Hockey Media News, Cutting Through the Nonsense
October 11, 2011 4 Comments
NEW YORK — October 11, 2011 — VERSUS will air a special inside look at the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins tomorrow night from 6:30-7 p.m. ET, during the second half of the network’s new studio show, NBC SportsTalk, which airs weeknights from 6-7 p.m. ET. NHL Live will air immediately after the Bruins special at 7 p.m. ET, followed by VERSUS’ first exclusive Wednesday night Game of the Week when the Bruins face the Carolina Hurricanes live from Raleigh, N.C., at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The half-hour special will feature behind-the-scenes access for the Bruins’ triumphant return to TD Garden on Thursday, October 6, for the banner raising and championship ring ceremonies as well as the team’s three-day journey leading into opening night as the Bruins prepare to defend the Stanley Cup this season.
The show will focus on Boston’s history as one of America’s most fervent hockey towns and will highlight how the Bruins used hard work and determination to overcome many obstacles on their way to winning the city’s first Stanley Cup in 39 years. It will also draw parallels with Bobby Orr’s two championships in the 1970s and the city’s passion for the sport that was rejuvenated by the 2011 championship team. The special also features exclusive interviews with the player that emerged as the heart and soul of the team last season, goaltender Tim Thomas, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy for Most Valuable Player in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thomas’ career will be followed from the University of Vermont, to playing in the minors and around Europe, to finally becoming an elite goalie in the NHL.
Forward Shawn Thornton and Head Coach Claude Julien were wired for sound during the Bruins practices leading up to opening night and will be featured in the show along with one of the Bruin’s youngest talents, Brad Marchand. Additional vignettes will include the team’s summer with the Cup as well as interviews from other Bruins players and local fans.
NBC SportsTalk, hosted by Russ Thaler, will begin at 6 p.m. ET and break down all the topics that are dominating the sports world. It will enlist talent from all NBC Sports Group platforms to join Thaler, including commentators and reporters from NBC Sports, NBCSports.com, VERSUS, Golf Channel and NBC Sports Group’s 11 regional sports networks. On select Wednesday nights throughout the NHL season, the second half of the show will be dedicated solely to hockey.
October 10, 2011 2 Comments
Monday, October 10
Tampa Bay vs. Washington, 7:00 p.m. ET, VERSUS/TSN2
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire
Tuesday, October 11
Florida vs. Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. ET, VERSUS, TSN2
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Inside the Glass: Brian Engblom
Minnesota vs. Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Inside the Glass: Mike Johnson
Wednesday, October 12
Boston vs. Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET, VERSUS/TSN2
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire
Vancouver vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN
Play by Play: Chris Cuthbert
Inside the Glass: Ray Ferraro
Thursday, October 13
Washington vs. Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m. ET, NHL Network (US)
Winnipeg vs. Chicago, 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Inside the Glass: Ray Ferraro
Friday, October 14
Carolina vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network (Canada)
San Jose vs. Anaheim, 10:00 p.m. ET, NHL Network (Canada)
Saturday, October 15
Calgary vs. Toronto, 7:00 p.m. ET, CBC (Alberta, Atlantic, Ontario)
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: David Amber
Colorado vs. Montreal, 7:00 p.m. ET, CBC (Quebec)
Play by Play: Bob Cole
Color: Gary Galley
Reporter: Cassie Campbell
Ottawa vs. Washington, 7:00 p.m. ET, CBC (Ottawa)
Play by Play: Dean Brown
Color: Greg Millen
Reporter: Bruce Rainnie
Winnipeg vs. Phoenix, 7:00 p.m. ET, CBC (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwestern Ontario)
Play by Play: Rick Ball
Color: Kevin Weekes
Reporter: Mitch Peacock
Boston vs. Chicago, 8:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network (US)
Vancouver vs. Edmonton, 10:00 p.m. ET, CBC
Play by Play: Mark Lee
Color: Daryl Reaugh
Reporter: Scott Oake
Sunday, October 16
St. Louis vs. Anaheim, 8:00 p.m. ET, NHL Network (Canada)
October 10, 2011 Leave a Comment
Puck the Media’s bi-weekly feature, Random Cities, takes you inside the world of broadcasting from an angle you might not have seen before. We take each personality through various cities that have impacted their life and/or career, and let them elaborate with stories and memories about each. Enjoy.
