Its Globe & Mail Day on PTM: Tim Wharnsby Joins CBC

CBC Sports announced today that esteemed hockey writer Tim Wharnsby has joinedCBCSports.ca’s already impressive all-star lineup of journalists and personalities as a senior hockey writer. Wharnsby is widely regarded as one of the top hockey journalists in the country, having worked with The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Sun covering the Toronto Maple Leafs, the NHL and junior hockey.

The Toronto resident will be a regular guest on HNIC Radio on SIRIUS, joining hockey experts Jeff Marek and Scott Morrison, and will work closely with CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA to provide story content.

CBCSports.ca is the best destination for hockey fans to find the most comprehensive on-line hockey news, information and features. The site boasts some of Canada’s top hockey journalists and CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA analysts contributing feature stories and blogs, including Wharnsby, Scott Morrison, Jeff Marek, Elliotte Friedman, Kelly Hrudey, Jim Hughson, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, P.J. Stock and more.

VERSUS, NHL Net Missing Out on an Opportunity By Skipping on Battle of the Blades

Look, I’m sure all hockey fans were skeptical about Battle of the Blades when it was first announced.  However, from what I’ve seen on Youtube, it’s been an exuberant joy to watch.  These athletes (and Ken Daneyko) are clearly having a ball doing this, and the skaters are bringing it too.  Ron MacLean keeps things moving as host, and the rotating panel of judgings keeps the show from getting boring, and Dick Button is always entertaining.

Yet, there has been no real call from hockey fans to get the series on television in the United States.  So here’s our: VERSUS & NHL Network, please try to get Battle of the Blades on TV.  If not now, re-air season 1 after it finishes airing on Canada, because it seems pretty clear that, due to the ratings, they’ll figure out a way to do this again in Canada.  For VERSUS, a weekly airing of both the performance and results shows (or a compilation of the two) before NHL telecasts on Mondays and Tuesdays.  I loved it when VERSUS aired “The Tournament” a few years back.

For NHL Network, we could see hours and hours of marathon viewings of this show.  It probably wouldn’t cost too much to air here.  Though it might be boring to those who have seen the clips on YouTube, and the datedness could affect who watches, it is something that the American hockey fan should be able to see.  Hey, if SOAPNet could get that CBC hockey wives’ show, why not this?

Welcome William Houston to the Blogosphere

Truth and Rumours is now a blog.  And we just became (at best) the 2nd best hockey media blog in the world.  Check him out.

Monty Python Mondays

We’re Off For the Weekend, Here’s Your Hockey Night in Canada Open Thread/Announcers

NY Rangers vs. Toronto, 7PM, CBC (Full Network Except For Quebec/Ottawa), NHL Network
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Elliotte Friedman

Ottawa vs. Montreal, 7PM, CBC (Quebec and Ottawa)
Play by Play: Bob Cole
Color: Gary Galley and Guy Carbonneau
Reporter: Cassie Campbell-Pascall

Minnesota vs. Vancouver, 10PM, CBC Full Network
Play by Play: Mark Lee
Color: Kevin Weekes
Reporter: Scott Oake

Hoedown Friday

Notable NHL Network Programming Next Week

Monday, Oct. 19
6:30 Frozen in Time: Joe Thornton 2005-06
7:00 EA Sports: The Making of NHL ’10
7:30 Off the Ice: Zdeno Chara, Evgeni Malkin, Cody Hodgson, PK Subban
8:00 On the Fly

Tuesday, Oct. 20
6:30 Frozen in Time: Denis Savard
7:00 A Day That Changed the Game – Oct. 11, 1972
8:00 On the Fly

Wednesday, Oct. 21
6:30 Frozen in Time: Bobby Orr
7:00 1976 Stanley Cup Film
7:30 Off the Ice: Scott Gomez, Marian Gaborik, Matt Duchene
8:00 On the Fly
8:30 LIVE: Canucks vs. Blackhawks
11:00 On the Fly

Thursday, Oct. 22
6:30 Frozen in Time: Wayne Gretzky’s Last Game
7:00 LIVE: Bruins vs. Flyers
9:30 On the Fly

Friday, Oct. 23
6:30 Frozen in Time: Darryl Sittler
7:00 Sid and Stanley: Bringing the Cup Home
7:30 Bud Light’s Backstage in Sweden with the Blues
8:00 On the Fly

Saturday, Oct. 24
6:30 HNIC Pre-Game
7:00 LIVE: Maple Leafs vs. Canucks
9:30 On the Fly

Hawks Are Next on the Record Ratings Line

Chicago, IL (October 15, 2009) – Comcast SportsNet, the television and online home for the most games and most comprehensive coverage of the NHL Western Conference/Central Division first place Chicago Blackhawks, delivered its highest Blackhawks regular season ratings ever last night (Wed, October 14) — a 2.70 household rating for its live coverage of the Blackhawks home ice battle against the Edmonton Oilers.
For last night’s third-straight home ice victory by the Blackhawks, Comcast SportsNet attracted approx. 94,300 households for the entire game and posted a 3.3 peak rating during the 8:00 PM quarter-hour (over 115,260 households).  The 2.70 single game regular season ratings record on Comcast SportsNet is the regional sports network’s highest Blackhawks regular season game rating since March 27, 2009, when the Blackhawks hosted the New Jersey Devils (2.13 household rating).  Source for all ratings information is provided by Nielsen Media Research overnights.
Comcast SportsNet was also the #1-highest rated television network in the Chicago market last night in the demos of Men 18-49 & Men 25-54 for the entire length of the game (7:30-10:00 PM).  Comcast SportsNet was also #2 overall in the market in the key advertiser demo of Adults 25-54 from 9:00-10:00 PM.
So far this season, the Blackhawks on Comcast SportsNet are currently averaging a 1.55 household rating, a year-to-date increase of 63% compared to last season through five game telecasts.  In addition, Chevy Blackhawks Pre-Game Live ratings are up 34%, while Smirnoff Vodka Blackhawks Post Game Live ratings have increased 331%.  Comcast SportsNet’s next Blackhawks telecast airs tonight, October 15, as the Blackhawks visit the division rival Nashville Predators (coverage begins at 7:00 PM).  Viewers can also visit CSNChicago.com for the very latest Blackhawks news, game previews/recaps, blogs, videos and much more.

Sharks Increase Ratings on Move to New Network

We wrote about this initially in January this year.  The San Jose Sharks have switched TV affiliations from CSN Bay Area to sister network CSN California.  The results have apparently been good.  So good, in fact, that they’re using the numbers to compare to bad MLB TV ratings.  Here’s the report in Sports Business Journal:

But CSN executives dismissed suggestions that the move hurt ratings, pointing to the NHL Sharks’ ratings through their first two games this year, which are more than double last year’s pace for the first two games (1.4/36,000 homes vs. 0.6/15,000 homes).

Good to hear that the news is good for the Sharks, as it’s surprising a team like that’s regular season games haven’t drawn that well until now.

Morning Monty Python Breakdown