NHL on ABC

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

NHL on ABC
Also known asABC Hockey Saturday
Genre
ESPNEWS (overflow during doubleheader weeks)
ReleaseApril 18, 1993 (1993-04-18) –
May 1, 1994 (1994-05-01)
ReleaseFebruary 6, 2000 (2000-02-06) –
June 7, 2004 (2004-06-07)
ReleaseNovember 26, 2021 (2021-11-26) –
present (present)
Related
(Canadian rightsholders)

The NHL on ABC is an American presentation of National Hockey League (NHL) games produced by ESPN, and televised on ABC in the United States.

The network first broadcast NHL games during the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 18, 1993, under a two-year time-buy agreement with ESPN. After two years, the NHL left ABC for newcomer Fox, while remaining with ESPN.

As part of a joint contract with ESPN, which was reached right before the

Toronto. Regular season game telecasts returned to ABC on March 18, 2000. ABC also gained the rights to select weekend games from each round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and the last five games of the Stanley Cup Finals.[1] After the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, the NHL left ABC again, this time for NBC because Disney executives admitted that they overpaid for the 1999–2004 deal. ESPN, who was set to continue with the NHL, later dropped it from their schedules after the 2004–05 lockout
.

On March 10, 2021, ESPN announced a new contract to hold half of the NHL's media rights beginning in the 2021–22 season. In this deal, ABC will broadcast up to 10 regular season games per season, primarily late-season games of the week (branded as ABC Hockey Saturday presented by Expedia for sponsorship purposes), and the All-Star Game. ABC exclusively televises the Stanley Cup Finals in even-numbered years. All games carried by ABC are streamed on ESPN+.

History

Before the 1992–93 NHL season

After being dropped by NBC after the 1974–75 season,[2][3][4] the NHL had no national television contract in the United States.[5][6][7] In response to this, the league put together a network of independent stations covering approximately 55% of the country.[8][9][10]

Games typically aired on Monday nights[11] (beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Time) or Saturday afternoons. The package was offered to local stations without a rights fee.[12] Profits would instead be derived from the advertising, which was about evenly split between the network and the local station. The Monday night games were often billed as "The NHL Game of the Week."[13]

Initially, the Monday night package was marketed to ABC affiliates; the idea being that ABC carried NFL football games on Monday nights in the fall and (starting in May 1976) Major League Baseball games on Monday nights in the spring and summer, stations would want the hockey telecasts to create a year-round Monday night sports block; however, very few ABC stations chose to pick up the package.

In

Wide World of Sports and local news shows that typically followed it on ABC stations
in the Eastern and Central time zones.

It was also around this time that ABC offered the NHL a limited deal (splitting the network and showing the NHL in the Northeast and Midwest and NASCAR in the South on Sunday afternoons) that NHL president John Ziegler Jr.[17] quickly rejected.

ABC's coverage of the Winter Olympics

Even though ABC didn't yet televise National Hockey League games, they were the American network broadcast home of the Winter Olympic Games beginning in 1964 and continuing through the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. For the ice hockey events, they employed Curt Gowdy for play-by-play duties during their 1968 and 1976 Winter Games broadcasts (NBC had the broadcasting rights for the 1972 Games in the interim). Gowdy worked with Brian Conacher for the 1976 ice hockey events.

Soviet team, which consisted of veteran professional players with significant experience in international play. The rest of the United States (except those who watched the game live on Canadian television) had to wait to see the game, as ABC decided to broadcast the late-afternoon game on tape delay in prime time.[18] Sportscaster Al Michaels, who was calling the game on ABC along with former Montreal Canadiens goalie Ken Dryden, picked up on the countdown in his broadcast and delivered his famous call:[19][20]

Eleven seconds, you've got ten seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? YES!

Al Michaels continued serving as ABC's lead play-by-play announcer for their ice hockey coverage for their next two Winter Olympics, both with lead color commentator Ken Dryden. For their coverage of the ice hockey events at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Mike Eruzione (the captain of the gold medal-winning United States ice hockey team from 1980) worked with Don Chevrier. Four years later, for ABC's final Winter Olympics, Eruzione was this time paired with Jiggs McDonald.

ABC Radio coverage (1989–1991)

In 1989,

ABC Radio for the broadcast rights to the All-Star Game and Stanley Cup Finals.[22][23] ABC Radio named Don Chevrier and Phil Esposito as their main commentating crew.[24][25][26]

Time-buy deal with ESPN (1993–1994)

The logo for ABC's regular season coverage in the 1993–94 season.