This Week’s Subject: The legendary Bob Miller, who has been the play-by-play voice of the Los Angeles Kings (currently on FS West) since 1973. He is a recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, and is the only man associated with hockey to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
City #1: Nashville, Tennessee
Bob Miller: I like country music. I play guitar, but not real well, so Nashville is one of my favorite NHL cities. We stay downtown, so the country music honky-tonks are just a block away. I especially like it when we are in Nashville a day before we play. I visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry and at night go to the various music places.One of the most famous is Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, located right behind the world famous Ryman Auditorium, the home of the Grand Ole Opry. The story goes that in the heyday of the “Opry” the various performers would go to Tootsie’s, and play a few songs until they had to be on stage at the Opry. They would then go out the back door of Tootsie”s and on stage at the Ryman.One day I was in Tootsie’s, having a cranberry juice by the way, when the performer on stage asked if anyone would like to come on stage and sing. I was tempted but chickened out. It would have been my chance at glory in Nashville.One night, my former partner on the telecasts on L.A., Pete Weber, now the voice of the Nashville Predators, and his wife Claudia got us backstage at the Opry while the show was in progress. It was a thrill to see behind the scenes and meet the performers personally.I’m happy that Nashville is in the NHL.
City #2: London, England
BM: In the 2007-08 season the Kings opened with regular season games in London, England. We played the Anaheim Ducks in two games at the beautiful O2 Arena located on the shores of the Thames River. Our hotel was also right on the river at Canary Wharf and due to the traffic congestion in London it was faster to take sightseeing boats to the Arena. It was the first time in Kings history that the team went to games in boats.
It was thrilling to see 18,000 fans at the games in London wearing not only NHL jerseys of their favorite teams but also the jerseys of numerous European hockey teams. The oddity was that the Kings and Ducks travelled some 5,000 miles to play each other when they are located only 30 miles apart in Southern California.
City #3: Montreal, Quebec
BM: The most exciting finish to a Kings season was in 1993. The Kings did not have a great regular season, finishing third in the Smythe Division with 39 wins and 88 points. But, the playoffs were a different story. Led by the hot goaltending of Kelly Hrudey, the Kings, in spite of opening every playoff series on the road, advanced to the Stanley Cup finals. The Kings beat Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto to earn the right to play Montreal for the Stanley Cup.
I went to the media headquarters at a Montreal hotel to get my press credentials. While in the elevator returning to the lobby, a woman asked me, “What is the Stanley Cup?” I couldn’t believe my ears, getting that question in Montreal of all places. I began looking for Alan Funt because I thought I was on Candid Camera. She explained that she was from the United Kingdom so I told her the Stanley Cup was like the World Cup in soccer. As the elevator doors opened there was the Stanley Cup on display in the lobby so she got a first hand look.
Unfortunately after winning game one, the Kings lost four straight, three in overtime, and Montreal won the cup 4 games to one.
City #4: Anaheim, California
BM: I guess I would be the answer to the trivia question, “Who was the first voice of the Mighty Ducks?” I have never worked for the NHL Ducks but I was the play by play announcer in the Disney movies Mighty Ducks and D2: The Mighty Ducks.
The first film I simply did the play by play voice which we recorded at the same Disney studio where they recorded Alice in Wonderland. In Mighty Ducks 2 I had a scene on camera, and I don’t think I would enjoy being a movie actor. Too much time is spent waiting to do your scene.
I was told to be at the arena in Anaheim, which is 70 miles from my house, at 10 a.m. Just before I left my house at 8 a.m. they called an said to be there at noon. I arrived at noon to do my 30 second scene but we didn’t film it until 7:30 that night.
The funny part of being in those films was that during the NHL season several players in the league said to me, “You’re on in my house every day”. Their kids would watch those movies every day of the week.
