NHL Net and NHL.com Cover the Final

NEW YORK (May 30, 2011) – The stage is set for the NHL®’s most exciting time of the year and NHL Network™ and NHL.com will have all angles covered throughout the 2011 Stanley Cup® Final between the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks and Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins.

 

NHL Network – NHL On The Fly

 

For both U.S. and Canadian audiences, NHL Network will begin its Stanley Cup Final coverage on Tuesday, May 31, at 4 p.m. ET with four-hours of programming from Vancouver, NHL On The Fly™ at the Stanley Cup Final: Media Day. Live from the concourse of Rogers Arena, NHL Media Day will give fans a first taste of the playoff excitement as reporters talk with players, coaches and team management from the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. Together with players, special guests – including the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy — will also join the set for Media Day festivities.

 

NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Pre-Game presented by Cisco will be on the air each game day at 6 p.m. NHL On The Fly at the Stanley Cup Final: Post Game presented by Cisco will hit the airwaves immediately following the conclusion of every game to bring viewers instant analysis, coverage of post-game news conferences and all the news and notes. Both pre- and post-game shows will broadcast live from fan plaza and concourse areas in Vancouver and Boston.

 

NHL Live™ host Deb Placey will anchor the on-site shows with an impressive line-up of guest analysts and show regulars who bring an on-site view of the NHL’s biggest event and up-to-the-minute analysis of game-day preparations. A pair of 11-season NHL goaltenders, Kevin Weekes and Marty Turco, will have all of the angles from the crease covered. Both Weekes and Turco have played deep into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and can speak from experience about all the pressures that come with playing on the NHL’s main stage. Newly-retired forward Doug Weight, long-time NHL On The Fly analyst Mike Johnson and Stanley Cup-winning coach Marc Crawford, who was drafted by the Canucks in 1980 and played and coached the team throughout his 13-year stay with the Club, also will provide their insight and predictions.

 

 

 

Throughout the series, NHL reporters Billy Jaffe, with the Bruins, and Bob Harwood, covering the Canucks, will interact with fans and players and check out the atmosphere surrounding the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.

 

On all off days, NHL Network’s flagship show, NHL On The Fly: Stanley Cup Final Edition will broadcast an hour-long show beginning at 6 p.m. ET. On travel days, NHL On The Fly: Stanley Cup Final Edition will originate from the Network’s Toronto studio with hosts David Amber and Brian Duff and a panel of hockey experts. Show analysts include Kelly Chase, former NHL enforcer and current color commentator for St. Louis Blues games; Bob Errey, two-time Stanley Cup winner and TV analyst for the Pittsburgh Penguins; Brad May, a veteran of more than 1,000 NHL games over 22 seasons; and Craig Button, frequent NHL On The Fly guest and former NHL general manager.

 

NHL Live on NHL Network

 

NHL Network’s daily signature show, NHL Live™ will also broadcast Monday through Friday from 4 – 6 p.m. during the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. The show, streamed live on NHL.com will broadcast from its Manhattan studio with NHL Insider EJ Hradek and Bill Pidto, host of NHL Overtime on Versus.

 

NHL Live will have all the latest series information and reports from Vancouver and Boston. The interactive show, which incorporates fans voices from a social media and phone call perspective, takes viewers beyond the ice with access to players, coaches and management while preparing for upcoming matches.

 

All NHL Network programming will be carried in high definition to U.S. audiences. NHL Network is available in the U.S. and Canada by contacting digital cable, satellite, or telco providers. For more information or an updated program schedule, please log on to http://www.nhlnetwork.com.

 

NHL .com

 

On the web, NHL.com will have a team of reporters, writers and videographers on-site for every media availability, practice and game as well as everything in between. NHL.com’s 24/7 coverage will take fans into the heart of the action and hockey enthusiasts can follow Twitter posts, shot charts, the interactive Q & A’s and instant analysis after all games with EJ Hradek. Each game, NHL.com will also continue to monitor the NHL Situation Room with entries and detailed explanations from NHL Hockey Operations posted to the home page immediately following goal reviews.

 

Special segments for the NHL’s daily digital newscast, The Blackberry All-Access Pregame Show, will also be produced each day with player and team management interviews, fan reports from the streets of the host city and special coverage from dueling guest bloggers.

 

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CBC Plans For the Final

The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins headline the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, and CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA will be there every step of the way providing Canadians with unparalleled coverage of this historic final series.

Storylines abound as the Canucks look to bring home their first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s 40-year history, while the Bruins look to raise a championship banner to the rafters for the first time since the glory days of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito in 1972.

CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA brings an all-star team of commentators, analysts and reporters to the legendary hockey broadcast beginning in Vancouver on Wednesday, June 1st with Hockey Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, followed by live coverage of Game One.

Ron MacLean hosts CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA throughout the Final on location with the legendary Don Cherry. Play-by-play man Jim Hughson and analyst Craig Simpson will call the series, with Glenn Healy at ice-level between the benches. Scott Oake and Elliotte Friedman will give fans the perspective of both teams, providing in-depth reports on the Canucks and Bruins. In-studio, fans can look forward to insight and analysis from Kelly Hrudey and P.J. Stock, backed by the I-Desk with hosts Jeff Marek and Scott Morrison.