In the 1992–93 season, ABC televised five weekly playoff telecasts[27] (the first three weeks were regional coverage of various games and two national games)[28][29] on Sunday afternoons starting on April 18 and ending on May 16.[30][31][32] This marked the first time that playoff National Hockey League games were broadcast on American network television[33][34] since 1975 (when NBC was the NHL's American broadcast television partner).[35]

In the 1993–94 season, ABC televised six[36] weekly regional telecasts[28][29] on the last three Sunday afternoons beginning on March 27, 1994, marking the first time that regular season National Hockey League games were broadcast on American network television[34] since NBC did it in 1974–75.[37] ABC then televised three weeks worth of playoff games on first three Sundays[38][39] – the final game was Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils, a game that was aired nationally. The network did not televise the Stanley Cup Finals, which instead, were televised nationally by ESPN and by Prime Ticket in Los Angeles (1993) and MSG Network in New York (1994). Games televised on ABC were not subject to blackout.

These broadcasts (just as was the case with the

rating for those two seasons.[44][45][46]

When the NHL television contract went up for negotiation in early 1994, Fox (which was in the process of launching its sports division after acquiring the rights to the National Football Conference of the NFL) and CBS (which was hoping to land a major sports contract to replace the NFL rights that they lost to Fox and Major League Baseball rights that they lost to ABC and NBC) competed heavily for the package. On September 9, 1994, the National Hockey League reached a five-year, US$155 million contract with Fox[47] for the broadcast television rights to the league's games, beginning with the 1994–95 season.[48]

Announcers

Studio host

Play-by-play

  1. Gary Thorne
  2. Mike Emrick
  3. Al Michaels
  4. 1994
    )
  5. Bob Miller (1993–94)
  6. Sam Rosen (1993–94)

Color commentators

  1. Bill Clement
  2. John Davidson
  3. Darren Pang (1993–94)
  4. Joe Micheletti (1993–94)
  5. Jim Schoenfeld (1993)

Reporters

  1. Al Morganti
  2. Tom Mees
  3. Bob Neumeier
  4. Brenda Brenon[49]
  5. Mark Jones

Schedules

1993–94
Main article: 1993–94 NHL season
Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
March 27[50][51][52][53] Boston at Washington
Detroit at Chicago[54]
New York Rangers at Winnipeg
Los Angeles at Vancouver 		1 p.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Sam Rosen, Joe Micheletti, and Brenda Brenon
Tom Mees, Darren Pang, and Bob Neumeier
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Al Morganti
Bob Miller and John Davidson
April 3[55] Boston at Pittsburgh
Dallas at Washington[56][57][58]
St. Louis at Detroit[59]
Edmonton at Los Angeles 		1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
4 p.m. 		Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Al Morganti
Sam Rosen, John Davidson, and Brenda Brenon
Tom Mees, Darren Pang, and Bob Neumeier
Bob Miller and Joe Micheletti
April 10 New York Rangers at New York Islanders[60][61]
Boston at Philadelphia[62][63][64]
Los Angeles at Chicago[54]
Dallas at St. Louis 		1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m. 		Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Al Morganti
Sam Rosen, Joe Micheletti, and Brenda Brenon
Al Michaels[65] and John Davidson
Tom Mees, Darren Pang, and Bob Neumeier'

April 17,[39][66][67][68] May 1, 24: Playoffs

Stanley Cup playoff commentator crews

1993
Round Series Games covered Play-by-play Color commentator(s)
Division semifinals Pittsburgh vs. New Jersey Games 1, 4[69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77] Gary Thorne Bill Clement
Chicago vs. St. Louis Games 1, 4[78][79][80][81][82][83][84] Mike Emrick Jim Schoenfeld
Calgary vs. Los Angeles Games 1, 4[85][86][87] Al Michaels[88] John Davidson
Division finals Pittsburgh vs. New York Islanders Game 1[89][90][91][92] Gary Thorne Bill Clement
Toronto vs. St. Louis Game 4[93][94][95] Gary Thorne Bill Clement
Vancouver vs. Los Angeles Game 1[96] Mike Emrick John Davidson
Conference finals Montreal vs. New York Islanders Game 1[97][98][99][100][101][102][103] Gary Thorne Bill Clement
1994
Round Series Games covered Play-by-play Color commentator(s)
Ice level reporter
(s)
First round New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders Games 1, 4[68][104][105][106] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Al Morganti
Dallas vs. St. Louis Games 1, 4[107][108] Tom Mees Darren Pang (Game 1)
John Davidson (Game 4) 		Bob Neumeier (Game 1)
Conference semifinals New Jersey vs. Boston Game 1[109][110][111][112][113][114] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Al Morganti

NHL returns to ABC (2000–2004)

Previous logo used from 2000 to 2004.

In August 1998, ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 signed a five-year television deal with the NHL, worth a total of approximately US$600 million[115][116][117][118][119][120][121] (or $120 million per year), beginning with the league's 1999–2000 season. The $120 million per year that ABC and ESPN paid for rights dwarfed the $5.5 million that the NHL received from American national broadcasts in the 1991–92 season.[122] ABC's terms of this deal included: rights to the NHL All-Star Game, 4 to 5 weeks of regular season action,[123] with three games a week, weekend Stanley Cup Playoff games, and Games 3 to 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

As previously noted, much like ABC's initial contract with the NHL in the

2002, allowing it to produce and broadcast NBA games on ABC under a similar time buy arrangement on the broadcast network.[124]

In May 2004,

WAND in Springfield, Illinois (which is served by the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues
), switched to NBC (in WDTN's case, they returned to the network after 24 years away).

