Wild Return All TV, Radio Broadcasters

From the Wild website:

The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Minnesota Wild announced today that the team has re-signed broadcasters (in alphabetical order): Mike Greenlay (television analyst), Bob Kurtz (radio play-by-play), Tom Reid (radio analyst) and Dan Terhaar (television play-by-play) to multi-year contracts.

“We are excited to maintain stability with our television and radio broadcast teams,” said Vice President, Communications and Broadcasting Bill Robertson. “Each broadcaster is skillful in showcasing the Wild to our devoted fan base.”

Terhaar and Greenlay are seen on KSTC-TV, Channel 45 and FOX Sports North, while Kurtz and Reid are heard on WCCO Radio 830 AM and the extensive Wild Radio Network that covers the State of Hockey.

Bruins to Open in Belfast

New York/Toronto (June 21, 2010) – The Boston Bruins will play an exhibition game at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. local time as part of the 2010 Compuware NHL Premiere™ Challenge. The Bruins will play the Belfast Giants Select, a unified team comprised of an All-Star selection of the best of the UK Elite League players from each team. Ticket sales and broadcast information for this game will be released at a later date.

The Boston Bruins will officially open their 2010-11 NHL® regular season by playing the Phoenix Coyotes in two games at Prague’s O2 Arena on Saturday, October 9 and Sunday, October 10.

The Bruins return to Europe for the first time in 50 years. After the 1958-59 season, the Bruins and

New York Rangers embarked on a 10-city, 23-game European tour that included games in London, Geneva,

Paris, Antwerp, Zurich, Berlin and Vienna, among others. This past season, the Bruins roster included Czech players David Krejci, who represented the Czech Republic in the Olympics, and Vladimir Sobotka. Also, team captain Zdeno Chara hails from Slovakia.

Could Foreign Analysts Be the Future for the NHL In the Wake of the World Cup?

It has been fascinating to watch the World Cup coverage on ESPN the past week I’ve been off.  While some of the football being played has left something to be desired, the sheer amount of coverage ESPN is blanketing its’ schedule with is almost mindboggling.  You flip one minute and there’s a game on ESPN, another and they’re talking strategy and context in the studio on ESPN2, or the lovable Irishman Tommy Smythe breaking down the action on ESPN News.  It is likely what ESPN will be using to pitch to the NHL as their ability to cover a niche-y sport in the next contract, but that’s another story for another day.

What has been noticeable has been the number of foreign voices in the studio and the booth for ESPN’s American-centric coverage.  Only three studio hosts (Bob Ley, Mike Tirico and Chris Fowler) and two analysts (Alexi Lalas and Kearny, New Jersey’s John Harkes) are American on ESPN’s airwaves in South Africa, and not all of the European voices have been English or Scottish.  Dutch legend Ruud Gullit and longtime German staple Juergen Klinsmann, as well as current Spanish player Roberto Martinez.

They’ve been pretty good, and gotten me to thinking about a subject I’ve wanted to breach on this blog for awhile: Why haven’t European players been able to crack the market as far as analysis during, before and after NHL games?  I know there’s the time honored logic that Americans just want to hear Americans, or at least people who sound like Americans.  But frankly, that’s made hockey coverage dull as dirt.  Why not try something new?

This isn’t just an American thing either.  Why, in the tens of hundreds of Canadian hockey programs around that nation, do none of the voices stray further than America?  I mean, is it possible that Russian/Czech/Finnish/Swedish/Whatever hockey players are just as dull as Canadians and Americans, though in words we can’t understand?  Or can someone like Bobby Holik, who’s always been entertaining as hell on NHL Live, eventually find himself a gig discussing puck with lame old dudes wearing mullets and cheap suits.

What’s the readership take on this?  Where do you stand on European analysts?

Here’s Poor Jonathan Toews Learning Why You Probably Shouldn’t Let Miley Cyrus Host An Award Show

Here are Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and professional famous lady Miley Cyrus at the Much Music Video Awards, Canada’s VMA’s – half the stars and half as vapid! – introducing the current greatest rapper alive, Drake (Yes, Jimmy from Degrassi is a really good rapper.  Deal with it.)

Miley is clearly having trouble with her cue cards during the video.  We can all be so thankful that our world-weary sport didn’t take a beating … in that Miley pronounced Toews’ name correctly.  Also, I found it pretty funny that hockey’s Captain Serious was introducing hip-hop’s Captain Serious.  Anyway, this is pretty hilarious and I felt it’d get everyone going on a Monday morning.

Morning Music Breakdown

Well, I’m back.  How is everyone?

A special treat for all of you at 9am, then some original material at 11.  Let’s see where the day takes us from there.

Have a great day.