NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Coverage Begins Sunday with Selection Show on ESPNU

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• Multiplatform Coverage of All Three Games from Tampa, Florida
• John Buccigross and Barry Melrose Call the Action; Quint Kessenich and Victoria Arlen Report
• Fans Invited to Meet, Talk #CawlidgeHawkey with Buccigross and Melrose at Friday Night Event

ESPN will offer multiplatform coverage of the 2016 Frozen Four live from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday, April 7 and Saturday, April 9.  The No. 1 seeded Quinnipiac Bobcats will take on the Boston College Eagles in the first semifinal (5 p.m. ET), followed by the No. 3 seeded North Dakota Fighting Hawks facing off against the Denver Pioneers in the second semifinal (8:30 p.m.) on Thursday, April 7. The two winning teams will face off in the Frozen Four Championship (8 p.m.) on Saturday, April 9. ESPN2 will televise both semifinals and ESPN will air the championship game. ESPN3 will offer ‘Surround’ coverage for all three games. The Frozen Four is the culmination of the Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Championship.

The Participants

• The Bobcats: Quinnipiac is the top overall seed in the 16-team championship and earned an automatic bid by winning the ECAC. The Bobcats advance to the Frozen Four through the East regional, defeating RIT and UMass-Lowell.
• The Eagles: Boston College was an at-large entry into the championship out of Hockey East. The Eagles advanced to the Frozen Four through the Northeast regional, defeating Harvard and Minnesota-Duluth.
• The Fighting Hawks: North Dakota is the third overall seed, earning an at-large bid out of the NCHC. The Fighting Hawks advanced to the Frozen Four through the Midwest regional, defeating Northeastern and Michigan.
• The Pioneers: Denver was an at-large entry out of NCHC. The Pioneers advanced to the Frozen Four through the West regional, defeating Boston University and Ferris State.

The complete championship bracket is available here.

ESPN’s Commentators
John Buccigross and Barry Melrose will call all three games of the Frozen Four, with Quint Kessenich reporting from between the benches. New this year, Victoria Arlen will join the telecast, telling the untold stories of the participating teams and players.  Arlen, a former Paralympian gold medalist, joined ESPN as a features reporter last year and regularly reports for espnW, X Games and SportsCenter.

Buccigross, the popular SportsCenter anchor, has developed a passionate following on Twitter (@Buccigross) through consistent college hockey dialogue with fans (#cawlidgehawkey) and by showcasing hockey throughout the country.

Melrose, who has been with ESPN 19 of the last 20 years and has been an analyst for several Frozen Fours, played 11 seasons in the NHL before leading the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals as head coach.

Additional ESPN Coverage Elements

• On Ice Audio: The referee for all three games will wear a wireless microphone and audio will be incorporated sporadically throughout the telecast.
• Ice Level View: ESPN3’s Surround streaming option allows fans to watch the game from ice level, via three robotic cameras place on the glass, and hear the natural sound inside the arena.
• Studio Coverage: Steve Levy will anchor the studio coverage from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, CT. Levy will be joined by college hockey analysts Sean Ritchlin and Dave Starman.
• Trophy Presentation: ESPN3 will carry the entire trophy presentation following the championship game.
• Join the Conversation: Fans can follow and participate in the conversation on Twitter through #FrozenFour and the @NCAAIceHockey.

Schedule subject to change

Meet and Greet with John Buccigross and Barry Melrose
ESPN will host a Frozen Four and #CawlidgeHawkey fan gathering on Friday, April 8, (7 p.m.) at the Champions Sports Bar inside the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel with John Buccigross and Barry Melrose. The 75-minute session (7 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.) with ESPN’s Frozen Four commentators is free of charge to the public and will feature a Q&A session, picture and autograph opportunities along with numerous giveaways. Additionally, the Mike Richter Award, presented to the college hockey’s top goaltender, will be given away that night with both Stanley Cup winning goaltender Mike Richter and the winning goaltender expected to be in attendance. The finalists for the award are:

• UMass Lowell’s Kevin Boyle
• Boston College’s Thatcher Demko
• North Dakota’s Cam Johnson
• Cloud State’s Charlie Lindgren
• Yale’s Alex Lyon

Media are also encouraged to attend and can reach out to Derek Volner at ESPN for more details.  (Derek.Volner@ESPN.com). The audio of the event will be streamed live on USCHO.com.
Location: Champions Sports Bar inside the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel (700 South Florida Ave, Tampa, Florida.)