City #5: Los Angeles, California
BM: In spite of popular belief the Kings have had numerous exciting moments since coming into the NHL in 1967.
In the 1982 playoffs, the Kings staged what is still the greatest single game comeback in Stanley Cup Playoff history. It took place on April 10, 1982. The Kings and heavily favored Edmonton Oilers were tied at one game apiece in their best of five opening round. That night the Oilers had a 5-0 lead at the end of two periods. In the third period the Kings scored 5 unanswered goals, the last one with 0:05 seconds left to tie the game and sent it into overtime. The Forum in L.A. was in a frenzy. Two and a half minutes into overtime rookie Doug Smith won a faceoff in the Oilers zone and another rookie Daryl Evans sent a laser shot over the right shoulder of goalie Grant Fuhr and the Kings won 6-5.
That game has lived on in Kings history as the “Miracle on Manchester” named after the street that ran past the Forum. The most exciting moment for Kings fans, off the ice, was on August 9, 1988 when the Kings acquired Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers in a trade that shocked the sports world. Kings fans snapped up 4,000 season tickets in a few days and the team became the highest profile team in the NHL.
On October 15, 1989 Gretzky became the greatest scorer in NHL history passing Gordie Howe with his 1,851st point. I was fortunate enough to call the play by play of that historic moment and capped the call of his record setting point by saying, “The Great One has become the greatest of them all, the all time leading scorer in the history of the National Hockey League.”
The second historic night came in Los Angeles on March 23, 1994 when Gretzky became the greatest goal scorer in NHL history with his 802nd goal, again passing Gordie Howe. I capped that call by saying, “Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record book is now complete, he’s the all time leader in points, assists and now with his 802nd goal the all time leading goal scorer in the history of the National Hockey League.”
Another thrilling moment for Kings fans was in the spring of 1993 when the Kings played Montreal in the Stanley Cup Finals. After the first two games in Montreal, which the teams split, the series shifted to the Forum in Los Angeles. The night of June 5, 1993 was a night Kings fans had been waiting for a long time. I remember seeing fans below our TV booth toasting each other with champagne as the Stanley Cup was paraded out to center ice. It was a sight some Kings fans thought they would never see. Unfortunately the fans never got to see it on the ice again as Montreal won the series four games to one.
(Special thanks to Rudy Kelly from Battle of California for his help)
October 7, 2011 3 Comments
October 7, 2011 – Canadians everywhere tuned into CBC’s Thursday night hockey coverage of MolsonCanadian NHL FACE-OFF, as the season opener for CBC’s HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA attracted strong audiences from start to finish.
Ratings data from the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement (BBM) show that an average audience of 929,000 viewers 2+ got into the night with the pre-game show, a 66 percent increase over last year.
Then, 1.935 million Canadians watched the classic Game 1 match-up between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs – beating last year’s opening-game mark of 1.923 million.
Afterwards, coverage of Game 2 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and 2011 Stanley Cup contenders the Vancouver Canucks drew a 2+ audience of 989,000, nearly matching last year’s opening-night Game 2 mark – and a sure indicator that the excitement over the 2011-2012 season of CBC’s HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA has only just begun.
(Source: BBM Canada, Total Canada, Preliminary Overnights, Ind.2+, 2011)
* Based on metered television audience data only
October 7, 2011 3 Comments
From NBC Sports:
Game 1 of NHL Opening Night on VERSUS between Philadelphia and Boston last night averaged 874,000 viewers and was the most watched regular season game ever on the network, beating the Pittsburgh/Philadelphia game on 12/14/11 (750,000). This was also VERSUS’ most watched regular season game ever among M18-49 and M25-54.
· The game was up 20% from last year’s Opening Night game between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh (730,000).
· This was the second most watched Opening Night game on cable on record, behind ESPN’s 2001/02 season opener (Colorado/Pittsburgh on 10/09/02; 927,000 viewers)
October 7, 2011 9 Comments
For all intents and purposes, the NHL on VERSUS is dead.
