Greenburg to Bring Fans Closer to the Ice

If you haven’t read it yet, Wyshynski’s piece on Ross Greenburg is must read:

For the last two years, the most compelling television programs about the National Hockey League were being shown on a pay cable station that doesn’t air a single live hockey game.

HBO’s 2010 documentary “Broad Street Bullies” was a thorough and intuitive look at the history of the Philadelphia Flyers. Later that year, HBO presented “Penguins Capitals 24/7: The Road To The Winter Classic,” regarded as the series that changed how the NHL presents and sells its product through narrative television programs. (A second edition of “24/7″ begins in December.)

The architect for both projects was Ross Greenburg, the former president of HBO Sports who left that post in July. He’s won 51 Sports Emmy Awards, and also helped create “Hard Knocks” and “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel.”

This week, the League announced the creation of NHL Original Productions, a join effort with Ross Greenburg Productions. The significance of this partnership can’t be stressed enough: The best parts of “HBO 24/7″ are going to be sliced up and packaged as their own programs on NBC Sports Network, The NHL Network and other platforms.

Meanwhile, the greatest stories in hockey history — from the 1972 Summit Series to the careers of players like Bobby Orr — are going to be tackled by one of sports television’s most successful guiding hands for documentaries.

CBC To Take Hockey Clinics Across Canada

Parents, players and coaches involved in minor hockey are once again invited to be part of the ultimate hockey clinic experience with coaching greats and CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA personalities in partnership with Hyundai Auto Canada. Hyundai Hockey Nation will occur over weekends between November 2011 and January 2012 in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Participants can register online exclusively at www.cbcsports.ca/hockeynation.

Hyundai Hockey Nation features a series of fun and highly informative clinics, available free to players of all skill levels. The clinics will be run by one of Canada’s foremost hockey trainers, Ron Davidson, working with local minor hockey associations. Davidson, a member of Canada’s hockey team at the 1980 Olympic Games, is the author of Play Better Hockey, a book focused on skills development.

Joining Davidson at select clinics will be veteran NHL coach Pat Quinn, who was behind the bench for the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, L.A. Kings and Philadelphia Flyers over the course of his career. He coached Team Canada to Gold at the Salt Lake City Olympics, the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, the 2008 World Under-18 Championship and the 2009 World Junior Championship.

“Hyundai Hockey Nation is all about delivering a truly remarkable and valuable hockey experience,” said John Vernile, Vice President of Marketing at Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. “It’s not every day that children can learn valuable skills from some of the best professional hockey instructors in the world. The program also connects minor hockey coaches with a team of world-class professionals to learn how to develop the strategies and tactics to help kids play better, smarter and safer hockey.”

Hyundai Hockey Nation gets underway in Halifax on the weekend of November 18-20. Each camp starts on Friday night with a coaching symposium that will provide valuable insight for coaches ranging from practice planning and management to in-game strategy and execution. The focus shifts to the kids on Saturday and Sunday with interactive on- and off-ice clinics offering hands-on coaching instructions and drills for the registered players. Each event will be open to all community residents.

Hyundai Hockey Nation event schedule:

Date City Location

Nov 18-20 Halifax, NS BMO Centre

Nov. 25-27 Montreal, QC Centre Civique Dollard-des-Ormeaux

Dec. 9-11 Ottawa, ON Ray Friel Recreation Complex

Dec. 16-18 Toronto, ON Downsview Arena

Jan. 6-8 Winnipeg, MB Max Bell Arena

Jan. 13-15 Calgary, AB Acadia Recreation Centre

Jan. 20-22 Edmonton, AB Millwoods Recreation Centre

Jan. 27-29 Vancouver, BC South Surrey Arena

At Some Point, There Needs to Be a ‘Red Zone’ Type Channel For Big Hockey Nights

During my time at the Sports Business Journal’s Sports Media & Technology Conference in New York last week (more on that later in this week) I spoke to Marc Sokol, Executive Vice President of NeuLion, the company that has brought you the miracle of GameCenter Live (another thing I will get to later in the week). The most interesting thing I took away from our chat was that, when I posed to him what the “next big thing” might be for this sort of technology, he wasn’t really certain. One of the ideas he mentioned to me, however, was one that I’ve been pondering – and a few other folks I converse with fairly regularly have been thinking about – for quite some time: an NHL edition of the NFL Red Zone channel.