E:60 Pictures presents 20 Years and 11 Seconds
Thursday, April 7, at 11 p.m. on ESPN2 following the Denver vs. North Dakota semifinal

In 1995, Travis Roy was a promising freshman forward for the defending national champion Boston Terriers. On October 20th of that year, he skated onto the ice for his first ever collegiate game. Eleven seconds later his career was over. At the age of twenty, Travis was a quadriplegic.

Forced to give up his life’s passion, he battled through pain, grief and loss in order to fill his life with purpose. Travis discovered that purpose in his foundation and the thousands of lives he is able to touch. E:60 Pictures presents 20 Years and 11 Seconds, a journey through the inspirational life of Travis Roy who, as reporter Tom Rinaldi discovers, now can say he has done more in the last twenty years than he probably could have as a hockey player.

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Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; Derek.Volner@ESPN.com and @DerekVolner

Fans are invited to come meet ESPN’s SportsCenter and college hockey play-by-play commentator John Buccigross and lead hockey analyst Barry Melrose on Friday, April 10, at 6:30 p.m. ET at The Greatest Bar in Boston.

In addition to many giveaways, including Championship Game tickets, Buccigross and Melrose will be available for pictures, autographs and, of course, #CawlidgeHawkey talk. There will be a fun, question and answer session with both ESPN personalities, along with a discussion about the state of College Hockey. The full Greatest Bar menu will be available for purchase.

The duo will call the entire Frozen Four for ESPN. The Friday night event takes place after the two semifinal games (Providence vs. Omaha & Boston University vs. North Dakota on April 9 at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2) and precedes the Frozen Four Championship game (April 11 at 7:30 p.m. ESPN).

Media are also encouraged to attend and can reach out to Derek Volner at ESPN for more details (Derek.Volner@ESPN.com).

Location: The Greatest Bar is located at 262 Friend Street, Boston, MA

Regional Action March 27-29; John Buccigross and Barry Melrose Call Frozen Four April 9 and 11

ESPN’s long-standing commitment to the NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Championship resumes in 2015 with coverage of every game for the 11th consecutive year, the Frozen Four for the 21st year and the Championship game for the 36th year.

The 2015 NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Championship begins with eight regional semifinals and four regional finals from March 27-29 across ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. The Northeast Regional in Manchester, N.H., will begin on Friday, March 27, with Yale vs. No. 3 seed Boston University (2 p.m. ET on ESPNU), followed by Minnesota vs. Minnesota Duluth (5:30 p.m. on ESPNU). The Northeast Regional Final is set for Saturday, March 28, at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.  The West Regional also begins March 27, which will showcase St. Cloud State vs. Michigan Tech (4:30 p.m. on ESPN3), followed by Quinnipiac vs. No. 2 seed North Dakota (8 p.m. on ESPNU). The West regional final is March 28 at 9 p.m. on ESPNU.

The East and Midwest will hold its two respective semifinals on Saturday, March 28, and its finals Sunday, March 29. In the East Regional Semifinals, Boston College will play Denver (3 p.m. on ESPN2), followed by Providence vs. No. 4 seed Miami (Ohio) (6:30 p.m. on ESPNU). The East Regional Final is set for March 29 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU. In the Midwest Region, Rochester Institute of Technology will play the No. 1 seed Minnesota State Mankato in the first semifinal (4 p.m. on ESPNU), followed by Harvard vs. Omaha (7:30 p.m. on ESPN3). The Midwest Regional Final will be played on March 29, at 7:30 p.m.

The Frozen Four will be held at the TD Garden in Boston with the two semifinals on Thursday, April 9, on ESPN2 (5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) and the Frozen Four National Championship game on Saturday, April 11, on ESPN (7:30 p.m.). Additionally, ESPN3 will offer ESPN3 Surround for all three games, which will feature alternate camera angles and natural sound.  Every game of the 2015 Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Championship is available on WatchESPN.

The complete 2015 NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Championship bracket can be found here.
All times eastern

ESPN NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Commentators

ESPN’s lead hockey play-by-play commentator John Buccigross teams up with lead hockey analyst Barry Melrose to call the action in the East Regional (Providence, R.I.) and, for the third consecutive year, the Frozen Four.  Quint Kessenich will, once again, be the reporter with Buccigross and Melrose at both the East Regional and Frozen Four.

