ECAC Hockey announced today it is extending its rights agreement with ESPN+ to stream more than 350 games each season through the 2028-29.

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ESPN’s 25th Frozen Four: Michigan, Minnesota Duluth, Notre Dame and Ohio State

The post ESPN’s 25th Frozen Four: Michigan, Minnesota Duluth, Notre Dame and Ohio State appeared first on ESPN MediaZone U.S..

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

The post NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Coverage Begins Sunday with Selection Show on ESPNU appeared first on ESPN MediaZone U.S..

• 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