NHL Hockey Day in America Sunday on NBC

RELATED: Hockey Day in America 2013 on NBC Sports

America celebrates Canada’s favorite game with three regional and one national NHL game Sunday, Feb. 19, on NBC. At 12pm ET, viewers will see either the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Buffalo Sabres, the San Jose Sharks at the Detroit Red Wings (who are looking to extend their record home winning streak) or the St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks. Then at 3pm ET, the Boston Bruins at the Minnesota Wild game will air nationally. Then Hockey Day in America wraps up in the evening with the New Jersey Devils at the Montreal Canadiens at 6pm ET on NBC Sports Network. Press release from the NBC Sports Group below:

RELATED STORY: 2011-12 NHL TV Schedule

NBC SPORTS CELEBRATES HOCKEY ACROSS THE U.S. WITH SECOND ANNUAL “HOCKEY DAY IN AMERICA”

Stories throughout day to explore hockey’s influence and impact in America

Nine hours of NHL coverage includes three regional games at Noon ET plus Bruins at Wild at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, followed by Devils at Canadiens at 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network

NEW YORK – Feb. 14, 2012 – NBC Sports will once again celebrate hockey in the United States with the second annual “Hockey Day in America” presented by McDonald’s this Sunday from Noon-6 p.m. ET on NBC. Immediately following “Hockey Day in America,” NBC Sports Network will present the New Jersey Devils at the Montreal Canadiens at 6 p.m. ET to conclude a nine-hour NHL block of programming across the broadcast and cable platforms of the NBC Sports Group.

From legendary high school hockey rivalries to the physically challenged who drive for hours to play their favorite sport to “The Program” that changed the game forever for the U.S. hockey elite, NBC Sports will weave the stories of America’s affinity for hockey into and around its coverage of four NHL games (three regional and one national), which will include interviewing and highlighting U.S. players. Among the stories scheduled to be told on Sunday:
Roseau High School vs. Warroad High School: It’s a “Friday Night Lights” atmosphere whenever Roseau (population 2,633) and Warroad (1,781) meet in Minnesota high school hockey. Considering their relatively small populations, the two schools near the Canadian border have produced a disproportionately large number of NHL players. Neal Broten is one of three brothers from Roseau to play in the NHL, and he also was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. Warroad boasts a similar crop of NHL and former Olympic players.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sled Hockey: Through the Lightning Foundation, Tampa Bay was the first in the NHL to fund a community sled hockey program for the physically challenged. The program is so successful that numerous NHL teams have emulated it with participants of all ages traveling from across the state of Florida, some traveling up to six hours, to take to the ice with the Lightning sled hockey team.
The Program: Arguably nothing has had a greater impact on the growth and success of American-born hockey players as “The Program’” enacted in 1996 by USA Hockey. The National Team Development Program was founded with a dual goal: to provide a viable domestic alternative for elite American players who might otherwise opt for top Canadian junior leagues, and to improve U.S. results in international play. Blackhawks right winger Patrick Kane is one of the Ann Arbor, Mich., program’s many success stories. At the Vancouver Games, the U.S. won a silver medal by fielding the youngest roster in the tournament, complete with seven NTDP alums, including Kane.

Liam McHugh, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury will anchor NBC Sports’ live pre-game and early-game intermission coverage from the Wells Fargo WinterSkate rink in downtown St. Paul, Minn. Olczyk (analyst) and McGuire (Inside the Glass analyst) will then move inside to join Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play) for the call of Bruins-Wild.

Calling the early games on NBC will be Gord Miller (play-by-play) and Ray Ferraro (Inside the Glass analyst) for Penguins-Sabres; Ken Daniels (play-by-play) and Darren Pang (Inside the Glass analyst) for Sharks-Red Wings; and Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (Inside the Glass analyst) for Blues-Blackhawks. John Forslund (play-by-play) and Andy Brickley will call Devils-Canadiens (Inside the Glass analyst) for NBC Sports Network.

Sunday’s games on NBC and NBC Sports Network:
Noon-3 pm ET
NBC Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres (regional)
NBC San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings (regional)
NBC St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks (regional)
3-6 pm ET
NBC Boston Bruins at Minnesota Wild (national)
6-9 pm ET
NBCSN New Jersey Devils at Montreal Canadiens (national)

“Hockey Day in America” is part of “Hockey Weekend Across America.” 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 experienced ratings success last year with the inaugural “Hockey Day in America.” Coverage of last year’s national game, Penguins-Blackhawks, which went head-to-head with the Daytona 500, was watched by 1.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-Winter Classic NHL regular-season game in five years (1/14/06, three-game regional on NBC, 2.0 million).

12 Comments

  1. NBC … You SUCK!! I pay good money for NHL Center Ice and I had to watch the Penguins on my computer instead of my TV. This was their best attempt at promoting hockey?!?

    Lets all thank NBC for ruining “Hockey Day in America” for everyone!

  2. Why is it that all of the actual whining comes from Pittsburgh haters? Nobody wants to hear it. Keep your complaint where it should be…with the network.

  3. I agree on the “regional” coverage. Why not put the other “out-of-region” games on NBC Sports Network, USA, or CNBC? I don’t care about the Sabres or Penquins. I want the ‘Hawks.

  4. I’m a Pens fan in Baltimore that paid for Center Ice. The first Penguins game I don’t get to see all year is on the freaking hockey day in America. Awesome. Thank you NBC! What a great way to reward the real fans! JackWagons.

  5. I too have been waiting for this Blues vs Blackhawks game. I live in Austin and am forced to see the Red Wings game. I am a Blues fan and my wife a Blackhawks fan and we were looking forward to this game. I have center ice, but can’t get this game. NBC you suck. I will not watch your coverage. Again, fans get screwed when you get the Networks involved!

  6. @ John I have the NHL Center Ice Package & can not watch the other games so no bar will have them either… I live in Pittsburgh & agree with the whiner comment I am a Red Wings fan. NBC’s stream is not in HD. NBC’s coverage on both of their channels is terrible.

  7. Won’t be watching. NBC can try to ram the Pengwhines down our throats all they want, but hopefully their ratings will suffer for it.

    Blacking out the other games in the regions they insist on showing the Only Team That Matters, even when our Lord and Savior isn’t skating is shortsighted and sickeningly old. Boycotting all of NBC’s coverage on Sunday, hope plenty of others do as well. Tired of all the Pengwhines slurping.

  8. Ditto Nick, this is the ultimate irony to promote a sport and alienate the regular fans. This is really dumb. They should have thought about how to serve all hockey fans. Unfreaking believable. Anyone have any solutions?

    I am a Hawks fan and have been waiting for this match up…Live in Florida, so have to watch the Red Wings…

  9. Ditto Nick, this is the ultimate irony to promote a sport and alienate the regular fans. This is really dumb. They should have thought about how to serve all hockey fans. Unfreaking believable. Anyone have any solutions?

  10. Just another way NBC messes things up. If you are on the East Coast and you want to see the Blues vs Blackhawks game, you are outta luck because they have “regional” coverage. So NBC has the rights to the game, but only shows the Penguins Sabres game. If they would stay out of things, the DirecTV NHL package has ALL of the games and we can watch what we want. Instead, this will be the first Blues game I will not be able to watch this entire season. Thanks NBC! You suck!

Comments are closed.

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.