Regular season

As previously mentioned, ABC televised four to five weeks' worth of regional games on Saturday afternoons,[127] typically beginning in January or March for the first two seasons.

Announcers

Studio personalities

  1. John Saunders – lead studio host
  2. Steve Levy – fill-in studio host
  3. John Davidson – lead studio analyst (1999–2002)[1][128]
  4. Barry Melrose – NHL All-Star Game and Stanley Cup Finals studio analyst (1999–2002); lead studio analyst (2003–04)[129][130][131][132]
  5. Darren Pang – Stanley Cup Finals studio analyst (2003–2004)

Stanley Cup Finals hosts

  1. Al Michaels (2000–2002)[133][134]
  2. Chris Berman (2003)[135]

Play-by play announcer

  1. Gary Thorne
  2. Steve Levy
  3. Mike Emrick
  4. Dave Strader (2000–2002)

Color commentators

  1. Bill Clement
  2. John Davidson (2003–2004)[129][131][136][137]
  3. Darren Pang
  4. Barry Melrose (1999–2002)
  5. Brian Engblom (2002–04)[129]
  6. Brian Hayward (2000 Stanley Cup playoffs)
  7. Jim Schoenfeld (2001–2002)

Reporters

  1. Brian Engblom – co-lead rinkside reporter
  2. Darren Pang – co-lead rinkside reporter
  3. Steve Levy – NHL All-Star Game and Stanley Cup Finals reporter
  4. Sam Ryan
  5. Erin Andrews
  6. Joe Micheletti
  7. Christine Simpson (2001–2003)
  8. Daryl Reaugh (2000 Stanley Cup playoffs)
  9. Mickey Redmond (2001; Detroit Red Wings)
  10. Tony Granato (2002 Stanley Cup playoffs)

1999–2004 Regular-season Schedules

1999–2000

Main article: 1999–2000 NHL season

[138]

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
March 18 Pittsburgh at Boston
New York Rangers at Philadelphia
Detroit at Colorado 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Mike Emrick and Barry Melrose
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
March 26 New York Rangers at Detroit
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
Colorado at Dallas 		1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m. 		Mike Emrick and Barry Melrose
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
April 1 Philadelphia at Pittsburgh
Detroit at St. Louis
Anaheim at Los Angeles[139] 		1 p.m.
1 p.m.
6 p.m. 		Mike Emrick and Barry Melrose
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
April 9 Phoenix at Dallas
Detroit at Colorado
Los Angeles at Anaheim 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Mike Emrick and Barry Melrose
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Steve Levy and Darren Pang

2000–01

Main article: 2000–01 NHL season

[140]

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
March 10 New Jersey at Philadelphia
Detroit at St. Louis
Colorado at Dallas 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Mike Emrick and Barry Melrose
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
March 17 New York Rangers at Philadelphia[141]
Detroit at Colorado[142]
San Jose at Los Angeles 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Mike Emrick and Barry Melrose
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
March 24 Detroit at New York Rangers[143]
Colorado at Boston
Anaheim at Los Angeles 		1 p.m.
1 p.m.
6 p.m. 		Mike Emrick and Barry Melrose
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
March 31 New York Rangers at New Jersey[144]
Detroit at Philadelphia
St. Louis at Pittsburgh[145]
Colorado at Los Angeles 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Mike Emrick and Barry Melrose
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Dave Strader and Jim Schoenfeld
April 7 Pittsburgh at Philadelphia[146]
Colorado at Detroit[147]
Dallas at San Jose[148] 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Mike Emrick and Barry Melrose
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Steve Levy and Darren Pang

2001–02

Main article: 2001–02 NHL season

[149]

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
January 5 Colorado at Detroit[150]
New York Rangers at Pittsburgh[151]
Washington at Boston 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Mike Emrick, Barry Melrose, and Dave Strader
Steve Levy, Darren Pang, and Joe Micheletti
January 12 New York Rangers at Philadelphia[152][153]
St. Louis at Pittsburgh
Dallas at Detroit[154] 		1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m. 		Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Mike Emrick, Barry Melrose, and Christine Simpson
Steve Levy, Darren Pang, and Joe Micheletti
March 2[155] Philadelphia at New York Rangers
Detroit at Pittsburgh
Dallas at Colorado 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Mike Emrick, Barry Melrose, and Christine Simpson
Steve Levy, Darren Pang, and Joe Micheletti
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
March 9[156] New York Rangers at Pittsburgh
Detroit at St. Louis
Los Angeles at Colorado 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Mike Emrick, Barry Melrose, and Christine Simpson
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Steve Levy, Darren Pang, and Joe Micheletti
March 16 Detroit at Boston
New York Rangers at New Jersey
Colorado at Philadelphia 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and Brian Engblom
Mike Emrick, Barry Melrose, and Christine Simpson
Steve Levy, Darren Pang, and Joe Micheletti

