2010 NHL national TV schedule

Versus drops the puck on its 78-game, regular-season slate of NHL games for 2010-11 on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 12pm ET with an opening-day tripleheader. The season begins overseas as the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild play the first of two games at Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland. Then the action comes back stateside as the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers visit Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first regular-season game in Pittsburgh’s new CONSOL Energy Center. The final game in the tripleheader features the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks visiting the Colorado Avalanche.

We’ve got full press releases and broadcast schedules from Versus, NBC and NHL Network below:

VERSUS SUPER-SERVES HOCKEY FANS WITH MORE COVERAGE THAN EVER AS 2010-11 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE FEATURES 78 GAMES AND MORE PRE-GAME SHOWS

Schedule Features Return of NHL All-Star Weekend, NHL Heritage Classic, Nine Games in First Seven Days and Full Week of Action Leading into Stanley Cup Playoffs

NEW YORK, N.Y. (August 25, 2010)-VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable
network in the country and cable television home of the NHL, will open its sixth year of action with increased coverage featuring nine games across the first seven days of the season. The network drops the puck on its regular season coverage with a triple-header on Thursday, October 7, when the Carolina Hurricanes battle the Minnesota Wild from Helsinki, Finland, at 12 p.m. ET, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at 7 p.m. ET before finishing the night with a match-up featuring the Colorado Avalanche and 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks at 10 p.m. ET.  Every NHL game on VERSUS is available in HD.

The first week of non-stop action continues with three additional overseas games from Helsinki; Stockholm, Sweden and Prague, Czech Republic on Friday and Saturday afternoon, exclusive coverage of the Colorado Avalanche/Detroit Red Wings contest on October 12 in VERSUS’ regularly-scheduled Tuesday night slot as well as games on Wednesday (New York Islanders at Washington) and Thursday night (Tampa Bay at Philadelphia), the first time in network history bonus games were added for the opening week.

VERSUS is entering the 2010/11 regular season with a lot of momentum based on tremendous ratings and viewership successes last season.  The network saw a 33-percent spike in HH ratings and a 20-percent increase in average viewership for the final six weeks of exclusive regular season game coverage as compared to the season prior.  In the postseason, the Conference Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds were the most-watched first two rounds on cable since NHL Playoff viewership became available by Nielsen in the 1993/94 season, Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final made VERSUS the most-watched cable network in the country, while Games 3 & 4 of the Stanley Cup Final averaged 3.369 million viewers, up five percent over the 2009 average (3.212 million viewers).  Overall, last year’s postseason was the most-watched on cable since 2002.

One major addition to VERSUS’ 2010/11 schedule is coverage of the NHLHeritage Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames from McMahon Stadium on Sunday, February 20, at 6 p.m. ET.  Not only is it the first outdoor game in Canada since 2003, but the Heritage Classic will be the first outdoor game ever broadcast on cable in the United States.

Throughout the 2010/11 regular season VERSUS will televise 78 games, 13 more than last season, including 53 exclusive regular season games and 25 bonus games.  VERSUS will also air All-Star weekend from Raleigh, N.C. on January 29/30 and cap off the final week of the regular season with a game each night (Monday-Friday) leading into the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs.  During the postseason, VERSUS will once again air wall-to-wall action throughout each round, culminating with Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

All of the network’s non-bonus regular-season games are exclusive and VERSUS’ regular-season schedule features a ‘Game of the Week’ wherein VERSUS will be the only place on television to watch an NHL game in the U.S. at that time. VERSUS’ bonus game coverage is subject to local blackouts.

