Your Hockey Day in America Regional Map

Courtesy of The 506. Going to ask if we can post a JPEG of it here later, but for now enjoy it over there.

 

Hockey Day in America: How a Collaboration Between the NHL and NBC Hopes to Send “A Real Love Letter to Hockey Fans”

In almost every hockey movie that’s ever been made, you see a moment – in a flashback, or just to start off the motion picture – where there’s a young kid alone, on a frozen pond, simply skating in the atmosphere, developing his love for and skill at the game of hockey. It’s not necessarily like that though, especially in the United States. Often, the path to NHL superstardom for the American youngster is paved through 5AM practices on weekend mornings, parents driving kids sometimes miles away to get a chance to play and achieve their dream of playing professional hockey.

This is the sort of grassroots love and devotion that makes up the American hockey lover the NHL and NBC want to celebrate on it’s first annual Hockey Day in America, which will be launched on the network live from Chicago’s Milennium Park on Sunday at Noon ET, and carry through until the end up the Heritage Classic on VERSUS. NBC Sports/VERSUS Executive producer wants to take time out to, as he puts it “celebrate hockey and to make sure that all those parents who get up at five in the morning, get to understand that they’re part of an incredibly strong nation, a hockey nation.” Flood, a self-described “rink rat” who played the sport in college, knows how great the game is and wants to use this sort of devotion to drive “making it a bigger sport in this country and a bigger part of our society.”

Announcers and Open Thread For Canadiens-Oilers

Montreal vs. Edmonton, 9:00 PM ET, CBC (HD)
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporters: Cassie Campbell and Scott Oake

The Flyers Will Return to Madison Square Garden March 6th, and So Will NBC

NEW YORK (February 17, 2011) –The Sunday, March 6, Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers game has been flexed as NBC Sports’ “Game of the Week” and will be played at Madison Square Garden at 12:30 p.m. ET, the National Hockey League and NBC Sports announced today.

 

The Flyers (38-14-5) top the Eastern Conference by seven points and are on pace to post their best regular-season record since 1984-85. The club made a significant addition to their roster on Monday by acquiring forward Kris Versteeg from the Toronto Maple Leafs for first- and third-round picks at the 2011 Entry Draft. Versteeg was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks team that edged the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final last season. The Rangers (30-24-4) also are in the thick of the East playoff race, where every point is crucial — the six teams ranked fifth through 10th are separated by just nine points. New York currently is third in the Atlantic Division and seventh in the conference.

 

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING

 

 

At least 13 days prior to the scheduled game, one game is selected for broadcast on NBC. All NBC games will be broadcast on Sundays and all games will be presented in HD. Games not flexed to NBC will be available to the teams’ regional carriers and remain at the originally announced start time. The Mar. 6 match-up was first announced on the Thursday, Feb. 17, edition of “NHL Hour With Commissioner Gary Bettman” on NHL.com and SIRIUS XM Radio airing from 6-7 p.m. ET. All subsequent flexed games will be announced on NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman.

 

Upcoming 2011 NBC Game of the Week Regular-Season Flexible Schedule

 

Feb. 20 HOCKEY DAY IN AMERICA presented by McDonald’s 12 – 6 p.m. ET

 

Washington at Buffalo (regional)

Detroit at Minnesota (regional)

Philadelphia at NY Rangers (regional)

Pittsburgh at Chicago (national)

 

Mar. 6 PHILADELPHIA AT NY RANGERS 12:30 p.m. ET

 

Mar. 13 Chicago at Washington OR

Los Angeles at Dallas

 

Mar. 20 NY Rangers at Pittsburgh OR

New Jersey at Columbus

 

Apr. 3 NY Rangers at Philadelphia OR

Minnesota at Detroit OR

Tampa Bay at Chicago

 

Apr. 10 Boston at New Jersey OR

Pittsburgh at Atlanta OR

Detroit at Chicago OR

Dallas at Minnesota

 

 

Heritage Classic Part of Comcast’s New 24 Hour 3D Channel Launch

PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 17, 2011 – Comcast announced the launch of Xfinity 3D*, its new 24-hour, next-generation 3D channel, which will make its official debut with the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic and a MTV World Stage concert by the GRAMMY Award-winning rock band, Kings of Leon, in 3D on February 20. The channel will bring customers concerts from top-tier artists, sporting events, more than a dozen movies and original 3D programming. Comcast also announced that there have been more than one million 3D views On Demand since the Masters Golf Tournament in April 2010.