2002–03

Main article: 2002–03 NHL season

[157]

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
January 11 Colorado at Dallas
Detroit at Philadelphia[158]
New York Rangers at Pittsburgh 		1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m. 		Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
Mike Emrick and Brian Engblom
February 8 Pittsburgh at Boston[159]
Detroit at Colorado
New York Rangers at Philadelphia 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
Mike Emrick and Brian Engblom
March 15 Colorado at Detroit[160]
New York Rangers at New Jersey[161]
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
Mike Emrick and Brian Engblom
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
March 22 New York Rangers at Philadelphia
Chicago at Colorado[162]
Detroit at St. Louis[163] 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Mike Emrick and Brian Engblom
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
March 29 Detroit at St. Louis[164]
New York Rangers at Boston[165]
Phoenix at Colorado[166][167] 		1:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
6 p.m. 		Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
Mike Emrick and Brian Engblom
Steve Levy and Darren Pang

2003–04

Main article: 2003–04 NHL season
Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
January 10 Detroit at Boston[168]
Colorado at Dallas
New York Rangers at New York Islanders 		1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m. 		Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Mike Emrick and Brian Engblom
February 14 New York Rangers at Philadelphia[169]
Colorado at Detroit[170]
Boston at Chicago[171] 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
Mike Emrick and Brian Engblom
March 13 Dallas at Detroit
New Jersey at Philadelphia[172]
Los Angeles at San Jose 		3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
Mike Emrick and Brian Engblom
March 20 New York Rangers at Philadelphia
St. Louis at Dallas[173] 		3 p.m.
3 p.m. 		Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
March 27 Colorado at Detroit[174]
New York Rangers at Philadelphia
Los Angeles at Calgary[175] 		1:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
6 p.m. 		Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson
Steve Levy and Darren Pang
Mike Emrick and Brian Engblom

NHL All-Star Game (1999–2004)

Year Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Ice level reporters Studio host Studio analysts
2000[176] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom and Darren Pang John Saunders John Davidson and Barry Melrose
2001[177] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and Denis Leary Brian Engblom, Darren Pang, and Steve Levy John Saunders John Davidson and Barry Melrose
2002[178] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom and Darren Pang John Saunders John Davidson and Barry Melrose
2003[179] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson Brian Engblom and Darren Pang John Saunders Barry Melrose and Darren Pang
2004[180][181][182] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson Brian Engblom, Darren Pang, and Sam Ryan John Saunders Barry Melrose and Darren Pang
Notes

Stanley Cup Playoffs (2000–2004)

Besides the

ESPN. Games 1, 5, and 7 were usually scheduled to be televised by Fox; Games 2, 3, 4, and 6 by ESPN. However, from 1995 to 1998, the Finals were all four-game sweeps; 1999
ended in six games. The consequence was that – except for 1995 when Fox did televise Game 4 – the decisive game was never on network television.

2003 was the only year that ABC broadcast both the

Continental Airlines Arena. Gary Thorne mentioned this the following night, and thanked Nessler for promoting ABC's broadcast of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.[185]

Following the 2003–04 season, ESPN was only willing to renew its contract for two additional years at $60 million per year.[186] ABC wanted to televised the Stanley Cup Finals games played on weekend afternoons (including a potential Game 7). Disney executives later conceded that they overpaid for the 1999–2004 deal, so the company's offer to renew the television rights was lower in 2004.[187]

ABC ended their second run with the NHL with Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals on June 7. There, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Calgary Flames 2–1 to clinch their first ever Stanley Cup.

And I'll tell you what, this city has gone bananas inside and outside this arena! It should be a wild ride! ABC Sports is online at ESPN.com, search "ABC Sports". Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning!

— Host John Saunders after Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, ABC and ESPN's final NHL telecast until the 2021–22 season, which their first telecast, ironically, was in Tampa Bay as well.

ABC concluded their coverage of Game 7 with a montage of highlights from the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals that were set to the song "Shine" by Andy Stochansky.