Mike “Doc” Emrick will return as the network’s lead play-by-play announcer and will be joined all season long by the best NHL announcers in the game today, including Eddie Olczyk, Darren Eliot, Joe Beninati and John Forslund and the network’s studio show, Hockey Central, with host Bill Patrick and analysts Keith Jones and Brian Engblom will wrap up each night of NHL coverage.  In addition, the network will also televise special Hockey Central pre-game shows before 30 telecasts this season, starting on October 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

VERSUS’ 2010/11 regular season schedule highlights some of the most exciting games of the season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins all making a season-high 11 appearances on the network. The Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers will each appear nine times this season. VERSUS’ full 2010-11 NHL regular season schedule follows (subject to change):

* Versus Exclusive

October
7 — Carolina vs Minnesota, Noon (Helsinki)
7 — Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 7:00*
7 — Chicago at Colorado, 10:00*
8 — Minnesota at Carolina, 12:00 (Helsinki)
8 — Columbus at San Jose, 3:00 (Stockholm)
9 — Phoenix at Boston, 12:00 (Prague)
12 — Colorado at Detroit, 7:30*
13 — NY Islanders at Washington, 7:00*
14 — Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, 7:00
18 — Colorado at NY Rangers, 7:00*
19 — Boston at Washington, 7:30*
25 — Los Angeles at Minnesota, 8:00*
26 — Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7:30*

November
2 — San Jose at Minnesota, 8:00*
8 — Phoenix at Detroit, 7:30*
9 — Washington at NY Rangers, 7:30*
15 –St. Louis at Colorado, 8:00*
16 — Philadelphia at Montreal, 7:00*
17 — Boston at NY Rangers, 7:00
22 — Boston at Tampa Bay, 7:30*
24 — St. Louis at Nashville, 8:00*
29 — Dallas at Carolina, 7:30*
30 — St. Louis at Chicago, 8:00*

December
6 — San Jose at Detroit, 7:30*
7 — Buffalo at Boston, 7:30
8 — San Jose at Philadelphia, 7:00
13 — Los Angeles at Detroit, 7:30*
14 — Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 7:00*
15 — NY Rangers at Pittsburgh, 7:00
20 — Anaheim at Boston, 7:30*
21 — New Jersey at Washington, 7:30*
27 — Minnesota at Columbus, 7:30*
28 — Boston at Tampa Bay, 7:30*
31 — Phoenix at St. Louis, 8:30

January
3 — Chicago at Los Angeles, 9:00*
4 — Minnesota at New Jersey, 7:00*
10 — Boston at Pittsburgh, 7:30*
11 — Philadelphia at Buffalo, 7:30*
17 — Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30*
18 — Montreal at Buffalo, 7:30*
24 — NY Rangers at Washington, 7:30*
25 — Montreal at Philadelphia, 7:30*
26 — New Jersey at Detroit, 7:00
29 — NHL SKILLS COMPETITION — Raleigh, NC
30 — NHL ALL-STAR GAME — Raleigh, NC

February
1 — Pittsburgh at NY Rangers, 7:30*
1 — Phoenix at San Jose, 10:00
2 — NY Islanders at Pittsburgh, 7:00
7 — NY Rangers at Detroit, 7:30*
8 — Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 7:30*
9 — Montreal at Boston, 7:00
14 — Washington at Phoenix, 8:00*
15 — Buffalo at Montreal, 7:30*
16 — Minnesota at Chicago, 8:00
20 — Montreal at Calgary, 6:00 — Heritage Classic (McMahon Stadium)
21 — Washington at Pittsburgh, 7:30*
22 — New Jersey at Dallas, 8:30*
23 — San Jose at Pittsburgh, 7:30
28 — Chicago at Minnesota, 8:00*

March
1 — Buffalo at NY Rangers, 7:00*
2 — Pittsburgh at Toronto, 7:00
7 — Washington at Tampa Bay, 7:00*
8 — Colorado at Minnesota, 8:00*
9 — Chicago at Tampa Bay, 7:30
14 — San Jose at Chicago, 8:00*
15 — Carolina at Buffalo, 7:30*
16 — Washington at Detroit, 7:30
21 — Pittsburgh at Detroit, 7:30*
22 — Washington at Philadelphia, 7:30*
23 — Vancouver at Detroit, 7:00
28 — Chicago at Detroit, 7:30*
29 — Chicago at Boston, 7:30*
30 — NY Rangers at Buffalo, 7:00
31 — Columbus at Washington, 7:00

April
4 — Boston at NY Rangers, 7:30
4 — Los Angeles at San Jose, 10:00
5 — New Jersey at Pittsburgh, 7:30*
6 — St. Louis at Chicago, 8:00
7 — Atlanta at NY Rangers, 7:00
8 — Chicago at Detroit, 7:00

