NHL Winter Classic Eve Special on VERSUS

I know, we’re horrible at vacations.  Wyshynski (who beat us to a pulp today) breaks what VERSUS is calling “NHL Winter Classic Eve Special”.  Catchy:

The details are being finalized, but Versus told us what’s on tap: The preview is a 90-minute special beginning at 11 p.m. EST and ending at 12:30 a.m. Hosts are Bill Patrick, Keith Jones and Brian Engblom, appearing at a remote studio inside Fenway Park. It’s going to feature Winter Classic content — video features, interviews, game previews for the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers — as well as recaps of the NHL season to date.

This is a great “get” for VERSUS.  With NHL Network’s practice coverage on the 31st, there’ll be no shortage of Winter Classic goodness on VERSUS.

Press Release for NHL Net Coverage of World Juniors, Complete with Gary Thorne Calling U.S. Games

NEW YORK (December 15, 2009) – NHL Network™ and USA Hockey today announced NHL Network U.S. will again provide live coverage of all U.S. games at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26 – Jan. 5 in Regina and Saskatoon, Sask.  NHL Network will also televise all medal-round games and six additional preliminary-round match-ups, bringing the total to 16 games – all in high definition.  It is the third consecutive year NHL Network U.S. is providing coverage of the IIHF World Junior Championship.

NHL Network schedule is highlighted by the United States’ final preliminary-round match-up against Canada at 8 p.m. EST on New Year’s Eve.  The full schedule is below.

Gary Thorne, Dave Starman and Fred Pletsch will make up the broadcast team for NHL Network’s coverage of Team USA’s games. All other contests aired on the NHL Network will utilize a feed from TSN.

Thorne, who will handle play-by-play duties, boasts over 30 years of sports broadcasting experience. He served a 12-year stint (1992-2004) as the voice of ESPN’s NHL telecasts and was also the lead hockey play-by-play voice of NBC’s 2002 Olympic Winter Games. He currently serves as a play-by-play commentator for college football on ESPN and ABC, and for MLB on ESPN Radio.  Starman, who will serve as the analyst, is currently the lead analyst for CBS College Sports hockey coverage. He served as the analyst for the NHL Network’s coverage of Team USA’s games at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, as well.  Pletsch, who will serve as the rinkside reporter, is a college hockey analyst on Fox Sports Detroit and has also worked as a sideline reporter for ESPN and for NHL Network for the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship. He is currently the associate commissioner of the CCHA.
NHL Network U.S. Live Game Schedule – 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship

Date	Game	Time (EST)
Sat., Dec. 26	Latvia vs. Canada	4 p.m.
	Czech Republic vs. Sweden	6 p.m.
	Slovakia vs. USA	8 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 27	USA vs. Switzerland	4 p.m.
	Czech Republic vs. Finland	6 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 28	Canada vs. Switzerland	4 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 29	Latvia vs. USA	4 p.m.
	Sweden vs. Russia	6 p.m.
	Canada vs. Slovakia	8 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 31	USA vs. Canada	8 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 2	Quarterfinal #1	5 p.m.
	Quarterfinal #2	9 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 3	Semifinal #1	5 p.m.
	Semifinal #2	9 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 5	Bronze-Medal Game	4 p.m.
	Gold-Medal Game	8 p.m.

Your Announcers and Open Thread for Flyers-Pens

Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, 7PM, VERSUS
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Darren Eliot
Reporter: Charissa Thompson