All GAMES ON NBC (Thanksgiving Friday, Winter Classic, Sunday ‘NHL Game of the Week’)
Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (Inside the Glass analyst)
SUNDAYS ON VERSUS (Starting in January)
Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (Inside the Glass analyst)
MONDAYS ON VERSUS
Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play) and Pierre McGuire (Inside the Glass analyst)
TUESDAYS ON VERSUS
Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (Inside the Glass analyst)
WEDNESDAYS ON VERSUS
Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (Inside the Glass analyst)
STUDIO SHOWS
NHL Live on VERSUS
Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury and Keith Jones
NHL Overtime on VERSUS
Bill Patrick and Jeremy Roenick (plus rotating personalities)
‘NHL Game of the Week’ Intermissions on NBC
Liam McHugh and Mike Milbury
The two top play by play men, Doc Emrick and Dave Strader, are now calling games full-time for NBC/VS instead of splitting time between national and local responsibilities. I like most of NBC’s on-air talent, although Mike Milbury was rather insufferable during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Pierre McGuire certainly has his haters too, but he doesn’t grate me in the same way that he does more passionate hockey fans. NBC could really benefit from a fresh personality just out of the game that can add more perspective (Van Gundy, Gruden, and more recently Urban Meyer quickly come to mind as analysts that have made that transition successfully). Doc Emrick is obviously one of the best announcers in the biz, as evidenced by his recent Sports Emmy win for play by play, so having him call three games a week is a definite plus.
Versus is also adding a ton of games, up to 100 total in the regular season. Also, the networks will have coverage of every Stanley Cup Playoffs game for the first time. With all the original programming Versus seems to be adding, one would think they would dip into the NHL well once again to start supporting their flagship sport. It doesn’t seem possible, but the NHL preseason is already underway.
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