Now, I work at an NFL stadium that hosted a primetime game last night, so from around 5 p.m. ET on, they had the Red Zone channel on all of their big screen TVs. The thing basically redefines everything you thought watching football on television could be. Even if you have a rooting interest in one of the teams playing on Red Zone (which I did) you don’t necessarily feel like you’re missing anything essential. That said, it’s way better when you’re not following a team on a football Sunday. I’ve become way more interested in teams I used to not care about since the channel was invented. It’s a sugar-rush for the ADD generation, and loses everything that bores me about football.

So there’s got to be a way we can do this for hockey, right? Here are three separate proposals:

1. An actual ‘NHL Power Play’ Channel/app. A channel that simply cuts around to every NHL game each night when the game either hits a power play, the last few minutes of the period or game, cutting to highlights in between. No analysts, just a host to direct traffic from game to game. There is an obvious logical problem to making it happen: hockey doesn’t play enough games every night. Well, only do it on nights when there are seven games or more to make it feasible to have enough material for a long night of hockey. This may not be do-able as a television channel, but what about as an app for tablets and on the internet, as an addendum for NHL Game Center Live? You can buy it, stand-alone for say … $70, or get it for $20 if you buy GCL.

2. Do it only on Saturdays, on NHL Network. Give up the 7 p.m. ET Saturday night game on NHL Network, which doesn’t really do anything for anyone when it isn’t a Hockey Night in Canada game anyway. Use the formula I mentioned, and go from 7 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. ET with NHL Power Play, or just a Red Zone-ified NHL On the Fly. Promise no analysts or chatter until possibly the late games, just a host. You can still show Coach’s Corner and Satellite Hotstove during the intermissions, and even wrap-up with After Hours, the HNIC post-game. That way, NHL Network can still air games on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Saturday nights will be devoted to this, and possibly the last week of the season or on NHL Trade Deadline day.

3. Add it to NHL Center Ice. Center Ice currently has this awkward channel way down the dial where they’ll show four games at a time in little boxes (sort of like what you can do on Game Center Live). Replace this channel with Power Play. Hell, you don’t even need a host for it, just whip people around to the games, let them know where they’re going and why they’re going there (show the penalty or display it as a graphic) and let everyone enjoy the hockey.

I’m curious to see which, if any of these, you folks would be interested in. Please leave your opinion in the comments. For now, back to watching hockey the old way, with just two channels and one showing highlights of every game. We’re all so spoiled sometimes.

Your NHL National TV Schedule For the Week of November 14

Monday, November 14

Buffalo vs. Montreal, 7:00 p.m. ET, VERSUS
Play by Play: Kenny Albert
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

Tuesday, November 15

Colorado vs. Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. ET, VERSUS/TSN2
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Color: Brian Engblom
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

Wednesday, November 16

Carolina vs. Montreal, 7:00 p.m. ET, TSN
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Inside the Glass: Ray Ferraro

New Jersey vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. ET, VERSUS
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

Thursday, November 17

Pittsburgh vs. Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network (US)

Saturday, November 19

Philadelphia vs. Winnipeg, 3:00 p.m. ET, CBC
Play by Play: Dean Brown
Color: Greg Millen
Reporter: Mitch Peacock

Detroit vs. Los Angeles, 4:00 p.m. ET, NHL Network

Washington vs. Toronto, 7:00 p.m. ET, CBC (Airs nationally, except in Quebec)
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Andi Petrillo

NY Rangers vs. Montreal, 7:00 p.m. ET, CBC (Airs in Quebec)
Play by Play: Bob Cole
Color: Gary Galley
Reporter: Cassie Campbell

Chicago vs. Edmonton, 10:00 p.m. ET, CBC
Play by Play: Mark Lee
Color: Kevin Weekes
Reporter: Scott Oake

MSG, MSG Plus Must Be in HD on Verizon Within Two Weeks, Cablevision Appeal Dropped

The best news of the day via Multichannel:

The FCC has denied a request by Madison Square Garden and Cablevision to review a Media Bureau decision that it must make high-definition feeds of its MSG and MSG-Plus regional sports nets available to AT&T and Southern New England Telephone Company in Connecticut, and Verizon in the New York and Buffalo markets.

