NHL Network Scores in Grabbing Thorne For World Juniors

Regardless of your opinion on Gary Thorne (and ours isn’t positive) the fact is, if you’re flipping channels, you’ll notice his voice.  Other than Mike Emrick, there is no voice as synonymous with hockey in this country as Thorne is.  That’s why we have to unabashedly praise the NHL Network for getting him to be the voice of Team USA at the World Junior Championships in Saskatoon and Regina, beginning the day after Christmas.  Here’s the schedule of games Thorne will call with Dave Starman and Fred Pletsch:

Dec. 26 – USA vs. Slovakia, 8PM
Dec. 27 – USA vs. Switzerland, 4PM
Dec. 29 – Latvia vs. USA, 4PM
Dec. 31 – USA vs. Canada, 8PM

As well as, it is assumed, all Team USA games as they advance to the knockout phase of the tournament.  We’d like to see NHL Network US produce a few more original telecasts, or at least do their own version of the final game so we don’t have to hear Canadian-centric coverage of them in the finals.  Considering how few original game productions NHL Network has done this year, it could be better.

However, Thorne is a huge get for the network here in the states.  He brings instant credibility to any hockey telecast he does (not so much baseball, thanks to a certain incident) and instant name and vocal recognition from puckheads who know him from ESPN and more recently, the endlessly inane chatter of the EA NHL video game series.  It is only a shame they couldn’t team him with Hands of Cement at the tourney, as it would up the hockey nostalgia even further.

This Week’s Schedule

We’ve got some good stuff this week, so stay tuned.  We’re here Monday-Wednesday, then we may return and do something Saturday.  Happy Holidays.

Good Weekend to You All! Hockey Night in Canada Announcers/Open Thread

6:30 Hockey Tonight
Host: Ron MacLean
Analysts: Mike Milbury, Kelly Hrudey and PJ Stock
Reporter: Elliotte Friedman

7PM, Boston vs. Toronto, CBC Full Net/NHL Net
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Elliotte Friedman

7PM, Montreal vs. NY Islanders, CBC Quebec
Play by Play: Bob Cole
Color: Greg Millen and Guy Carbonneau
Reporter: Cassie Campbell

7PM, Minnesota vs. Ottawa, CBC Ottawa
Play by Play: Dean Brown
Color: Gary Galley

1st Intermission
Coach’s Corner
Host: Ron MacLean
Analyst: Don Cherry

2nd Intermission
Host: Ron MacLean
Panel: Mike Milbury and Pierre LeBrun

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

12:30 AM, After Hours
Hosts: Ron MacLean and Scott Oake
Analysts: Mike Milbury, Kelly Hrudey, PJ Stock, Kevin Weekes

NHL Network Featured Schedule Next Week

Monday, Dec. 21
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
8:00 NHL On the Fly

Tuesday, Dec. 22
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
7:00 Frozen in Time: 2009 Playoffs
8:00 NHL On the Fly

Wednesday, Dec. 23
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
7:30 LIVE: Chicago vs. Detroit
10:00 NHL On the Fly

Thursday, Dec. 24
6:00 Outdoor Game Marathon

Friday, Dec. 25
All-Day Outdoor Game Marathon

Saturday, Dec. 26
4:00 World Junior Championships: Latvia vs. Canada
6:30 World Junior Championships: Czech Republic vs. Sweden
8:00 World Junior Championships: Slovakia vs. USA
10:30 NHL On the Fly

Sunday, Dec. 27
4:00 World Junior Championship: USA vs. Switzerland
6:00 World Junior Championship: Czech Republic vs. Finland
8:30 NHL On the Fly

Big Ten Net to Air Pre- and Post-Game Hockey Shows, with… Adam Burish?

CHICAGO – The Big Ten Network is enhancing its live coverage of men’s ice hockey this season with the addition of pregame, intermission and post-game shows in conjunction with its Friday and Saturday telecasts in January, February and March.

Overall, the network is quadrupling its live men’s ice hockey coverage with the studio shows, nine telecasts and more than 20 live streamed games in 2009-10.

In addition, the network has added a pair of former WCHA stars to its lineup, including former University of Wisconsin captain and current Chicago Blackhawks winger Adam Burish and former Golden Gopher and retired NHL veteran Darby Hendrickson.

Burish and Hendrickson will rotate as studio analysts for the network’s pre- and post-game shows when they debut in January. Each will work alongside studio host Rick Pizzo, who played goaltender at the NCAA Division III level.