Stanley Cup playoffs commentating crews
Year Round Teams Games
Play-by-play
 Color commentator(s) Ice-level reporter(s)
2000 First round Washington-Pittsburgh Game 2[188] Mike Emrick Barry Melrose Joe Micheletti
St. Louis-San Jose Games 2, 6[189][190] Dave Strader (Game 2)
Gary Thorne (Game 6) 		Brian Hayward (Game 2)
Bill Clement (Game 6) 		Brian Engblom (Game 6)
Colorado-Phoenix Game 2 Steve Levy Darren Pang Daryl Reaugh
Detroit-Los Angeles Game 2[191] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
Conference semifinals Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Games 2, 5[192][193] Steve Levy (Game 2)
Gary Thorne (Game 5) 		Darren Pang (Game 2)
Bill Clement (Game 5) 		Daryl Reaugh (Game 2)
Brian Engblom and Darren Pang (Game 5)
Colorado-Detroit Game 2 Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
Conference finals Philadelphia-New Jersey Game 1[194] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
Dallas-Colorado Game 4[195][196][197][198] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
2001 First round Washington-Pittsburgh Games 2, 5[199] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
Philadelphia-Buffalo Games 2, 6[200][201][202] Mike Emrick Barry Melrose Joe Micheletti
Detroit-Los Angeles Games 2, 5[203] Steve Levy Darren Pang Mickey Redmond
St. Louis-San Jose Games 2, 6[204][205] Dave Strader Jim Schoenfeld Christine Simpson
Conference semifinals Buffalo-Pittsburgh Games 2, 5[206][207] Steve Levy (Game 2)
Gary Thorne (Game 5) 		Darren Pang (Game 2)
Bill Clement (Game 5) 		Joe Micheletti (Game 2)
Brian Engblom (Game 5)
Colorado-Los Angeles Game 2 Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
Conference finals New Jersey-Pittsburgh Game 4 Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
Colorado-St. Louis Game 1[208] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
2002 First round Boston-Montreal Game 5 Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
Carolina-New Jersey Game 6[209] Mike Emrick Barry Melrose Christine Simpson
Toronto-New York Islanders Game 2[210] Mike Emrick Barry Melrose Christine Simpson
Colorado-Los Angeles Games 2, 6 Gary Thorne (Game 2)
Steve Levy (Game 6) 		Bill Clement (Game 2)
Darren Pang (Game 6) 		Brian Engblom (Game 2)
Joe Micheletti (Game 6)
San Jose-Phoenix Game 2 Dave Strader Jim Schoenfeld Tony Granato
St. Louis-Chicago Game 2[211] Steve Levy Darren Pang Joe Micheletti
Conference semifinals Detroit-St. Louis Games 2, 5[212][213] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
Colorado-San Jose Games 2, 5[214][215] Steve Levy Darren Pang Joe Micheletti
Conference finals Detroit-Colorado Games 1, 4[216][217][218] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom
2003[130] First round Tampa Bay-Washington Game 2 Mike Emrick Brian Engblom
Philadelphia-Toronto Game 5[219] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson Christine Simpson
Detroit-Anaheim Game 2 Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson Christine Simpson
Colorado-Minnesota Games 2, 5 Steve Levy Darren Pang
Conference semifinals Ottawa-Philadelphia Game 5 Steve Levy Darren Pang Joe Micheletti
New Jersey-Tampa Bay Game 2[220] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson Christine Simpson
Dallas-Anaheim Games 2, 5[221] Steve Levy (Game 2)
Gary Thorne (Game 5) 		Darren Pang (Game 2)
Bill Clement and John Davidson (Game 5) 		Joe Micheletti (Game 2)
Christine Simpson (Game 5)
Conference finals Ottawa-New Jersey Game 4[222][223][224][225][226][227][228] Steve Levy Darren Pang and John Davidson Joe Micheletti
Minnesota-Anaheim Game 1[229][230] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson Brian Engblom
2004 First round Tampa Bay-New York Islanders Game 2[231] Steve Levy Darren Pang Erin Andrews
Philadelphia-New Jersey Game 5[232][233] Steve Levy Darren Pang Erin Andrews
Detroit-Nashville Games 2, 6[234][235] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson
San Jose-St. Louis Game 2[236] Mike Emrick Brian Engblom
Colorado-Dallas Game 5 Mike Emrick Brian Engblom
Conference semifinals Detroit-Calgary Games 2, 5[237] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson
San Jose-Colorado Games 2, 5[238] Mike Emrick (Game 2)
Steve Levy (Game 5) 		Brian Engblom (Game 2)
Darren Pang (Game 5) 		Erin Andrews
Conference finals Tampa Bay-Philadelphia Games 1, 4[239] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson Sam Ryan (Game 1)
Joe Micheletti (Game 4)

Stanley Cup Finals commentating crews

Year Teams Games Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Ice-level reporter(s) Pregame host Pregame analyst(s)
2000 New Jersey-Dallas Game 3–6 Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom and Darren Pang Al Michaels (Games 3–5)
John Saunders (Game 6) 		John Davidson and Barry Melrose
2001[240] Colorado-New Jersey Games 3–7[241][242] Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom and Darren Pang Al Michaels and John Saunders John Davidson and Barry Melrose
2002 Detroit-Carolina Games 3–5 Gary Thorne Bill Clement Brian Engblom and Darren Pang Al Michaels and John Saunders John Davidson and Barry Melrose
2003[243][130][244] New Jersey-Anaheim Games 3–7[245] Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson[129] Brian Engblom, Darren Pang, and Sam Ryan John Saunders and Chris Berman Barry Melrose and Darren Pang
2004 Tampa Bay-Calgary Games 3–7 Gary Thorne Bill Clement and John Davidson Darren Pang, Sam Ryan, Steve Levy, and Erin Andrews John Saunders Barry Melrose and Darren Pang

Second return to ABC (2021–present)

Further information: NHL on ESPN § Third return to ESPN and ABC: 2021–present

On March 10, 2021, ESPN announced a new, seven-year broadcast deal with the NHL, which included games on ESPN, ABC, and

simulcast each game on ESPN+, as well as produce alternate broadcasts
to air on other ESPN platforms.