Oh sure, that cursory VERSUS logo that you see at the top of the post is on the top left-hand corner of the scoreboard graphic, and the studio color scheme remains largely VERSUS’ red and black, and the channel is still called VERSUS on your channel listing, but that is beside the point. The NHL on VERSUS no longer exists. The folks at NBC Sports Group – whom run both NBC and VERSUS – would like you to believe you are watching The NHL on NBC on VERSUS, kind of like how you’re always watch ESPN on ABC, but in reverse.
The NHL on VERSUS used 100% NHL on NBC graphics, aside from the VERSUS logo appearing once in a while. There were even promos for the new NBC dramas Prime Suspect (which was awkwardly airing at the same time, Thursday at 10 p.m. ET, as the games that were promoting it) and Grimm on the boards. It was the NBC innovation of Inside the Glass, which had never been used when VERSUS was separate from the NBC Sports Group. The name NBC Sports Network won’t be official until January 2nd, but we all pretty much know what it’ll look like when it does.
Which isn’t a problem, because if the opening night doubleheader is to be believed, The NHL on VERSUS is probably the best it has ever been, as we enter the NHL’s seventh season with the network, throughout multiple names and graphic changes. Everything is much more professional, graphics are cleaner and tighter, and the presentation just feels a little bit grander, as if the network has found a way to try and present these games as more important. NBC was aces on Thursday night, letting everyone know that the change (from VERSUS to NBCSN) will be for the better.
Let’s start off in the studio: people may not like Mike Milbury, but there isn’t the forced, nonsensical banter between Mad Mike and Keith Jones that there was between Jones and Brian Engblom, who has found a much more useful slot inside the glass (more on that later). Liam McHugh, who pretty much hosts everything on VERSUS (between the NHL and college football, McHugh will log about 17 hours of studio time with the network this week), is solid and dependable and showing off why VERSUS has him hosting pretty much everything. He and Milbury and Jones keep it very light and business-like. You know, there’s room for opinion, but it’s just hockey and we’re just passing your time between games, it isn’t life and death. It is a difficult vibe to explain, but I enjoyed it.
The less said about the actual content of the Bruins gaudy overkill of a banner-raising, the better, but VERSUS did a solid job of getting that across to viewers in all of it’s unholy ridiculousness. Banner ceremonies can be troublesome for national networks because it isn’t necessarily interesting to non-homer fans, and especially not to the road fans, but VERSUS stuck to their guns and did essentially a public service for Bostoners, who likely needed it to bust them from their Red Sox-induced stupor. The presentation of the anthems seemed to be something VERSUS was championing that they were going to air, and I think that it is something that hockey fans enjoy before big events. Honestly, though, we can just skip it when we’re in mid-January.
The broadcast teams are a little bit of everything. I still think that either Eddie Olczyk or Pierre McGuire should be cut out of that three-man booth during the regular season, perhaps reuniting them for the playoffs (Something VERSUS will do on Monday nights, more likely due to Eddie Olczyk’s Chicago Blackhawks commitments than anything else). It just sounds like too many cooks in the kitchen at times. Olczyk and McGuire are both solid, despite the ire they seem to draw from viewers. However, you already have Mike Emrick, who is extremely verbose, calling the games, so it’d simply give the broadcast more room to breathe just going with a one-up, one-down or a two-man booth.
Take, for example, Dave Strader and Brian Engblom’s call of the late game in Vancouver between the Penguins and Canucks. Neither man had to speak quickly to get their opinion in, and overall the telecast felt a little easier going. This is not a critique of any of the broadcasters working either game, just of the different formats they were forced into.
Overall, I felt NBC did a great job in demonstrating their commitment to hockey. From the fantastic, heavy metal-set opening in the studio, to the fact that the network was actually buying advertising to promote it’s new fall programs on the sideboards (how did no network think to do this before?). Plus, you had NBC Sports Talk, which has a likable host in Russ Thaler but hasn’t quite found a groove yet, previewing everything a half-hour before. I’d bet hockey fans will start to feel more and more like they can turn to VERSUS for that show if they promise to talk hockey, rather than being frustrated by SportsCenter or a regional sports network. Opening night showed off how far VERSUS has come under the NBC Sports Group umbrella, and it appears to be a long way, indeed.