Following each game, Seeking Stanley airs on CBC in British Columbia with hosts Shane Foxman, Jody Vance and Karin Larsen.

CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA is also the leading on-line destination for fans during the Final, with streaming live and on-demand, video highlights, previews, analysis, blogs and “Tweet tracking” with Hockey Night pulse — all available at cbcsports.ca/hockey. Fans can also “check-in” while watching the game on CBC at entertainment site GetGlue.com, with the chance to earn special Ron MacLean and Don Cherry stickers for viewing during the Final.

Marek will continue to host Hockey Night in Canada Radio on SIRIUS providing comprehensive coverage of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final on SIRIUS Satellite Radio’s Channel 157 airing Monday through Friday from 3 – 6 p.m. ET (encore presentation from 7-10 p.m. ET).

CBC’s exclusive Punjabi broadcasts continue through the series, live and on demand at CBCSports.ca. The Punjabi broadcasts will be available on Rogers – Channel 385, Shaw Cable – Channel 328, Shaw Direct – Classic 480, Advanced 429 and Telus – Channel 131. Viewers should contact their local service provider for more details. Harnarayan Singh will handle play-by-play duties while Amarinder Singh will provide analysis.

CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA: 2011 STANLEY CUP FINAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Series is best of seven. Schedule subject to change.

VANCOUVER VS. BOSTON

G1 — Boston @ Vancouver, Wednesday, June 1 @ 8 p.m./5 p.m. PT, FULL NETWORK

G2 – Boston @ Vancouver, Saturday, June 4 @ 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, FULL NETWORK

G3 – Vancouver @ Boston, Monday, June 6 @ 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, FULL NETWORK

G4 – Vancouver @ Boston, Wednesday, June 8 @ 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, FULL NETWORK

G5** – Boston @ Vancouver, Friday, June 10 @ 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, FULL NETWORK

G6** – Vancouver @ Boston, Monday, June 13 @ 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, FULL NETWORK

G7** – Boston @ Vancouver, Wednesday, June 15 @ 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, FULL NETWORK

**if necessary

 

VERSUS #1 On Friday in Boston and Tampa

This should come as little surprise, but VERSUS’ blockbuster ratings for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final were helped by massive local numbers in each of the two participating markets.

Game 7 drew a massive 18.8 in the Boston market on Friday night, #1 overall in Boston for the entire evening. The 18.8 was a 34% rise from the network’s average for the first five VERSUS broadcasts of this series, which had drawn an average 14.0. It was VERSUS’ best rating ever in Boston. The network was also #1 in the nearby Providence, Rhode Island market for the evening.

Tampa Bay was lower, but little slouch for their club’s loss in Game 7. VERSUS scored a 7.8 rating in Tampa Bay, making the game the #1 television program in the market for all of Friday night. It was a 52% increase from the network’s 5.1 average for the rest of the series. This game was also the best rating for VERSUS ever in the Tampa Bay market.

Game 7 drew 2.55 million viewers nationally, the highest viewership for a Conference Final since 2002, and VERSUS’ best non-Stanley Cup Final ratings ever.

VERSUS Release on Friday Night Blockbuster

NEW YORK – May 30, 2011 – The NBC Sports group’s coverage of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continues to achieve viewership increases across its national platforms.

 

VERSUS’ exclusive telecast of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night averaged 2.55 million viewers, according to fast nationals provided by The Nielsen Company, making it the most-watched Conference Final game in network history and the sixth-most watched game in the network’s history overall (bested only by Stanley Cup Final games). The telecast, which peaked at 3.25 million viewers from 10-10:30 p.m. ET, was the most-watched third-round game on cable since Detroit and Colorado renewed their epic rivalry in Game 7 on May 31, 2002.

 

 

 

MOST WATCHED NHL TELECASTS IN VERSUS HISTORY (average viewers)

 

6/2/2010 Chicago at Philadelphia (SCF Game 3) – 3,600,000

 

6/4/2009 Detroit at Pittsburgh (SCF Game 4) – 3,448,000

 

6/4/2010 Chicago at Philadelphia (SCF Game 4) – 3,126,000

 

6/2/2009 Detroit at Pittsburgh (SCF Game 3) – 2,955,000

 

5/26/2008 Pittsburgh at Detroit (SCF Game 2) – 2,608,000

 

5/27/2011 Tampa Bay at Boston (ECF Game 7) – 2,550,000

 

Overall, VERSUS averaged 854,000 viewers for its exclusive and non-exclusive games combined throughout the first three rounds of this year’s postseason, making it the most- watched Stanley Cup Playoffs on cable since 2002.

 

NBC’s coverage of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged 1.93 million viewers per game, up two percent vs. 1.89 million last year. Highlights included NBC’s Conference Quarterfinal coverage, which was the most-watched network coverage for the NHL’s first round in seven years. The Quarterfinals included the Philadelphia Flyers’ Game 6 win over the Buffalo Sabres in overtime, which was watched by 2.57 million viewers, making it the most-watched NHL non-Conference Final game in 12 years.

 

VERSUS Hits Best Conf. Final Numbers Since 2002 With Game 7

According to Eric Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune:

NBC announces TB-Bos Game 7 avg 2.55 million viewers, most watched conference final since Det-Colorado Game 7 in 2002.