout by a score of 3-2.

The Maple Leafs (14-12-7, 35 pts) boast a number of young, talented rookies, headlined by Matthews, who was the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. Matthews (26 pts), Mitch Marner (26 pts), and William Nylander (22 pts) are ranked second, third, and fourth among all NHL rookies in points this season. Matthews burst onto the scene by making NHL history with four goals in his NHL debut against Ottawa on opening night, and has posted six points in his last six games heading into this week’s action.

 

FLYERS-BLUES – TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Flyers (20-12-4, 44 pts) have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, but are coming off a 4-0 loss to New Jersey prior to the Christmas break. Jakub Voracek is in the Top 10 in the NHL in points (35) and assists (24), while Wayne Simmonds leads the club with 16 goals. St. Louis boasts a 13-2-4 record at home, and is tied with Pittsburgh for the fewest regulation losses at home this season.

Chris Cuthbert (play-by-play) and Pierre McGuire (‘Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the action from Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. McHugh anchors studio coverage tonight alongside, Milbury, Jones, and NHL insider Darren Dreger.

 

DEVILS-CAPITALS – TOMORROW AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Caps (20-9-4, 44 pts) find themselves tied with Philadelphia in fourth place in the highly-competitive Metropolitan Division. Washington lost last night to the Islanders by a score of 4-3, but is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games. Alex Ovechkin scored for the Capitals in last night’s loss to give him goals in back-to-back games.

The Devils (13-15-7, 33 pts) are coming off a 5-2 loss at home to Pittsburgh last night. Adam Henrique, Mike Cammalleri, and P.A. Parenteau are tied for the team lead in goals (9), while newcomer Taylor Hall is second on the team in points (23).

Joe Beninati (play-by-play) and Craig Laughlin (analyst) will call the game from Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Tappen anchors tomorrow’s studio coverage with Roenick and Jones.

Following is this week’s NHL schedule on NBC and NBCSN:

 

Date	Coverage	Network	Time (ET)
Wed., December 28	NHL Live	NBCSN	7 p.m.
	Philadelphia at St. Louis	NBCSN	8 p.m.
	NHL Overtime*	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.
Thur., December 29	NHL Live	NBCSN	6 p.m.
	New Jersey at Washington**	NBCSN	7 p.m.
	NHL Overtime*	NBCSN	9:30 a.m.
Sun., January 1	NHL Centennial Classic – Detroit at Toronto	NBC	3 p.m.
Mon., January 2	NHL Winter Classic – Chicago at St. Louis	NBC	1 p.m.

*immediately following game coverage
**subject to local blackout

NHL ON NBCSPORTS.COM AND THE NBC SPORTS APP: NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will provide live streaming coverage of the 2016-17 NHL regular season via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

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2016-17 REGULAR SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN

NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of 106 NHL regular-season games during the 2016-17 season, featuring 14 games on NBC and 92 games on NBCSN. All games will be streamed live via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive NHL coverage this season.

NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS

NBC Sports Regional Networks, which serve top NHL markets such as Boston (Bruins), Philadelphia (Flyers), Washington D.C. (Capitals), Chicago (Blackhawks) and the Bay Area (Sharks), will air more than 300 live NHL games and surround the 2016-17 NHL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most.

-NBC SPORTS GROUP-