October 6, 2011 2 Comments
NOTE: I searched exhaustively for the numbers from 2007 and just could not find them. If anybody can, please shoot me an e-mail or a comment. Thank you.
Past NHL Opening Night Viewership
2010 (VERSUS)
7:00 Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh – 730,000 viewers
10:00 Chicago vs. Colorado – 430,000 viewers
2009 (VERSUS)
7:00 Washington vs. Boston – 501,000 viewers
10:00 San Jose vs. Colorado – 330,000 viewers
2008 (VERSUS)
7:00 Toronto vs. Detroit – 573,000 viewers
10:00 Boston vs. Colorado – 361,000 viewers
2007 (VERSUS)
7:00 Anaheim vs. Detroit – 421,000 viewers
10:00 Dallas vs. Colorado – 289,000 viewers
2006 (VERSUS)
7:00 Buffalo vs. Carolina – 337,000 viewers
10:00 Dallas vs. Colorado – 301,000 viewers
2005 (OLN)
7:30 NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia – 353,000 viewers
2003 (ESPN)
8:00 New Jersey vs. Boston OR Chicago vs. Minnesota OR Anaheim vs. Dallas – 476,000 viewers
(Sources: 2004, 2005/2006, 2007, 2008, 2009-2011 from PTM archives)
October 6, 2011 2 Comments
October 6, 2011 – The Jets are back! As part of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada’s action-packed opening weekend, FUELLED BY PASSION: THE RETURN OF THE JETS tells the incredible story of the devastating loss and against-all-odds return of the Winnipeg Jets. It airs on CBC Television, Friday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT), and again on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 3 p.m. ET.
In 1996, the Winnipeg Jets played their final game in the Winnipeg Arena. To the shock and disappointment of Winnipeggers and fans across the NHL, the team was sold to Phoenix and became the Coyotes. Despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, an indefatigable team of people led by long-time believer Mark Chipman worked for 15 years to get the NHL back to Winnipeg—arguably the biggest comeback in NHL history.
The documentary contains many poignant interviews and conversations, including Barry Shenkarow (former owner of the Winnipeg Jets) on receiving death threats; NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sharing a wager with Chipman on the future of the team; and a rare interview with current co-owner David Thomson.
FUELLED BY PASSION: THE RETURN OF THE JETS follows the players through rookie camp on to training camp, and then as they start to gel as a team as the regular season fast approaches. Featuring interviews with head coach Claude Noel and executive V.P. and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, the film gives new insight into how they make the tough choices to select who stays, and who goes. Featured player interviews include Jets captain Andrew Ladd, NHL veterans Eric Fehr and Chris Mason, along with new hopefuls: Winnipeg’s own Derek Meech and newcomer Mark Scheifele, whose explosive pre-season play allowed the 18-year-old to follow the path of his Barrie Colts coach and mentor, Dale Hawerchuk. We’ll also find out how former Jets great Hawerchuk was instrumental in leading his protégé to Winnipeg.
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA
Oct. 6 – 9, 2011
Thursday, Oct. 6:
6:30 p.m. ET – Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off
7 p.m. ET – Montreal at Toronto
10 p.m. ET – Pittsburgh at Vancouver
Friday, Oct. 7:
8 p.m. (8:30 NT) – Fuelled by Passion – The Return of the Jets
Saturday, Oct. 8:
5 p.m. ET – HNIC Game Day
6:30 p.m. ET – Scotiabank Hockey Tonight
7 p.m. ET – Ottawa at Toronto
10 p.m. ET – Pittsburgh at Calgary
Sunday, Oct. 9:
3 p.m. ET – Fuelled by Passion – The Return of the Jets
4 p.m. ET – Scotiabank Hockey Tonight
5 p.m. ET – Montreal at Winnipeg
Your Responses