Your Announcers and Open Thread For Day 36 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Vancouver vs. San Jose, Game 4, 3:00 p.m. ET

National TV (US): NBC
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Color: Brian Engblom
Inside the Glass: Darren Pang

National TV (Canada): CBC
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Scott Oake

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Day 35 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Boston vs. Tampa Bay, Game 4, 1:30 p.m. ET

National TV (US): NBC
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Joe Micheletti

National TV (Canada): TSN
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

Ratings For Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final

Thursday, May 19 

7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 207,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. Boston vs. Tampa Bay, Game 3 – 1,405,000 viewers
10:49 p.m. Hockey Central – 563,000 viewers

Top 10 Games in viewership of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Top 10 in Viewers For 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs on VERSUS

1. Boston vs. Philadelphia, Game 2 (5/2/11) – 1,699,000 viewers
2. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 5 (5/8/11) – 1,627,000 viewers
3. Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 2 (5/17/11) – 1,562,000 viewers
4. Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 1 (5/14/11) – 1,541,000 viewers
5. Boston vs. Tampa Bay, Game 3 (5/19/11) – 1,405,000 viewers
6. Tampa Bay vs. Washington, Game 2 (5/1/11) – 1,261,000 viewers
7. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 7 (5/12/11) – 1,251,000 viewers
8. Philadelphia vs. Boston, Game 3 (5/4/11) - 1,234,000 viewers
9. Vancouver vs. Chicago, Game 6 (4/24/11) – 1,157,000 viewers
10. Chicago vs. Vancouver, Game 7 (4/26/11) – 1,130,000 viewers

(Source: Son of the Bronx)  

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Night 34 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Vancouver vs. San Jose, Game 3, 9:00 p.m. ET

National TV (US): VERSUS
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Color: Brian Engblom
Inside the Glass: Darren Pang

National TV (Canada): CBC
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Elliotte Friedman

Full Ratings For Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday

Sunday, May 15

7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 150,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. San Jose vs. Vancouver, Game 1 – 1,009,000 viewers
10:47 p.m. Hockey Central – 279,000 viewers

Tuesday, May 17

7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 243,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 2 – 1,562,000 viewers
11:04 p.m. Hockey Central – 427,000 viewers

Wednesday, May 18

8:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 203,000 viewers
9:00 p.m. San Jose vs. Vancouver, Game 2 – 847,000 viewers
11:58 p.m. Hockey Central – 266,000 viewers

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Night 33 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Boston vs. Tampa Bay, Game 3, 8:00 p.m. ET

National TV (US): VERSUS
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Joe Micheletti

National TV (Canada): TSN
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Color: Pierre McGuire

Canucks-Sharks Game 2 Ratings Take a Dip

VERSUS’ coverage of the Western Conference Final was down last night from Game 1 and with the comparable date last year.

Game 2 coverage of the San Jose/Vancouver series drew just 847,000 viewers, as well as an 0.6 rating (with an 0.4 in the 18-49 demo) down 16% from Game 1′s total of 1 million, which aired on Saturday night in an earlier timeslot. It’s also down a whopping 44% from Game 2 of last year’s Western Conference Final between San Jose and Chicago, which drew 1.5 million viewers in a 10:00 p.m. ET timeslot.

So far, the Western Conference Final on VERSUS has drawn an average of 923,500 viewers through two broadcasts, much lower than the Eastern Conference Final’s average of 1.55 million. If Vancouver continues to dominate, the network’s final broadcast of the series could be tomorrow night in San Jose, at 9:00 p.m. ET.

BREAKING: Dick Ebersol to Resign From NBC Sports Group

This is a stunner, and a game-changer. Rich Sandomir of the NY Times in a series of tweets:

Dick Ebersol resigning from NBC Sports

Ebersol says he couldn’t come to agreement on new contract

Ebersol will not attend Olympic negotiations in June

More to come.

NHL Net Begins Memorial Cup Coverage on Saturday

NEW YORK (May 19, 2011) – For the fourth consecutive year, NHL

Network U.S. will showcase the best teams in Canadian major junior hockey

as they compete for a national championship title at the 2011 MasterCard

Memorial Cup tournament. NHL Network U.S will feature a combination of

live and tape delayed broadcasts throughout the 10 days of competition from

the tournament’s host city of Mississauga, Ontario.

Fans will have the opportunity to see the NHL’s future stars and 2011

draft picks as they take to the ice from May 19-29 at the Canadian Hockey

League’s pinnacle tournament. Those teams challenging for the 2011

MasterCard Memorial Cup include Western Hockey League (WHL) champion

Kootenay Ice, Ontario Hockey League (OHL) champion Owen Sound Attack and

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) champion Saint John Sea Dogs,

plus the host team Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (OHL).

NHL Wins Sports League of the Year at SBJ Awards

NEW YORK (May 18, 2011) – The National Hockey League was honored tonight as the Sports League of the Year by the SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily. The award was presented at a special ceremony held at the New York Marriott Marquis in Manhattan.

The NHL was recognized as part of the Sports Business Awards program, presented by Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, the two leading publications on the business of sports. The Sports Business Awards recognize excellence and outstanding achievement in the sports industry for 2010.

“In 2010, more people than ever found more reasons than ever — and more ways than ever — to connect with our great game and our outstanding athletes,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “On behalf of the teams, the League staff and all who contributed to the achievement, the National Hockey League is pleased to accept this acknowledgement of a memorable year.”