 

“Whether it is a concert, sporting event or movie, Xfinity 3D brings the best seats in the house right to customers’ living rooms,” said Marcien Jenckes, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Video Services for Comcast. “As the leader in 3D, we will continue to bring our customers the best 3D content available today.”

 

 

On February 20 at 6:00 p.m. ET, Comcast customers can watch the 2011Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, the much-anticipated outdoor match-up between the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, on Xfinity 3D. The 2011Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will be the second regular season outdoor game to be played in the 2010-11 NHL season. The 2011Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will also be available in 3D On Demand on February 21.

 

Immediately following the 2011Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at approximately 8:00 p.m. ET, customers will also have access to a MTV World StageKings of Leon concert from the O2 World in Hamburg, Germany on Xfinity 3D. The concert features the 2009 GRAMMY Award-winning group for “Record of the Year” performing their smash hit singles Sex On Fire, Use Somebody and Notion. Xfinity 3D will continue to bring customers concerts in 3D that feature top-performing bands and artists at world renowned music festivals and concert venues.

 

In addition, Xfinity 3D will bring customers movies documenting African safaris, haunted castles, the depths of the ocean, the surface of the sun, the age of dinosaurs and more, along with original programming that gives customers unique perspectives of events such as Chinese dragon dancing and rhythmic gymnastics.

 

The launch of Xfinity 3D is the latest in a series of 3D programming offered by Comcast. Last month, Comcast launched HBO 3D On Demand providing customers access to movies such as Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Monsters vs. Aliens and Coraline. Through a partnership with Augusta National Golf Club, Comcast also delivered the first live national next-generation 3D sporting event with the Masters Golf Tournament last year. Comcast has brought customers 3D programming around sporting events such as the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ semi-finals and finals, NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400, basketball’s Old Spice Classic and college football games along with hit movies including Bolt, Clash of the Titans, Despicable Me, Chicken Little, The Last Airbender and others.

 

What 12:30 Game You’ll See on Hockey Day in NHL Markets

Some of these are obvious, while others had to be searched up on Zap2It.com. We should get a full list of the entire country by Friday from NBC, but for now, if you live in or around an NHL city, here’s what’s likely. These are for the three 12:30 PM ET regional games (Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers, Detroit vs. Minnesota, Washington vs. Buffalo) to be broadcast on NBC on Hockey Day in America.  Overall, 14 of the 24 U.S. markets (if you separate Long Island and New Jersey from New York and Anaheim from Los Angeles) will receive the Flyers/Rangers game, while eight will see Red Wings/Wild and only Buffalo and Washington will see the Sabres/Capitals tilt. All is subject to change of course. Enjoy for now.

UPDATE: Until around 5PM ET, if you leave your zip code in the comments or tweet it to me (@stevelepore) I’ll search it in and see what game your getting. So feel free, even if you don’t live in an NHL city.

Anaheim/Los Angeles – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
Atlanta – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
Boston – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
Buffalo – Washington vs. Buffalo
Carolina – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
Chicago – Detroit vs. Minnesota
Colorado – Detroit vs. Minnesota
Columbus – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
Dallas – Detroit vs. Minnesota
Detroit – Detroit vs. Minnesota
Florida – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
Minnesota – Detroit vs. Minnesota
Nashville – Detroit vs. Minnesota
New York/New Jersey – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
Philadelphia – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
Phoenix – Detroit vs. Minnesota
Pittsburgh – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
San Jose – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
St. Louis – Detroit vs. Minnesota
Tampa Bay – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers
Washington – Washington vs. Buffalo

Canadian Teams Streaming Games Has Led Many Sports Fans to Give Up on Cable

A real interesting, thought-provoking piece (well, as thought-provoking as the state of cable television can be, I suppose) by Michael Oliveira of The Globe & Mail:

Plenty of sports fans would eagerly pay a few dollars a pop to stream live events a la carte and avoid an expensive TV plan they barely use. While that reality still doesn’t exist in a way that completely satisfies a diehard sports fan’s needs, new digital products are at least giving some fans a viable alternative to cable.