Buccigross called ESPN’s entire regular season Big Ten hockey schedule in 2014-15. The popular SportsCenter anchor has developed a passionate following on Twitter (@Buccigross) through consistent college hockey dialogue with fans (#cawlidgehawkey) and by showcasing hockey throughout the country.  This year, ESPN will incorporate the makeshift hockey rinks highlighted by Buccigross, often on ponds or built in backyards, into its coverage. Fans can still tweet their photos and tag them #FrozenFour for potential use on air.

Melrose, who has been with ESPN  18 of the last 19 years and has been an analyst for several Frozen Fours, played 11 seasons in the NHL before leading the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals as head coach.

Other ESPN broadcast tandems: Dan Parkhurst and Billy Jaffe (Northeast Regional), Clay Matvick and Sean Ritchlin (West Regional) and Ben Holden and Blake Geoffrion (Midwest Regional).  Both Jaffe and Ritchlin played at Michigan and Geoffrion played at Wisconsin, where he earned the Hobey Baker Award in 2010.

2015 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Programming Schedule

NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship — Regional Coverage

NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four Coverage

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John Buccigross Unveils the Numerical Order of No. 1 Seeds on Twitter, Hosts Selection Show, and Calls Regional and Frozen Four Action

ESPN will cover the entire 2014 NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Championship which includes 12 regional games from four sites between March 28-30 and the Frozen Four semifinals and finals in Philadelphia on April 10 and 12. In regional action, ESPNU will televise eight games, including the Midwest, Northeast and West regional finals. ESPN2 will televise the East regional final and West regional semifinal. ESPN3 will exclusively carry a Northeast and Midwest regional semifinal. On Thursday, April 10, ESPN2 will televise the Frozen Four semifinals and on Saturday, April 12, ESPN will televise the Frozen Four Championship Game. Every game of the tournament will be available on WatchESPN.

ESPN NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament Commentators

ESPN’s lead hockey play-by-play commentator John Buccigross teams up with lead hockey analyst Barry Melrose to call the action in the East regional (Bridgeport, Conn.) and the Frozen Four.   This is the second year the tandem has worked the tournament together, including their second Frozen Four.  Quint Kessenich will be the reporter with Buccigross and Melrose at both the regional and Frozen Four.

Buccigross was an integral part of ESPN’s regular-season hockey coverage this season, calling a majority of ESPN’s BIG TEN telecasts. Additionally, the SportsCenter anchor has developed a passionate hockey following on Twitter (@Buccigross) through his consistent college hockey dialogue with fans (#cawlidgehawkey) and by showcasing pond hockey throughout the country.

Melrose, who has been with ESPN  17 of the last 18 years and has been an analyst for several Frozen Fours, played 11 seasons in the NHL before leading the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals as head coach.

Other ESPN broadcast tandems: Joe Beninati and Darren Eliot in the Midwest regional (Cincinnati, Ohio), Joe Davis and Billy Jaffe in the Northeast regional (Worcester, Mass.), and Clay Matvick and Sean Ritchlin in the West regional (St. Paul, Minn.).

ESPN and NCAA Collaborate to Reveal No. 1 Seeds on Twitter Prior to NCAA Hockey Championship Selection Show

On Sunday, March 23 at noon ET, ESPNU will televise the NCAA Hockey Championship Selection Show. In a unique, online collaboration, ESPN and the NCAA will announce the four No. 1 seeds and which region they will play in one-hour prior to the show.

At 11 a.m., @NCAAIceHockey will tweet out – in alphabetical order – the four No.1 seeds. Moments later, after receiving the official bracket from the NCAA, Buccigross will take to his twitter account to announce the numerical  order of the No.1 seeds and the region in which they will be located in.

Buccigross and Dave Starman anchor the 30-minute Selection Show to announce the other 12 teams which make up the field with all the matchups. Select head coaches will join the show after their team has been named to the field. Fans are encouraged to participate by tweeting questions and comments to the @ESPNU handle, with a portion of them being answered on air.

Buccigross Takes over @NCAAIceHockey Handle During Conference Championship Games

On Saturday, March 22 — the night before the Selection Show — Buccigross will take over the @NCAAIceHockey handle to conduct a live twitter chat starting at 8 p.m. As six conferences are in the midst of their championship game, with an automatic bid to the tournament on the line, Buccigross will interact with fans, answer their questions and react to the live game action.

2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Programming Schedule

NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Selection Show

NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Regional Coverage

NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four Coverage

ESPN has televised every Frozen Four Championship Game since 1980 and televised the entire Frozen Four, live,  since 1995. The 2014 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship will be the 10th year ESPN has covered the entire tournament live.

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