NHL ON NBC BEGINS SIXTH SEASON WITH 2011 WINTER CLASSIC ON NEW YEAR’S DAY & STANLEY CUP REMATCH ON JAN. 23

“Game of the Week” Flex Schedule & Consistent 12:30 PM ET Start Time Return; “Hockey Day in America” Debuts on Feb. 20

2011 Coverage Once Again Includes Stanley Cup Playoffs & Final

“It’s hard to find any network right now that covers a sport better than NBC covers hockey.” – St. Petersburg Times

NEW YORK – Aug. 25, 2010 – Two games featuring Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins against Alex Ovechkin of Washington  Capitals, including the fourth annual NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day from Heinz Field, home to the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers; a possible Stanley Cup Final rematch between the champion Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers to kick off “Game of the Week” broadcasts; the debut of “Hockey Day in America”; and the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final highlight the sixth season of the NHL on NBC.

2011 NHL WINTER CLASSIC
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will lead their respective teams in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Washington Capitals in the fourth outdoor classic, an event Forbes magazine has called “the best new sporting event” of the last decade.

Bob Costas will host NBC Sports’ coverage from Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field – home of the Pittsburgh Steelers – live at 1 p.m. ET on New Year’s Day. The first three Winter Classics have averaged 4.0 million viewers on NBC Sports. On January 1 this year, the Boston Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1, in overtime at Fenway Park.

“GAME OF THE WEEK” – FLEX SCHEDULE & CONSISTENT START TIMES
For the first time ever, all “Game of the Week” broadcasts will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET. For the fourth consecutive season, the NHL and NBC Sports will utilize flex scheduling, selecting from up to four games on Sunday afternoons.

At least 13 days prior to the scheduled games, the NHL and NBC Sports will announce one of those games as the “Game of the Week” to be broadcast during the NBC Sports window. The other games will remain available to the teams’ regional carrier but will not be televised during NBC Sports’ broadcast window.

NBC Sports will again broadcast the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final.

Following is the “Game of the Week” flexible schedule (all times 12:30 PM ET):
Sun. Jan. 23   Philadelphia at Chicago
Florida at New Jersey
Buffalo at N.Y Islanders

Sun.  Feb. 6    Pittsburgh at Washington
St Louis at Tampa Bay

Sun. Feb. 13   Boston at Detroit
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers
Los Angeles at Philadelphia

Sun. Feb. 20   Washington at Buffalo
Pittsburgh at Chicago
Detroit at Minnesota
Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers

Sun. Mar. 06   Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers
Buffalo at Minnesota

Sun. Mar. 13   Chicago at Washington
Los Angeles at Dallas

Sun. Mar. 20   N.Y. Rangers at Pittsburgh
New Jersey at Columbus

Sun. Apr. 03   N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia
Minnesota at Detroit
Tampa Bay at Chicago

Sun. Apr. 10  Detroit at Chicago
Boston at New Jersey
Dallas at Minnesota
Pittsburgh at Atlanta

HOCKEY DAY IN AMERICA
As part of Hockey Weekend Across America in 2011, the NHL and NBC Sports will salute the roots of the sport with Hockey Day in America on Sunday, Feb. 20. Launched by USA Hockey in 2008, Hockey Weekend Across America is a nationwide initiative to celebrate the game and those involved at all levels and to expose hockey to new audiences. NBC Sports will celebrate the day-long event with regional NHL coverage.

More details about Hockey Day in America will be released at a later date.

PRODUCTION
The NHL on NBC is produced by NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood, who is the former captain of the Williams College hockey team. Flood created the inside-the-glass reporter position and assembled NBC Sports’ esteemed group of NHL commentators, including Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst), Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter), and Mike Milbury (studio analyst).