The Toronto Maple Leafs quietly released a new app last month that streams games on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The app, which costs $19.99, is good for the rest of the season but does not include games broadcast nationally on CBC or TSN because the team doesn’t have the rights to transmit those matches. It also only works in the Leafs’ broadcast region, which covers most of Ontario except the area the Ottawa Senators control.

It may come as a surprise to Leafs fans that for four years the team has also been offering online streams of games through its website. This season, a 10-game package costs $19.99 while a half-season package was $29.99. The same blackout rules apply, but CBC.ca streams its “Hockey Night in Canada” matches for free, so fans don’t have to miss out on too many games.

I’m no expert on how money would work with all this, but would you like to see all NHL teams begin to stream their games (for a fee, of course) in their home markets? Could it be the next step of the NHL’s involvement into the internet? I know in baseball, the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres have begun this practice as well, but the economics of hockey are obviously different. Very curious to hear some of the readers thoughts on this.

NHL To Use All It’s Platforms to Preview Heritage Classic

NEW YORK (February 16, 2011) – The puck will drop this weekend at the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™ at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. And NHL Network™, NHL.com and NHL Radio™ will have special programming in the days leading up to the much-anticipated outdoor match-up between the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames on Sunday, February 20.

 

The 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™ will be broadcast live in Canada on CBC and RDS while VERSUS will carry the telecast in the United States. Both CBC and VERSUS will also distribute the game to viewers in 3D.

 

NHL Network will have its team of Heidi Androl, Brian Duff and Jeremy Roenick on site in Calgary to help hockey fans celebrate the sport’s rich outdoor history and proud Canadian heritage throughout Family Day weekend with live broadcasts from the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™.

 

NHL Network’s coverage begins on Thursday night with On The Fly™ segments from McMahon Stadium. Androl will take a sneak peak at the ice conditions and get an update from NHL ice guru, Dan Craig. Coverage continues throughout the weekend on OTF’s daily show.

 

On Saturday and Sunday with a special feature at the top of each hour from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET, NHL Network will update viewers on all the activities from the NHL Heritage Classic with reports on weather conditions and team preparations from McMahon Stadium.

 

Also on Saturday, following Hockey Night in Canada’s Heritage Classic Countdown Saturday, NHL Network U.S. and Canada will air a special 30-minute show, NHL Network at the 2011 Heritage Classic™, beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET. The show will feature player interviews, outdoor game features and a look at the weekends fan activities and entertainment.

 

On game day, Sunday, Feb. 20, NHL Network U.S. will broadcast CBC’s Heritage Classic Countdown pre-game coverage from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET and throughout the day will be airing an outdoor game marathon, starting with the inaugural 2003 NHL Heritage Classic match-up between the Edmonton Oilers and Canadiens at 6 a.m. ET. That will be followed by the NHL Winter Classic® series of games from Buffalo in 2008, Chicago in 2009, Boston in 2010 and this year’s contest from Pittsburgh.

 

NHL.com will provide extensive coverage from Calgary with daily reporting by top writers and exclusive, behind-the-scenes features. The 2011 Tim Horton’s NHL Heritage Classic™ microsite, www.nhl.com/heritageclassic already is in full game-day mode and loaded with in-depth stories and video on the rich traditions of the Flames and Canadiens, the teams’ top stars, weather-related elements, a history of past outdoor games and much more. The rink construction webcam currently is being streamed live as McMahon Stadium comes to life for the weekend’s events. Fans visiting the microsite can also find a daily time lapse video along with day-by-day blogs on team preparations.

 

The Blackberry All Access Show – the NHL’s daily video newscast — will have Heritage Classic programming throughout the weekend. The show will feature special coverage from practice day, the Flames-Canadiens alumni game and all of the excitement and entertainment on 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™ game day.

 

NHL Live!™, the NHL’s daily radio show — broadcast live on Sirius XM Radio, streamed on NHL.com and simulcast on NHL Network — will have daily programming featuring Calgary and Montreal players, management, alumni and guests in the lead-up to Sunday’s NHL Heritage Classic game.

 

Calgary’s Fan 960, Montreal’s CJAD (English) and CKAC (French) and Sirius XM’s NHL® Home Ice® XM 204 and Sirius 208 (with Best of XM package in the US, only) will have all of the coverage of the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™ around North America.

