11/05/24
January 15, 2006
NHL Returns to NBC: with 3 Nationally Broadcast Games the NHL returned to a National Network with a 3 Game Parley Saturday. Shanahan and Red Wings slow The streaking Rangers, Avs stop Flyers, ruin Forsberg reunion, Jokinen's amazing shootout goal lifts Stars (video). What are your initial insights with the NHL back on Network TV?
posted by skydivedad to hockey at 08:33 AM - 16 comments
I love the idea of the NHL on Network TV. It's a shame after a year lock out they lost their contract with ESPN and signed with a network available in approximately 27 homes (mine being one of them), OLN. I love hockey and although it does lose something on TV, it will always be the best live sport to attend. Unfortunately what will happen is NBC won't advertise, it won't market, and will only show a few games before breaking until the playoffs start (as every other network has done in the past). The NHL has great young stars up and coming (Sydney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, etc...) but you'll never hear about them because no league promotes it's stars worse than the NHL. The game is better with the changes it's made, but no one will notice and will continue to be the step child behind the other 3 major sports. I'm happy to see it on network TV, but sorry it won't receive the promotion necessary to make it anything other than a regionally popular sport. I hope I'm wrong, after all a little coverage is better than none, but I don't think NBC or OLN will have any better success than previous network ventures.
posted by barclen at 09:16 AM on January 15, 2006
I don't really follow hockey or anything. I am glad that it will be back on network tv, because it will be better than watching the other crappy shows on. Growing up in Socal and SoTx you don't hear anything about hockey, since you turn 8yrs old its FOOTBALL,FOOTBALL. I look forward to learning about and experiencing hockey.
posted by chuy at 09:31 AM on January 15, 2006
Actually, the NHL's been on a couple of national networks already this year. Different nation, is all. </snark>
posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:31 PM on January 15, 2006
What a great treat to see NBC's Broadcast of the Red Wings vs. Rangers just before the NFL playoffs yesterday. By the time all time all the games were over I had too many beers in me. Did not get a constructive thing done all day. Ray Ferraro kind of gets on my nerves a little bit, but I probably just miss the Melrose mullet.
posted by njsk8r20 at 08:38 AM on January 16, 2006
Rub it Dr John, rub it in. The OLN coverage is awful, local games (dev's are the execption I love Doc Emmerick) are just as bad. If it weren't for Centre Ice (which I only watch at my lady friends house when a Law and Order re-run is on) I wouldn't see shit. And I like Ray Ferraro.
posted by HATER 187 at 02:23 PM on January 16, 2006
Doc is the best play by play there is. He could make a snail race sound exciting. How can you like a guy nick-named "Chicken Parm"?
posted by njsk8r20 at 02:50 PM on January 16, 2006
How can you like a guy nick-named "Chicken Parm"? It's my third favorite food. The first being steak tartare and the second is mezcal.
posted by HATER 187 at 02:57 PM on January 16, 2006
I don't miss Melrose one bit. Let him stay in the Espen hockey ghetto. US hockey could do way worse than Emrick & Davidson, and the NBC coverage was actually not that bad. (Are they going to be doing the intermissions fron the 30 Rock ice rink every week? I might make me a banner and go down there one of these weekends.) Pierre Mcguire looks odd standing in the gap in the glass between the benches, though. I mean, I'm sure it's the best place for access and all, but he looks like he's splitting a pot of joe with the janitors down there.
posted by chicobangs at 03:40 PM on January 16, 2006
Pierre Mcguire looks odd no matter where he is. BAM!
posted by mkn at 03:49 PM on January 16, 2006
Saturday Jan. 21st has Flyers at Pens 2:00 EST, Red Wings at Avalanche 2:00 EST on NBC. Nothing like throwing the kid to the Wolves, eh! NBC Nitecap has Sharks at Kings 6:00 EST. Chicobangs, get your banner ready, Intermission broadcast from 30 Rock Ice. Say hey to Messier for me, better yet get him to autograph a jersey!
posted by skydivedad at 04:15 PM on January 16, 2006
I kinda miss Melrose, myself. Something about a guy with a pseudo mullet talking about hockey just makes me chuckle. But I agree, Emrick and Davidson are great but I missed most of the coverage on NBC. Looking forward to more games though. Anything is better than this OLN shit I have to suffer through. I decided to wait on the Center Ice Package until I got to see how the changes would affect the game. Now I may get the half year package. God, I missed hockey!
posted by willthrill72 at 04:19 PM on January 16, 2006
I got the Comcast Package and I'm watching Ovechkin's Caps(coming off his 1st hat trick) vs. Coyotes as I type this, Comcast paid $135 million for Broadcast rights a bargain as far as I can tell. Love the package willthrill72 man you need to get the half year package as you have previously noted "Hockey is Life" or was that Hater. umm was 1-1 after 1st now 5-1 Caps with 4:00 to play 2nd.
posted by skydivedad at 04:32 PM on January 16, 2006
6-1 Caps, 7min left in 3rd. Ovechkins line with 17 min ice time. 10 shots on goal, 2 goals, 1asst. This is an exiting player, hope he gets the hat trick in this game 5:12 to play. Caps haven't had a player with back to back hat tricks since 1980! Nice trivia from the announcer.
posted by skydivedad at 05:20 PM on January 16, 2006
Wow. Caps on power play with 2;00 left and Ovechkin isn't put in to try for the htrick! Gee, Thanks Final 6-1 Caps
posted by skydivedad at 05:33 PM on January 16, 2006
Mike Emerick has a nice podcast in his Emericks Angle column on the NHL sight explaining the whole NBC coverage thing. Great listen. Here,s a link to it but you have to click on the Emericks Angle column mid page to hear it. Don't know how long they are going to keep it up. As you can see the title link in this FPP has already been changed by NBC.
posted by skydivedad at 05:51 PM on January 16, 2006
What a great treat to see NBC's Broadcast of the Red Wings vs. Rangers just before the NFL playoffs yesterday. I didn't expect to see a national network taking a chance on NHL Hockey but they did. Good move NBC. The game broadcast had some problems initially but they improved as the game progressed. The camera angles missed some passing and the quick cut to the on ice camera missed some scoring attempts. The announcers, well J.D. toned it down for a national audience and I could have lived without the insider Hockey talk when a play was happening on the ice. Seeing Messier during the intermissions was a special treat but hey, loose the blue sweatsuits. Taking a page from ESPN,s NFL coverage and having Messier showing some plays on the ice at Rockerfeller Center was, well way kewl. All in all I couldn't be more than pleased and with the rule changes maybe it will stick this time. Oh, Thank God there's no Glowing Puck!