NHL NETWORK U.S. ANNOUNCES 2010-11 LIVE NHL GAME SCHEDULE

Network Televising 78 Live Games Featuring All 30 NHL Clubs, Every Game In HD, Highlights Include Last Meeting Of Penguins Vs. Capitals Before 2011 NHL Winter Classic

“NHL On The Fly” Returns Oct. 4

NEW YORK (October 4, 2010) – NHL Network U.S. will televise 78 live  games this season, all in HD, with live game action from every NHL Club spread over multiple days a week throughout the regular season. Three “flex” games in addition to the 75 listed below will guarantee viewers get the key matchups with playoff implications. Local blackouts will apply to all live games and game replays.

NHL Network™ U.S. drops the puck on the live 2010-11 NHL® regular-season schedule Saturday, Oct. 9, with a double-header of live games. First up is San Jose Sharks against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Stockholm, Sweden as part of the 2010 NHL Premiere. That same night, captain Jonathan Toews and the Stanley Cup® Champion Chicago Blackhawks will raise a new banner to the United Center’s rafters before their first home game for the season against the Detroit Red Wings. Other highlights from the NHL Network U.S. broadcast schedule include the last meeting between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals before they go head-to-head in the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® on New Year’s Day at Heinz Field.

Beginning on Saturday, Oct. 23 and for the third year in a row, NHL Network U.S. will feature acclaimed programming from CBC’s “Hockey Night In Canada” every Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m., ET. Fans in the U.S. will continue to see the 30-minute pre-game show “Hockey Tonight,” followed by an early game from the “HNIC” doubleheader including popular segments “Coach’s Corner” with Don Cherry and Ron MacLean and “The Hotstove.” Post-game of the first match-up will broadcast on the Network in the U.S. until 10 p.m. The late “HNIC” game along with “After Hours,” will be telecast on NHL Network U.S. Sunday afternoons, on tape-delay. The “HNIC” games not televised live on NHL Network U.S. will be available on TV on NHL® Center Ice® and NHL GameCenter LIVE,™ the NHL’s digital subscription programming package.

NHL Network’s flagship show, “NHL On The Fly” will return nightly throughout the season starting on Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. ET with an Eastern Conference Preview Show. The Western Conference Preview Show will air the following night, Oct. 5, and on Oct. 6, “NHL On The Fly” will take an in-depth look at the 2010 Premiere games taking place around Europe. On Oct. 7, the “NHL On The Fly” crew will broadcast live from the 2010 NHL Face-Off™ in Dundas Square, Toronto from 4 – 7 p.m., followed immediately by a regular full-length program beginning an hour earlier than usual. “NHL On The Fly” features up-to-the minute hockey information, live look-ins, extended highlights, overtimes and shootouts, real-time scores, interviews, pre- and post-game reports and news conferences. The nightly highlight show is hosted by David Amber and Brian Duff, with expert analysis from a variety of NHL notables including Kevin Weekes, Gary Green, Craig Button, Mike Johnson, Brad May, Bobby Holik and more.

Highlights of the NHL Network U.S. schedule this season include:

• Saturday, Oct. 9 – First up, the Columbus Blue Jackets take on the San Jose Sharks at Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden as part of the 2010 NHL Premiere. Later that night, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks will raise a new banner to the United Center rafters before going up against Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings.

• Sunday, Oct. 10 – The Boston Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes will open their seasons in Prague as part of the 2010 NHL Premiere. This will be second of two back-to-back matches between the Bruins and Coyotes in Prague, Czech Republic at O2 Arena.

• Thursday, Oct. 14 –Dallas’ home opener against the Detroit Red Wings featuring former face of the Stars, Mike Modano – who will wear the famed winged wheel for the first time in his old stomping grounds.

• Monday, Nov. 1 – A clash of two Original Six teams with the New York Rangers hosting the Chicago Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden.

• Wednesday, Nov. 24 – It’s a rematch of the 2010 Western Conference Final, with San Jose hosting the Chicago Blackhawks.

• Thursday, Dec. 2 – Dany Heatley makes his return to Ottawa as a member of the San Jose Sharks.

• Thursday, Dec. 23 – Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins travel to Washington to face Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in a preview of the 2011 NHL Winter Classic® on New Year’s Day at Heinz Field.

• Friday, Feb. 18 – Rod Brind’Amour will have his number retired in Carolina as the Hurricanes host the 2010 Eastern Conference Champion Philadelphia Flyers.