Burish, a native of Madison, Wis., captained the Badgers’ 2006 national championship team and assisted on both goals in the Badgers’ 2-1 victory in the national championship game against Boston College. A four-year NHL veteran, Burish is currently sidelined with a torn ACL in his knee and isn’t expected to rejoin the Blackhawks until April.

Hendrickson was the 1992 WCHA Rookie of the Year for the University of Minnesota.  He scored 37 goals and registered 45 assists in two seasons for the Golden Gophers before embarking on an 11-year NHL career. The Richfield, Minn., native also represented the United States in the 1994 Olympic Games. Most recently, Hendrickson has served as a hockey commentator for Minnesota Wild broadcasts on FSN North.

“Adam and Darby both have a tremendous level of experience, knowledge and passion for college hockey, particularly in this part of the country, and that makes them a perfect fit for us,” said Quentin Carter, coordinating producer for studio production.

The network, available to 75 million homes in the United States and Canada, will televise a regular-season contest every Friday or Saturday, beginning with the North Dakota-Minnesota matchup on Friday, January 15. The second semifinal of the CCHA Tournament will air live at 8 PM ET on Friday, March 19. The network makes its selections in cooperation with the regional sports networks which have existing rights arrangements with both the CCHA and the WCHA.

A complete television and streaming game schedule can be found at www.bigtennetwork.com.

Although the conference does not sponsor ice hockey, Big Ten member schools have combined to win 22 NCAA championships throughout history. Four different Big Ten schools have won national championships during the last 11 seasons including Michigan State in 2007, Wisconsin in 2006, Minnesota in 2002 and 2003 and Michigan in 1998.

The warm fuzzies

The time of year is upon us to think of others. Regardless of political or religious beliefs and even team affiliations, let’s put our venom aside for the greater good. Times are tough and money is tight, but it is the small gestures that truly matter. Many hockey organizations have charities and fundraisers to benefit their community; from food drives to collections on behalf of Toys for Tots. Support your local hockey club and help out any way you can.

Thank you.

CBC to Air NHLPA Goals & Dreams Special

TORONTO (December 17, 2009) – In time for the holidays, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada will air a one-hour television special on Saturday, December 19^th at 1:00 p.m. ET, documenting the recently completed National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) Goals & Dreams “10 countries in 10 days” charity tour, a tour which celebrated the NHLPA Goals & Dreams’ 10^th anniversary by giving a total of 360 complete sets of new hockey equipment – worth over $180,000 – to economically disadvantaged children in local grassroots hockey programs along the way.

CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada sent a camera crew on the road to capture the exciting and meaningful tour, in its entirety, for the television special.

This world tour featured a team of P.J. Stock, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada studio analyst and former NHL player; Rob Zamuner, former NHL player and NHLPA Goals & Dreams Ambassador; Devin Smith, NHLPA Goals & Dreams Chairman; and Matt Langen, NHLPA Goals & Dreams Program Manager. The “10 countries in 10 days” team began its whirlwind voyage to help many more deserving young children around the world play hockey on November 13^th in Sweden, followed by stops in Finland, Russia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia, Germany, and the United States, before finishing at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on November 22^nd.

On the road, the team was joined by other former NHL players in their home countries for local equipment donation ceremonies.

As part of the one-hour documentary on the NHLPA Goals & Dreams “10 countries in 10 days” tour, interviews are included with several former NHL players who participated on the tour: Pavel Bure, Peter Forsberg, Adam Graves, Arturs Irbe, Jyrki Lumme, Markus Naslund, Martin Rucinsky, Kevin Weekes, and more. Current NHL players Bruno Gervais and Jamal Mayers are also interviewed on the show, along with the inspiring young, Bosnian hockey player, Mici Hordzic, who also was part of a feature on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada and briefly appeared on-air with Ron MacLean and Don Cherry, one day prior to the tour’s finale.

“CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada has long supported grassroots hockey and the NHLPA Goals & Dreams program,” said Sherali Najak, Executive Producer of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada. “The 10 countries in 10 days event empowered communities so more kids could play and enjoy hockey and sends a powerful message of how much our game means to the rest of the world.”

A highlight of the trip included a visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia, a city that remains affected by years of war and conflict. NHLPA Goals & Dreams donated equipment in that country to the Bosnia-Herzegovina Sports Foundation, a grassroots organization which began as a free ball hockey program designed to get youth off the streets.