The 2022 Stanley Cup Finals marked the first to be broadcast in their entirety on over-the-air television since 1980, as the Finals had since either been partially or exclusively carried on cable.[255][256][257] Due to the current arrangement of ABC's sports programming being produced and co-branded by ESPN, the broadcasts carry the NHL on ESPN production and branding.

ABC's first game back featured the

2022 NHL All-Star Game, the network aired a weekly game under the ABC Hockey Saturday branding, which began on February 26. The package primarily aired on Saturday afternoons, with one primetime game on March 19 to accommodate afternoon coverage of the 2022 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. All games broadcast by ABC are simulcast on ESPN+.[259]

ABC did not air a full 30-minute or hour-long pregame show before their games in 2021, instead opting for an abbreviated 15-minute pregame show presented by Verizon. However, ABC aired a full 30-minute pregame show on April 23, as a lead-out of their Bundesliga soccer coverage. They will air a 30-minute pregame show for games outside of the primetime slot. If time permits, ABC will also air a short postgame show until 6 or 11 p.m. ET respectfully, so most ABC affiliates on the East Coast can show their local news or ABC World News Tonight. For the Stanley Cup Finals, all broadcasts began at 8 p.m. ET, allowing for a short pre-game show before puck drop; this is in contrast to the NBA Finals, which had historically preferred a later, 9 p.m. ET window for games on weeknights, with ABC leading into the game with half-hour Jimmy Kimmel Live! specials followed by NBA Countdown (the 2023 Finals will move weeknight games ahead by 30 minutes to an 8:30 p.m. window).[260][261]

In the 2022–23 season, ABC aired 15 games, including four double-headers, the NHL Stadium Series game,[262][263] and a triple-header on April 8; the Thanksgiving Showdown moved to TNT, which also covered this season's Stanley Cup Finals.[264]

For the 2023–24 season, ABC's coverage included 19 regular season games (the largest number of games on a broadcast network in NHL history), featuring four double-headers, both

2024 Stanley Cup Finals. ABC Hockey Saturday for this season began on January 13, preceding Super Wild Card Saturday of the NFL playoffs, unlike past years when its slate began after the NHL All-Star Game.[265][266]

Announcers

Studio personalities

  1. Steve Levy – lead studio host (2021–present)[267][268][269][270]
  2. John Buccigross – alternate studio host (2021–present); #4 play-by-play (2024–present)
  3. Arda Ocal – game break host (2023–present)
  4. Mark Messier – lead studio analyst (2021–present)[271][272]
  5. P. K. Subban – lead studio analyst (2023–present)
  6. A. J. Mleczko – #3 color commentator (2021–2023); #2 color commentator (2023–present); alternate studio analyst (2021–present, select games)

Play-by-play

  1. Sean McDonough – lead play-by-play (2021–present)[268][269][270][273][274]
  2. Bob Wischusen – #2 play-by-play (2023–present)
  3. Mike Monaco – #3 play-by-play (2023–present)
  4. John Buccigross – alternate studio host (2021–present); #4 play-by-play (2024–present)

Color commentators/ice-level analysts

  1. Ray Ferraro – lead color commentator/ice-level analyst (2021–present)[275][276][277]
  2. A. J. Mleczko – #2 color commentator (2023–present); #3 color commentator (2021–2023); alternate studio analyst (2021–present, select games)
  3. Ryan Callahan – #3 color commentator (2024–present)
  4. Kevin Weekes – rinkside reporter (2023–present; special events); color commentator (2024–present; select games)

Rinkside reporters

  1. Emily Kaplan – lead rinkside reporter (2022–present)
  2. Leah Hextall – #2 rinkside reporter (2023–present)
  3. Blake Bolden - #3 rinkside reporter (2024-present)
  4. Kevin Weekes – rinkside reporter (2023–present; special events); color commentator (2024–present; select games)

Rules analyst

  1. Dave Jackson – rules analyst (2021–present)[278][279]

Former personalities

Schedules

2021–22

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Ice-level analyst(s) Rinkside reporter(s) Rules analyst Notes
November 26 New York Rangers at Boston 1 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro A. J. Mleczko — Dave Jackson Bruins–Rangers rivalry
2021 NHL Thanksgiving Showdown
Originally Blues-Blackhawks, which filled the vacant 3:30 ET slot on ESPN+, which Rangers-Bruins had occupied[281]
February 26 New York Rangers at Pittsburgh 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Penguins–Rangers rivalry
March 5 Chicago at Philadelphia 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan 2010 Stanley Cup Finals rematch
March 12 Philadelphia at Carolina 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan
March 19 New York Rangers at Tampa Bay 8 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan First ever NHL regular season game on ABC to air in primetime
March 26 Chicago at Vegas 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan
April 2 Pittsburgh at Colorado 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan
April 9 Washington at Pittsburgh 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan
Alex Ovechkin
April 16 Minnesota at St. Louis 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan 2022 Winter Classic rematch
April 23 New York Rangers at Boston 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Bruins–Rangers rivalry

Notes

  • Outside of the Thanksgiving Showdown, ESPN produced an "IceCast" alternate broadcast. These broadcasts aired on ESPN+, alongside the ABC broadcast.