The commission affirmed that original order and refused a request to stay its effective date, though it found that “in order to provide sufficient time for compliance,” it would give them 15 days from the Nov. 10 order release date to provide the programming.

That came a day after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals denied Cablevision/MSG’s request that the court stay the FCC decisions.

Among other content, MSG and MSG Plus televise New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils National Hockey League games and the New York Knicks National Basketball Association games, should the pro hoops league end its lockout of its players.

The Media Bureau had initially said the feeds had to be provided by Nov. 14, while a deal had to be struck on reasonable terms and conditions by Oct. 22. They now have until Nov. 25 to make the feeds available.

BC-BU is on CBS Sports Net Sunday

CBS Sports Network’s college hockey coverage continues on Sunday, Nov. 13 (4:00 PM, ET) as *No. 16-ranked Boston University takes on No. 2-ranked Boston College. Play-by-play announcer Eric Frede and analyst Dave Starman call the game, with Shireen Saski reporting. The Network provides live pre-game coverage from Boston College’s Conte Forum to preview the night’s action and discuss college hockey news from around the country.

Throughout the season CBS Sports Network is airing a series examining the state of college hockey and the major issues facing the sport. This week’s topic of discussion is the relationship between the NCAA and NHL. The series features a candid roundtable discussion with influential college hockey figures, including Boston University coach Jack Parker, Denver coach George Gwozdecky, former Notre Dame coach and Toronto Maple Leafs Vice President of Hockey Operations Dave Poulin and Minnesota Athletic Director Joel Maturi. Adam Zucker hosts and is joined by Starman.

During the game, fans can join the conversation on Twitter using the hash tag #CBSHockey. This week’s Twitter Question of the Week is: Do NHL teams respect NCAA programs for their player development?

For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

Seven Subjects For Films NHL Original Productions Should Consider

So now that NHL Original Productions exist and we have at least one idea of what they will be doing (a documentary on the Summit Series debuting January 2nd) it got me (and much of Twitter) thinking about what could come after that. I figure that the league’s productions will stray from more controversial subjects (see below), but here are seven people and events that should be covered.

1. Eric Lindros

Lindros, to me, is the most dynamic subject you could possibly have for a film. I’d make a movie just about that afternoon in Nashville where Keith Jones saved his life (please read John Buccigross’ book Jonesy, Put Your Head Down and Skate for more) or just about when he refused to play for the Nordiques, or just about the 27 month period in which he suffered six concussions. 27 months! Bill Simmons spoke at the Sports Media and Technology conference this week, and mentioned he wanted to do a follow-up to 30 in 30. Well, if the NHL passes up on this idea, I hope Simmons picks this up as the “token hockey film”. Could be a fantastic look into an at times very successful, and at times seemingly tragic life in hockey.

2. The Avs-Wings Rivalry

I am a big fan of Adrian Dater’s book Blood Feud, which takes readers deep inside the Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry of the late 90′s/early 00′s. However, the Red Wings/Avs rivalry has a lot of images that a book simply cannot convey. Draper’s bloody face, the highlights of the 7-0 drubbing in Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Final, the showdown at the Joe and Lemieux’s turtle. Dater did a great job of getting candid opinions out of the participants in that rivalry, but if they’re willing to do the same on television, there’s definitely room for a film. Hell, Adrian if you’re reading (and I know he isn’t), pitch it right now as a filmed adaptation of your book. Has there ever been a documentary that was “adapted” from a book? Probably not. Though I’d take a live reading by all the interviewees set to highlights from those great games.

3. Mario Lemieux

Another “fish in a barrel” subject. Remember that shoddy OLN documentary that used to air all the time before and after hockey games on Mario? While that had good intentions, a film that captures the magic of Mario would certainly be welcomed.

4. Glow Pucks

Look, this is probably only because of the website I run, but I think a film that showed off the making, public opinion and eventual demise of FoxTrax would be pretty great. Aside: I met a couple of the men who were behind that system a couple days ago. Hopefully you’ll see the fruits of that meeting sometime soon.

5. World Cup ’96

The reason an American-produced documentary about the Summit Series and not, say, the Miracle on Ice makes sense is because there have been so few originating from this country, if any. In comparison, there have been numerous documentaries and fictionalized accounts of the Miracle on Ice. So why not do one on the next great American international team, the 1996 World Cup of Hockey squad. Longtime readers will know well my fascination with that tournament, and that’s because there was never anything like it again, at least up until now. The Americans having to win two straight in Canada on home ice to take home the Cup is worth revisiting.