 

Mobile applications on Andriod, Blackberry, Nokia and iPhone will provide users with all their NHL Heritage Classic content needs. NHL GameCenter’s complete roster of mobile applications will provide fans yet another way to connect to the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™. Spectators attending the game can take advantage of the fan guide to find their seats and get the relevant game day information while fans at home can check out all the latest in NHL news including access to the live webcam and daily time lapse videos, team rosters, photo galleries and wallpaper options. In addition to the above functions, iPad tablet users can also experience an online shopping feature that allows them to purchase all the latest NHL merchandise.

 

During the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™, NHL fans will be asked to follow @NHL#HeritageClassic, while tuning into the broadcast for their chance to win six (6) prizes throughout the game. Fans will follow @NHL and watch for questions related to the broadcast and the first fan to reply back with the correct answer will win the proposed prize.

 

NHL Network U.S. Programming Schedule

Wednesday, Feb. 16 2008 Winter Classic – Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo 6 p.m.

NHL On The Fly 8 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 17 Los Angeles Kings at New York Rangers 7 p.m.

NHL On The Fly 9:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 18 2009 Winter Classic – Detroit vs. Chicago 10 a.m.

2010 Winter Classic – Philadelphia vs. Boston 2 p.m.

Rod Brind’Amour Jersey Retirement Night 7 p.m.

Philadelphia Flyers at Carolina Hurricanes 8 p.m.

NHL On The Fly 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 19 HNIC: Heritage Classic – Countdown Saturday 5 p.m.

NHL Network at the 2011 Heritage Classic (U.S. & Canada) 6 p.m.

HNIC: Hockey Tonight 6:30 p.m.

HNIC: Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs 7 p.m.

HNIC: Post-Game Show 9:30 p.m.

NHL On The Fly 10 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 20 2003 Heritage Classic – Montreal vs. Edmonton 6 a.m.

2008 Winter Classic – Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo 8 a.m.

2009 Winter Classic – Detroit vs. Chicago 10 a.m.

Ivy & Ice: 2009 Winter Classic noon

2010 Winter Classic – Philadelphia vs. Boston 12:30 p.m.

2011 Winter Classic – Washington vs. Pittsburgh 2:30 p.m.

HNIC: Heritage Classic Countdown 5 p.m.

NHL On The Fly 8 p.m.

 

Flyers Hit 9-Year High on CSN

From Frank Sevaralli of the Philadelphia Daily News:

Last night’s Flyers win was most watched regular season game on CSN since Oct. 20, 2002 with 5.0 rtg (152k houses) at 10:15pm.

Here’s the full press release:

Last night’s Flyers shootout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Comcast SportsNet delivered a 3.7 household rating (112,000 HHs), making it the highest regular season Flyers game on Comcast SportsNet since October 22, 2002 vs. Buffalo. The game peaked at a 5.0 rating (152,000 HHs) at 10:15 p.m.

In February, the Flyers are averaging a 2.8 rating (85,000 HHs), a 27% increase over the season average of 2.2 rating (67,000 HHs) and a 40% increase over February 2010.

Fans also tuned into Flyers Pregame Live in record numbers with the program delivering a 1.5 rating (46,000 HHs), making it the highest rated regular season Flyers Pregame Live ever on Comcast SportsNet.

Flyers Postgame Live delivered a 1.6 rating (49,000 HHs), tying it for 10th highest rated Flyers Postgame Live this season.

Tonight’s coverage of Flyers game against the Florida Panthers begins at 7 p.m. with Flyers Pregame Live. The live game broadcast begins at 7:30 p.m. with Flyers Postgame Live immediately following the game.

 

Blackhawks to Stay on WGN

One of my pet peeves is teams moving their games to cable entirely, as having an occasional over-the-air carrier is good for exposure. The Blackhawks will be on WGN for the foreseeable future, according to Ed Sherman:

Tuesday morning, the team announced it has agreed to a five-year extension to have games aired on WGN-TV/Channel 9. The new deal goes through the 2015-16 season.

 

WGN airs 20 regular-season games.

 

Hooking up with WGN for the 2008-09 season was considered a coup for the Hawks at the time. It gave them greater visibility on a more mainstream outlet. It made a statement that if WGN was interested in their games, there must be something to the product.