2022–23

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Ice-level analyst(s) Rinkside reporter(s) Rules analyst Notes
February 11 Tampa Bay at Dallas 1 p.m. Bob Wischusen Brian Boucher — Leah Hextall Dave Jackson 2020 Stanley Cup Finals rematch
Washington at Boston 3:30 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan
February 18 Washington at Carolina 8 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan, Kevin Weekes, and Marty Smith 2023 NHL Stadium Series
Game was originally scheduled to air on ESPN[282]
February 25 New York Rangers at Washington 1 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Capitals–Rangers rivalry
Pittsburgh at St. Louis 3:30 p.m. Bob Wischusen Brian Boucher — Leah Hextall
March 4 New York Rangers at Boston 1 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Bruins–Rangers rivalry
Colorado at Dallas 3:30 p.m. Bob Wischusen Brian Boucher — Leah Hextall
March 11 Detroit at Boston 1 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Bruins can clinch a playoff spot with a win and could become the fastest team to 50 wins.[283][284][285]
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 3:30 p.m. Bob Wischusen Brian Boucher — Leah Hextall Flyers–Penguins rivalry
March 18 Pittsburgh at New York Rangers 8 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Penguins–Rangers rivalry
2022 First Round rematch
March 25 Washington at Pittsburgh 8 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan
Alex Ovechkin
April 1 Boston at Pittsburgh 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan 2023 NHL Winter Classic rematch
April 8 Pittsburgh at Detroit 1 p.m. Bob Wischusen Brian Boucher — Leah Hextall Originally Blues-Wild
2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup Finals rematch
Vegas at Dallas 3:30 p.m. Mike Monaco A. J. Mleczko —
New Jersey at Boston 8 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Originally Penguins-Red Wings, which filled the 1 ET void left by Blues-Wild being flexed out[286]
Bruins can tie NHL team record for most wins in a regular season.[287][288]

Notes

  • ESPN will produce alternate broadcasts of select games that will stream on ESPN+ along with the ABC broadcast. Those include the "Star Watch", "Puck Possessor", or an "All-12" broadcast for the Stadium Series.

2023–24

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Ice-level analyst(s) Rinkside reporter(s) Rules analyst Notes
January 13 New York Rangers at Washington 1 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Dave Jackson Capitals–Rangers rivalry
February 10 St. Louis at Buffalo 1 p.m. Bob Wischusen A. J. Mleczko — —
Washington at Boston 3:30 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan
February 17
Boston
 12:30 p.m. Bob Wischusen Ryan Callahan — Leah Hextall Added to replace the Oilers-Bruins matchup for March 5th on ESPN+ and Hulu[289]
Edmonton at Dallas 3 p.m. Mike Monaco A. J. Mleczko — First game on ABC to feature Canadian team since 2004 Stanley Cup Finals
Philadelphia at New Jersey 8 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan and Kevin Weekes Devils–Flyers rivalry
2024 NHL Stadium Series
February 18 New York Rangers at New York Islanders 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan and Kevin Weekes Islanders–Rangers rivalry
2024 NHL Stadium Series
February 24 St. Louis at Detroit noon. Bob Wischusen Kevin Weekes — Leah Hextall
New York Rangers at Philadelphia 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Flyers–Rangers rivalry
Originally scheduled to air on ESPN+ and Hulu[289]
March 2 Florida at Detroit 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Originally Wild-Blues[290]
March 9
Carolina
at New Jersey 		12:30 p.m. John Buccigross Ryan Callahan — Added to replace the Oilers-Sabres matchup scheduled to air on ESPN+ and Hulu that same day[289]
2023 Conference Semifinals rematch
Pittsburgh at Boston 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Alternate NHL Big City Greens Classic broadcast aired alongside ABC feed on Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney+, and ESPN+[291]
March 16 New York Rangers at Pittsburgh 3 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Penguins-Rangers rivalry
March 23 Florida at New York Rangers 8 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan
April 6 Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh 1 p.m. Bob Wischusen Ryan Callahan — Leah Hextall
Florida at Boston 3:30 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan 2023 First Round rematch
April 13 New York Islanders at New York Rangers 12:30 p.m. Bob Wischusen Ryan Callahan — Leah Hextall Islanders–Rangers rivalry
2024 Stadium Series rematch
Seattle at Dallas 3 p.m. Mike Monaco A. J. Mleczko — Blake Bolden 2023 Conference Semifinals rematch
Boston at Pittsburgh 8 p.m. Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan

NHL All-Star Game (2022–2028)

Year Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Ice-level reporter(s) Rules analyst Pregame host Pregame analyst(s)
2022 Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan and Laura Rutledge Dave Jackson Steve Levy Mark Messier and Chris Chelios
2023 Emily Kaplan and Kevin Weekes Mark Messier, Chris Chelios, and P. K. Subban
2024 Mark Messier and P. K. Subban

Notes

  • 2023 - ESPN produced an "All-Star Watch" altcast to go along with the ABC broadcast on ESPN+.