6. Slap Shot/Hockey Movies

Gary Bettman has long exiled the Hanson Brothers and the film Slap Shot to the fringes of hockey fandom for so many years, but it is time to embrace that movie. There have been quite a few books released about the films in recent years, so why not get the Hansons and the rest of those still alive involved with the film down for a chat. Maybe a town hall in New York City. Since Greenburg is working on Bob Costas’ revived town halls, why not do one of those around the Stanley Cup Final? So many hockey fans have such a reverence for that movie that is borderline fanatical, it’d be a shame if we didn’t do something special with those actors while they are still around.

7. Theo Fleury

Of all the ideas, this is probably the most far-fetched due to it’s potentially troubling nature (it seems more of an HBO idea). With the Penn State scandal still ringing through the public’s consciousness, Fleury has appeared a few times on television to discuss his own experience (he already has a book) and speak out for those who have suffered similar atrocities at the hands of trusted adults. Anyway, the time could be right to do a film about Fleury’s experiences and use it to speak out against these monsters who, sadly, occasionally populate youth sports. As with a couple other of these ideas, they might fit better on HBO or 30 for 30, but I think at least a few are worth exploring by this new NHL department.

Flyers/Sabres is the Most-Watched November NHL Game Ever on VERSUS

Putting two buzzworthy hockey markets together last Wednesday night (and not having any blackouts to deal with) drew record-setting numbers for VERSUS.

The network’s broadcast of Flyers/Sabres drew 558,000 viewers to the network that night, marking the highest-rated November NHL game in VERSUS history. There was no comparable game last year, but the most-watched November game last season drew 390,000 viewers (STL/CHI, 11/30/10).

6:00 NBC Sports Talk 37,000
7:00 NHL Live 109,000
7:30 Philadelphia vs. Buffalo 558,000
10:09 NHL Live 216,000
10:30 NHL Overtime 90,000

VERSUS Numbers Through October 30th

October 6
7:00 Boston vs. Philadelphia – 874,000
10:00 Pittsburgh vs. Vancouver – 342,000

October 7
1:00 NY Rangers vs. Los Angeles – 101,000

October 8
1:00 NY Rangers vs. Anaheim – 124,000

October 10
7:00 Tampa Bay vs. Washington – 162,000

October 11
7:30 Florida vs. Pittsburgh – 216,000

October 12
7:30 Boston vs. Carolina – 312,000

October 17
7:30 Colorado vs. Toronto – 218,000

October 18
7:30 Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota – 286,000

October 25
7:30 Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo – 338,000

October 31
7:00 San Jose vs. NY Rangers – 169,000

November 1
7:30 Anaheim vs. Washington – 258,000

November 2
7:30 Philadelphia vs. Buffalo – 558,000

NBC Announces Full Details of Greenburg Partnership, Summit Series Doc

NEW YORK – November 10, 2011 – Fifty one-time Emmy Award-winning producer Ross Greenburg, one of sports-television’s preeminent storytellers, has been retained by the NBC Sports Group to produce sports documentaries for the new NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel and NBC. Greenburg, who founded Ross Greenburg Productions earlier this year after a 33-year career at HBO, will also reunite with Bob Costas to produce the previously announced Costas Tonight, a new monthly interview program and live Town Hall series. Greenburg and Costas previously collaborated at HBO to produce the critically acclaimed and award-winning programs On the Record and CostasNOW.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the NBC Sports Group family, and to develop compelling and entertaining programming with this great team of programmers and production personnel led by my friend and former colleague Mark Lazarus,” said Greenburg. “I am also very excited to be reunited with Bob Costas, and to showcase his extraordinary skills as a broadcaster and journalist.”

Greenburg’s first documentary for the NBC Sports Group, Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72, will have a prominent role in the launch of the NBC Sports Network as it debuts at 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, the same day the channel is being re-branded from VERSUS. The documentary focuses on the hockey series played in 1972 between a team of Canadian NHL all-stars and the Soviet Union national team during the height of the Cold War.

