Pat 44 Report post Posted December 7, 2008 NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly is aggressively trying to land the NHL back on ESPN television in the States. NBC will hang on to the NHL through at last next season in large part because they carry the Olympics. ESPN will not take the NHL back unless they get the Stanley Cup finals as part of the deal. As of now NBC has the rights to the Cup finals. Source: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=18246 Do you think they will get this done THIS season? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thedisappearer 291 Report post Posted December 24, 2008 Do you think they will get this done THIS season? Not a chance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cnot19 191 Report post Posted December 25, 2008 If they put the cup on ABC, i assume they will, then im all for it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheUkrainian 49 Report post Posted December 29, 2008 This would be amazing. Being able to chose from FSN, FSN+, and ESPN.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878 Report post Posted January 2, 2009 Here is what they should have.. ESPN show hockey, ABC and NBC show hockey on the weekends. That would be very very sick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
josh 0 Report post Posted January 5, 2009 NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly is aggressively trying to land the NHL back on ESPN television in the States. NBC will hang on to the NHL through at last next season in large part because they carry the Olympics. ESPN will not take the NHL back unless they get the Stanley Cup finals as part of the deal. As of now NBC has the rights to the Cup finals. Source: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=18246 Do you think they will get this done THIS season? i hope so i love espn hockey better than nbc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878 Report post Posted January 6, 2009 i hope so i love espn hockey better than nbc See I don't mind NBC it's just VS that makes me mad watching hockey on it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wings1110 184 Report post Posted July 13, 2009 vs is a joke Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedFX 48 Report post Posted July 13, 2009 Doesn't NBC's deal expire after this season? If so, i can see ESPN and ABC getting back on board. Come to think of it, I actually wouldn't mind seeing a multi-outlet deal similar to what the NBA has with ESPN and TNT. Have Versus do their Monday/Tuesday games, then get Thursday Night Hockey back on ESPN with maybe a Wed. or Fri game on the Deuce now or then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878 Report post Posted July 13, 2009 Come to think of it, I actually wouldn't mind seeing a multi-outlet deal similar to what the NBA has with ESPN and TNT. Have Versus do their Monday/Tuesday games, then get Thursday Night Hockey back on ESPN with maybe a Wed. or Fri game on the Deuce now or then. I like that idea, keep VS and add ESPN and ESPN 2. The only thing is I don't get VS so I kinda want ESPN and 2 to take over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878 Report post Posted July 15, 2009 Why do so many here want ESPN to air games? After a while they'll blow-off hockey to showcase such hits like WSOP instead I am sick of having to stream games to watch games on VS and FS. I don't get VS, and since I live in Minnesota I don't get FsMichigan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878 Report post Posted July 15, 2009 Looks like you gotta drop some $$$ on the VS upgrade (if you have cable/satellite), or like many here buy the Center Ice package. I think I will have to one of these years depending on this whole ESPN thing. With Center Ice do you just pick the games you want to see or do you see them all? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedFX 48 Report post Posted July 16, 2009 Why do so many here want ESPN to air games? After a while they'll blow-off hockey to showcase such hits like WSOP instead The NHL needs ESPN more than ESPN needs the NHL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevieY9802 6 Report post Posted July 16, 2009 I've said it before, I don't mind VS but I hate NBC. VS might not pick the best annoucners in the world but they give them 2 games a week plus at least a game a night during the playoffs. NBC cut off game 5 of the ECF's between the Sens and Sabres in OT to show the pre-race coverage of the Kentucky Derby. Pre-Race? Come on. Then Conan got preference over the Finals so NBC picked up the first 2 games instead of the last games like they had in the past and started the finals in back to back games for the first time in close to 50 years. Then Bettman comes out and says "they were planning on it for a while." Yeah sure you were. I said it a while the NBA wouldn't have that happen NBC would have started Conan a few weeks later or just dealt with it. And NBC gives almost no coverage during the regular season and don't start covering games until January and last year they had a whole 9 games on not counting the Winter Classic. Plus you never know what game will be on because they are "flex games" so NBC can just pick a game not too far before the game. The game against the Wild was one of those game so that could have been one less. Now I don't mind having Ken and Mickey instead of Doc and Ed but if you really want to market this game you get it on nationally more than just a 10 times. While ESPN didn't treat the NHL very well I remember in the playoffs there were times I could watch the Wings, a game on CBC, a game on ESPN and a game on ESPN 2. Now I watch the Wings and VS and that's it because NBC only has weekend games in the playoffs before the Finals. The players even want it back on ESPN. They brought it up at the meeting the PA had with Bettman in Vegas. All he did was do his sideways talk about how great the deal is with NBC. One player was quoted as saying "He was giving a sales pitch about NBC." Now I have to deal with 2 more years of Pierre Maguire giving me useless information from inside the glass. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waitahochiminute 2 Report post Posted August 11, 2009 ESPN blows! I say put the NHL on National Geographic Channel along with all the other untamed beasts and savage animals! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hooon 1,089 Report post Posted August 12, 2009 i would mind this purely because it would mean more games on tv (i think). My concern would be that ESPN would ESPNize hockey, change it the way they changed MNF. Random celebrity guests who have nothing to do with the sport promoting their latest CD or clothing line, etc. Also I fear for who the announcers would be, apart from melrose there is nobody there who knows anything about hockey. I loved when hockey was on ESPN back in the day, but those days are looong gone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lookalive07 251 Report post Posted November 9, 2009 i would mind this purely because it would mean more games on tv (i think). My concern would be that ESPN would ESPNize hockey, change it the way they changed MNF. Random celebrity guests who have nothing to do with the sport promoting their latest CD or clothing line, etc. Also I fear for who the announcers would be, apart from melrose there is nobody there who knows anything about hockey. I loved when hockey was on ESPN back in the day, but those days are looong gone. I agree, and even then, Barry Melrose is terrible. Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside offer a little bit of hockey insight for ESPN, but even still, they don't know s*** about hockey on ESPN. I really wish Gary Thorne and Bill Clement would tag-team some announcing again instead of Thorne doing the Little League World Series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cupforwings 138 Report post Posted November 13, 2009 Barnaby is the only guy I can stand on ESPN hockey now... everyone else, especially Labrun and Hdrek, are jackasses... watching those two guys video blogs together leads me to believe they are dating... it is pretty bad Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