NHL Network U.S. 2010-11 Live Game Broadcast Schedule

October
Saturday, Oct. 9 Columbus vs. San Jose 3 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 9 Detroit @ Chicago 8:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 10 Boston vs. Phoenix 10 a.m. ET
Thursday, Oct. 14 Detroit @ Dallas 8:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 16 Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Oct. 21 Washington @ Boston 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 23 Toronto @ Philadelphia 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Oct. 27 New Jersey @ San Jose 10:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, Oct. 28 Washington @ Minnesota 8:00 p.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 29 Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 30 NY Rangers @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET

November
Monday, Nov. 1 Chicago @ NY Rangers 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Nov. 3 Toronto @ Washington 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Nov. 5 Boston @ Washington 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 6 Buffalo @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Nov. 7 Philadelphia @ Washington5 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Nov. 10 Boston @ Pittsburgh 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Nov. 10 NY Islanders @ Anaheim 10 p.m. ET
Thursday, Nov. 11 Tampa Bay @ Washington 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 13 Vancouver @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Nov. 14 Anaheim @ Chicago       7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Nov. 18 Tampa Bay @Philadelphia 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Nov. 19 Washington @ Atlanta 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 20 Toronto @ Montreal 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Nov. 24 Chicago @ San Jose 10:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, Nov. 25 Colorado @ Edmonton 9 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 27 Buffalo @ Montreal 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Nov. 30 Detroit @ San Jose 10:30 p.m. ET

December
Wednesday, Dec. 1 Washington @ St. Louis 8 p.m. ET
Thursday, Dec. 2 San Jose @ Ottawa 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Dec. 3 Vancouver @ Chicago 8:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, Dec. 4 Boston @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Dec. 5 Calgary @ Chicago 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Dec. 10 Montreal @ Detroit 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Dec. 11 Montreal @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Dec. 12 Washington @ NY Rangers 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Dec. 16 Boston @ Montreal 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Dec. 17 Detroit @ Chicago 8:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, Dec. 18 Toronto @ Vancouver 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Dec. 19 Los Angeles @ Chicago 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Dec. 22 Vancouver @ Detroit 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Dec. 23 Pittsburgh @ Washington 7 p.m. ET

January
Saturday, Jan. 1 Toronto @ Ottawa 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Jan. 6 Pittsburgh @ Montreal 7:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Jan. 12 Washington @ Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Jan. 14 Vancouver @ Washington 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Jan. 15 NY Rangers @ Montreal 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Jan. 16 Nashville @ Chicago 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Jan. 19 Toronto @ NY Rangers 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Jan. 20 Pittsburgh @ New Jersey 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Jan. 22 Washington @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET

February
Friday, Feb. 4 Buffalo @ Pittsburgh 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Feb. 10 Los Angeles @ Pittsburgh 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Feb. 11 Detroit @ Boston 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Feb. 12 Toronto @ Montreal 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Feb. 17 Los Angeles @ NY Rangers7 p.m. ET
Friday, Feb. 18 Philadelphia @ Carolina 8 p.m. ET
Saturday, Feb. 19 Ottawa @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Feb. 24 Dallas @ Detroit 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Feb. 25 NY Rangers @ Washington 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Feb. 26 Pittsburgh @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Feb. 27 Phoenix @ Chicago 7 p.m. ET
Monday, Feb. 28 Detroit @ Los Angeles 10:30 p.m. ET

March
Thursday, Mar. 3 St. Louis @ Washington 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Mar. 4 Pittsburgh @ New Jersey 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Mar. 5 Chicago @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Mar. 6 Washington @ Florida 5 p.m. ET
Saturday, Mar. 12 Buffalo @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Mar. 18 Washington @ New Jersey 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Mar. 19 Boston @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, Mar. 24 Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Mar. 25 New Jersey @ Pittsburgh 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Mar. 26 Toronto @ Detroit 7 p.m. ET

April
Saturday, April 2 Toronto @ Ottawa 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 9 Montreal @ Toronto 7 p.m. ET

*Schedule subject to change. Three additional games will be added to this
schedule and announced at a later date.

About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.