Have a Good Weekend, Here’s Your HNIC Open Thread and Announcers

Ottawa vs. Montreal, 7PM, CBC Full Network/NHL Network
Play by Play: Bob Cole
Color: Gary Galley and Guy Carbonneau
Reporter: Elliot Friedman

Pittsburgh vs. Vancouver, 10PM, CBC Full Network
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson and Glenn Healy
Reporter: Scott Oake

NBC Enters Season 5

Can you believe this is the fifth season The NHL On NBC has existed?  Do you realize how many shows have been cancelled by NBC since hockey premiered on it’s airwaves on January 14, 2006?

The Answer: 57.  Fifty-seven.  57 shows have gone to their graves while the National Hockey League has been allowed to stay.  Technically, it’s one of the network’s longest running series.

When you think about it, hockey has been around on NBC for a while.  But this, again, could be the last time we as hockey fans hear of it.  There are rumors that the NHL wants a rights package built around the Winter Classic, but then again that could wait until the season after next.  So we might get another season of NBC, but who knows with the NHL on TV these days?

Anyway, NBC returns this Sunday, and there’s little new or of interest to say.  It’s the same teams, announcers and production as last year.  No innovations to our knowledge.  I implore that they bring Darren Pang back to do something.  However, you all know how important a network television reach is to the NHL, so give it a shot this Sunday.  Unless you’re boycotting the network for Conan, I totally get that.

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NHL Network Featured Schedule Next Week

Monday, Jan. 18
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
7:00 Pioneers: Harry Howell
7:30 Pioneers: Red Kelly
8:00 NHL On The Fly

Tuesday, Jan. 19
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
6:00 Lord Stanley’s Summer 2006
7:00 Lord Stanley’s Summer 2007
8:00 NHL On the Fly

Wednesday, Jan. 20
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
6:00 Top 10 Playoff Performances of All-Time
6:30 Frozen in Time: 2005-06 Rookies
7:00 2010 CHL Top Prospects Game
9:30 NHL On The Fly

Thursday, Jan. 21
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
7:30 LIVE: Washington vs. Pittsburgh
10:00 NHL On The Fly

Friday, Jan. 22
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
6:00 2010 AHL All-Star Game
8:00 NCAA Hockey: Denver vs. Wisconsin
10:30 NHL On The Fly

Saturday, Jan. 23
6:30 HNIC Pre-Game
7:00 LIVE: NY Rangers vs. Montreal
9:30 HNIC Post-Game
10:00 NHL On The Fly

Sunday, Jan. 24
6:00 HD Classics: 2004 Stanley Cup Final – Game 6
8:00 NHL On The Fly

HBO Broad Street Bullies Doc to Air In May

Via TheFutonCritic:

BROAD STREET BULLIES: This HBO Sports documentary looks at the legendary, controversial Philadelphia Flyers Stanley Cup championship hockey teams of the 1970s. Debuts during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in May.

We’ll keep you posted on this.

NBC (Shockingly) Chooses Red Wings-Penguins as January 31st Game of the Week

The stunning news from NHL.com:

NBC will broadcast the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings to a national television audience on Sunday, Jan. 31.

The teams have met to decide the past two Stanley Cup Finals, with the Penguins winning Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena last spring to dethrone the Red Wings, who had won in six games the previous season.

NBC’s Game of the Week telecasts begin this Sunday with the Red Wings playing host to the Chicago Blackhawks at 12:30 p.m. ET.

We’ll have some NBC thoughts a little later in the day.