“Ross is a master storyteller and a perfect fit to produce high-quality, relevant programming for all of our platforms, particularly NBC Sports Network and Golf Channel,” said Lazarus. “His award-winning collaborative relationship with Bob made the decision to retain Ross to oversee production of Costas Tonight a natural.”

“We are excited and fortunate to add someone of Ross’ caliber to our production team,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “His record speaks for itself as a producer of the highest quality content. Adding him to our group is invaluable.”

“Storytelling is a signature of NBC Sports and viewers came to expect a similar brand of quality storytelling under Ross’ leadership at HBO Sports,” said Mike McCarley, President, Golf Channel. “The game of golf is filled with dramatic stories and we’re excited about the projects we have in development with Ross that will bring his unique storytelling skills to Golf Channel.”

Announced yesterday, Costas Tonight is a monthly series featuring Costas, one of America’s preeminent interviewers, conducting in-depth, revealing interviews with leading newsmakers in sports and entertainment. It will debut on Thursday nights in spring 2012 on the NBC Sports Network.

With NBC airing Super Bowl XLVI, the first episode in the Costas Tonight: Live from… town hall series will feature some of the NFL’s biggest stars and newsmakers focusing on the state of the NFL, plus a preview of Super Bowl XLVI and the storylines from the NFL season. Costas Tonight: Live from the Super Bowl will air on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012.

NHL, Greenburg Team Up For NHL Films

If you follow me on Twitter, it’s no secret: I’m very excited about this. Wyshynski reports that the first project for the new company will be a documentary on the ’72 Summit Series. This sounds like it’ll be fantastic:

NEW YORK (Nov. 10, 2011) – The National Hockey League today announced the creation of NHL ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS, an initiative that will join forces with renowned executive producer Ross Greenburg, through Ross Greenburg Productions.

Greenburg, who has won 51 Sports Emmy awards for his pioneering work at HBO over three decades, will work with the NHL’s Content Group on NHL Original Productions initiatives.

NHL Original Productions will create original, long- and short-form hockey programming for NBC Sports and the League’s media assets, beginning later this season. The new venture reflects the partnership forged between the League and NBC over the past six years and reaffirmed by the 10-year media rights deal signed in April, 2011. The launch of NHL Original Productions is the latest collaboration between the NHL and Greenburg – an alliance that produced two critically-acclaimed programs on HBO: Broad Street Bullies and the Emmy Award-winning 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic.

NHL Original Productions also will develop original content for use by the League’s media platforms (NHL Network and NHL.com) as well as national and regional rightsholders.

“Extending our programming and production capabilities through this relationship with Ross Greenburg will allow us to do more story-telling, bring fans further inside the game and promote our players through compelling content that our avid fans crave and new fans will embrace,” NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins said. “As we continue to grow our business, NHL Original Productions will enable our Content Group, headed by Executive Vice President Charles Coplin, and our Clubs and rightsholders to benefit from Ross’s unparalleled talent and experience to present our sport in new ways.”

Among the projects on the drawing board for NHL Original Productions in 2011-12 are “Day in the Life” player documentaries revealing the regimens and personalities of NHL players appearing in NHL on NBC games. Plans also are being developed for documentaries and features to coincide with the lead up to the NHL’s Centennial Celebration in 2017. Greenburg also will work with independent producers and filmmakers to produce hockey films and other documentaries and reality-based series focused on the sport.

“Though I’ve long been a fan of the game, my passion for hockey — particularly the way it is played at its highest level in the NHL — was intensified by working on the Broad Street Bullies and 24/7 projects,” Greenburg said. “Hockey players compete in a sport that requires an unmatched combination of world-class skill and relentless toughness, all the while remaining the most approachable and genuine of professional athletes. I am thrilled to be able to tell their stories in exciting and innovative ways and delighted that I’ll be working so closely with the NHL for years to come.”

In his 33 years at HBO – beginning as a production assistant, as an award-winning executive producer and, for the last 11 years, as the president of HBO Sports – Greenburg was instrumental in the creation of several of the network’s signature shows and series. Those included the sports magazine series Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, the NFL training camp reality series Hard Knocks, and the 24/7 franchise which provides all-access build-ups to boxing matches and the NHL Winter Classic. The last project Greenburg supervised before leaving HBO in July was a documentary on New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter’s pursuit of 3,000 hits.