NHL Network to Air College Hockey

I love watching some college puck, particularly around the NCAA Tourney.  So it’s great to see that, in addition to ESPNU and CBS College Sports, NHL Network will be airing both regular season and Conference Tournament college hockey from the ECAC, CCHA and WCHA.  The NHL Net will air the ECAC Tournament as well.  It all starts tonight with a big-name matchup between Wisconsin and North Dakota.

Schedule after the jump.

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VERSUS Continues to Make Me Nuts, Starts Airing NBA Series

Once in awhile, folks, I will take a look at VERSUS.com for the network’s monthly schedule.  It’s an easy way to keep myself updated on the goings-on at the channel (I found out about Sports Soup pretty early on compared to others) and once in a blue moon, you find the excitement of the channel planning a new hockey special.

But well, sometimes you get things like this:  Tonight, and every Wednesday at 7:00 PM, VERSUS will air a series called “NBA Action”.  According to NBA.com, the series “delivers highlights and news from around the league, including a recap of the past week’s on-court action and statistics.”

What in the name of Eddie Shore is this crap?  VERSUS can’t devote a half an hour a week to rebroadcast the NHL Productions-made “Cool Shots” here in the states, but it’s just fine and dandy for them to air a series that promotes a league that VERSUS doesn’t even have the broadcast rights to?  Where does that make sense.  Show me where!

It probably makes as much sense as not airing a hockey game next Tuesday so they can rebroadcast “Wildcats” for a 70th time.  Sometimes, VERSUS, you make it very hard for me to defend you.

The NHL Network is Officially On Verizon: Yay!

Finally, the cable company that sponsors the NHL and VERSUS’ intermission reports is actually showing the NHL Network and NHL Center Ice.  The latter has already shown up on Verizon systems nationwide, and the NHL Network should be launching on Verizon “in the coming days” according to a Multichannel report.  

Check out all the details here.  Except we can’t seem to find what tier the NHL Network will be placed on Verizon systems.  When we know, we’ll pass it along.

A Devils Fans’, er, Uncomfortable Experience in Philadelphia

This was the experience for many of the some 19,000 fans at the Devils-Flyers game on Saturday.  A flare thrown out from the crowd that the broadcasters were saying “Smells like sulfur”.

Andrew Timoni is a Devils fan and college student in Reading, PA.  This, according to his letter posted on Devils fan board NJDevs.com and reprinted with his permission here, was the least of his experiences in South Philly.  More on racial slurs, beer bottle throwing, and yet another boring post about what class the city of Philadelphia’s sports fans have post-Jump.

Poll: Did You Like the Lindsay Soto Experience Last Night?

We didn’t get to see too much of the Hawks-Wild game last night, so we want your opinion.  Leave comments and vote in this poll, and we’ll write more about it during her next VERSUS game, Nov. 24’s Caps-Wild tilt.

Hey, We’ve Been Interviewed, We’re Legit Now!

We spoke to James Gralian (i.e. Tapeleg) and Tom Luongo on their fantastic show, The Rink, last night.  It’s posted now, please listen.  I love people hearing myself.  Check it out here.

5 Things to Expect… from Lindsay Soto on VERSUS Tonight

 

Use the body on this one...

... with the face on this one.

 

Let the great experiment begin!  VERSUS’ new alternate hockey reporter Lindsay Soto makes her debut tonight working with Joe Beninati and Eddie Olczyk on the Chicago-Minnesota game.  We’ve written about Ms. Soto before, and thought this would be a perfect chance to debut a segment called “5 Things”, where we take a look at something exciting in upcoming NHL games, and use it as an excuse to make dick jokes.  Anyway, here’s our first list, post-jumperton.

Puck The Media’s Official Liveblog Schedule

I really enjoy using the CoverItLive technology.  So much so, that I announce to you, Puck the Media’s Official (Tentative) Schedule of Liveblogs for the season.  We will even have 2 separate “Liveblog Weeks” in January and March.  Full Schedule Post-Jump, subject to change.  Enjoy the weekend, and check out our weekly attendance wrap-up on Sunday night.

Why is VERSUS Afraid of Sean Avery?

We all know that VERSUS has had it rough as the carrier of the National Hockey League.  Much of the criticism is unwarranted.  This might be one such case. 

There were complaints all week as to why none of Sean Avery’s return to the New York area has been televised.  We can understand them not showing the game against the Devils, as it was on a Wednesday.  But to not show him against his old team, the Rangers, on a VERSUS gamenight (Monday)?

Well, the truth is, the Stars profile has dipped on National TV the past few years.  Coming out of the lockout season, the Stars were on TV a count of seven times, one below the NHL-limit.  Look how it has dipped after the jump.

Puck the Media Interview: Joe Beninati

It took some time for VERSUS/Washington Capitals/College Football/Lacrosse/Anything Else play-by-play man Joe Beninati.  I suppose it does for any unfamiliar vocal performer, but for Mr. Beninati, some of his phrasings would catch me off guard for quite some time, and this is coming from someone who worships the work of Doc Emrick!

But, by the time this year rolled around, and I heard him calling the Boston-Colorado game opening night, Joe Beninati had become one of my favorite play-by-play men league wide.  Before that game, I asked him for an interview, and he graciously granted me his time and attention.  It’s a very in-depth, lengthy piece, in which he talks about growing up in New York during the Islander dynasty, favorite places his job has taken him, and what the Washington Capital renaissance has been like for a play-by-play man after the jump.