“Partnering with CBC is a perfect way to tell the touching stories that our 10 countries in 10 days team experienced during our travels,” said Devin Smith, NHLPA Goals & Dreams Chairman. “In the past decade, NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated more than $17 million to grassroots hockey in 22 countries, with more than 40,000 children having benefited from the donations. Visiting 10 countries in 10 days while giving more kids the chance to play hockey was a great way to celebrate the program’s 10^th Anniversary and the holiday season.”

The one-hour television documentary will be aired nationwide on CBC during CBC Sports Weekend on Saturday, with narration from Stock and Scott Russell.

NHL Net College Hockey Schedule

NEW YORK (December 16, 2009) – NHL Network™ U.S. today announced the remaining games on the network’s 2009-10 college hockey schedule.  Included are special hockey events such as Sun Life Frozen Fenway – the outdoor games between the Northeastern and New Hampshire women’s teams and the Boston College and Boston University men’s teams Jan. 8 at Fenway Park, both in HD.  Other special events include the U.S. Under-20 National Team exhibition game against North Dakota on Sunday, Dec. 20, and the ECAC Semifinals March 19 and the ECAC Championship game March 21.

NHL Network’s slate of college games boasts appearances by top-ranked teams from the Hockey East Association, Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC Hockey).  The package provides NHL Network with ‘Game of the Week’ match-ups that will be televised primarily on Friday nights through the remainder of the 2009-10 season.  In addition to the network’s previously announced 78-game package of live NHL® games, live college hockey games are an integral part of NHL Network’s portfolio of hockey programming providing viewers unmatched access to live hockey action.

The full NHL Network U.S. 2009-10 College Hockey live game schedule is as follows:

Date                        Game                                                        Time (ET)
Friday, Nov. 13 Ferris State at Miami                                         7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 27 St. Cloud State at Denver                                 9:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 11 North Dakota at Wisconsin                                 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 20 U.S. Under-20 National Team at North Dakota                  Noon*
Friday, Jan. 8 Northeastern vs. New Hampshire (women)                 4 p.m.**
Friday, Jan. 8 Boston College vs. Boston University                          7:30 p.m.**
Friday, Jan. 22 Denver at Wisconsin                                         8 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 29 Denver at North Dakota                                         8:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 5 Clarkson at Union                                         7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 12 Minnesota State at Wisconsin                                 9 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 19 Nebraska-Omaha at Miami                                 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 26 RPI at Colgate                                                 7 p.m.
Friday, Mar. 5 Michigan Tech at North Dakota                                 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Mar. 19 ECAC Semifinal #1                                         4 p.m.
Friday, Mar. 19 ECAC Semifinal #2                                         7 p.m.
Sunday, Mar. 21 ECAC Championship                                         11 a.m.*
*Tape Delay
**Sun Life Frozen Fenway Outdoors at Fenway Park

Even More Shopping for the Holidays

The NHL online store is a goldmine for unusual merchandise. Last night Wrap Around Curl found us that bizarre Philadelphia Flyers hat (which at first glance looked vaguely like pants), but there are also some other really peculiar items for sale:

For instance, you can buy an official Ottawa Senators third jersey featuring the name and number of assistant coach Luke Richardson, a man who retired 14 months ago after all of two games with the Senators in October 2008. That’s an entire month before the black thirds were ever worn.

Not sure what to get for that Phoenix Coyotes fan in your life? Try a floor mat featuring their name and Coyotes logo. The mat is described as being suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. That’s versatility.

And did you know can also order an official New Jersey Devils personalized CD with a whole 12 minutes of content that includes both the American and Canadian national anthems? Professional announcers will also call out your name over 30 times, making you the hero in a game seven Stanley Cup Finals showdown. I sure didn’t!

Happy shopping, hockey fans.

NHL Winter Classic Eve Special on VERSUS

I know, we’re horrible at vacations.  Wyshynski (who beat us to a pulp today) breaks what VERSUS is calling “NHL Winter Classic Eve Special”.  Catchy:

The details are being finalized, but Versus told us what’s on tap: The preview is a 90-minute special beginning at 11 p.m. EST and ending at 12:30 a.m. Hosts are Bill Patrick, Keith Jones and Brian Engblom, appearing at a remote studio inside Fenway Park. It’s going to feature Winter Classic content — video features, interviews, game previews for the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers — as well as recaps of the NHL season to date.

This is a great “get” for VERSUS.  With NHL Network’s practice coverage on the 31st, there’ll be no shortage of Winter Classic goodness on VERSUS.