Stanley Cup Playoffs (2022–present)

As part of ESPN's new deal, ABC also gained rights to part of half of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and exclusive rights to the entire Stanley Cup Finals in even-numbered years, the first time the entire series will air on broadcast television since 1980, with games prominently airing on weekends. However, in 2022, ABC did not air any early-round playoff games on network television, including the Eastern Conference Finals. Had the series gone to Game 7, then ABC would have simulcast the game with ESPN. Early-round playoff games have returned to ABC in 2023.[292][293][294][295]

Stanley Cup Playoffs broadcast teams

Year Round Teams Games Start time (All times ET)
Play-by-play
 Color commentator(s) Ice-level analyst Rinkside reporter(s) Rules analyst
2022 —
2023 First round
New Jersey-New York Rangers
 Games 3 and 6 8 ET Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Dave Jackson
Conference Finals
Dallas-Vegas
 Games 2 and 5 3 ET (Game 2)
8 ET (Game 5)

Stanley Cup Finals broadcast teams

Year Teams Games
Play-by-play
 Color commentator(s) Ice-level analyst(s) Rinkside reporter(s) Rules analyst Pregame host Pregame analysts
2022 Tampa Bay-Colorado All games Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan (entire series)
Kevin Weekes (Game 6 postgame) 		Dave Jackson Steve Levy Mark Messier, Chris Chelios, and Brian Boucher
2024 TBD Emily Kaplan Mark Messier and P. K. Subban

Notes

  • All games in the series are simulcast on ESPN+ and included an "IceCast" alternate broadcast.
  • ABC's coverage in 2022 marked the first time the entire Stanley Cup Finals was carried exclusively on American broadcast television since 1980, and the first time ABC aired the Finals since 2004.

Nielsen ratings

Main article: Ratings for The NHL on ABC

National Hockey League coverage on ABC owned-and-operated television stations

Main articles: ABC Owned Television Stations, Owned-and-operated television stations in the United States, and Historical NHL over-the-air television broadcasters
Team Stations Years
Philadelphia Flyers WPVI-TV 6 1983–1986
San Jose Sharks KGO-TV 7 1991–1994

References

  1. ^ a b Pergament, Alan (30 September 1999). "With Fox Gone, NHL Turns All-Disney". The Buffalo News.
  2. ^ Klein, Frederick C. (25 March 1977). "Hockey, Violence and Movies". Wall Street Journal.
  3. ^ Atkin, Ross (9 June 1975). "Sports check on what's new". Christian Science Monitor. p. 19.
  4. ^ "5 New Coaches Will Try to Dethrone the Flyers". Los Angeles Times. 8 October 1975. p. D8.
  5. ^ Langford, George (5 October 1975). "Hockey in battle for TV life!". Los Angeles Times. p. I3.
  6. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  7. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  8. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  9. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  10. ^ Verdi, Bob (17 January 1979). "Hockey needs TV blanket to keep it warm in U.S.". Chicago Tribune. p. E1.
  11. ^ Deeb, Gary (9 November 1976). "TV hockey back, but no Hawks". The Chicago Tribune. p. C2.
  12. ^ Gary Deeb (23 February 1979). "Shriking Act". The Chicago Tribune. p. E4.
  13. ^ Merry, Don (11 October 1978). "NHL Starts Tonight: Action but No TV". Los Angeles Times. p. E2.
  14. ^ "May 26 Selected For a 7th Game". The New York Times. 13 May 1979. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  15. ^ "NHL, ABC-TV Agree". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. 13 May 1979. p. 89 – via Google News Archive.
  16. ^ Ramsay, Donald (22 May 1979). "Montreal win kills ABC TV deal but Ziegler feels pact is on way". The Globe and Mail. p. P35.
  17. ^ Barry, Sal (29 October 2018). "John Ziegler Did More Harm Than Good for Hockey". Punk Junk.
  18. ^ "College kids perform Olympic miracle", ESPN.com
  19. YouTube
  20. ^ "U.S. Olympic hockey team beats Soviet Union | February 27, 1960". HISTORY. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  21. ^ "ABC Radio Gets Stanley Cup". Los Angeles Daily News. 12 September 1989.
  22. ^ Fachet, Robert (3 April 1990). "Regular Season Honors to Bruins; Liut Top Goalie". The Washington Post. p. B08.
  23. ^ Grant, Rob (17 May 1991). "TV deal offers another chance but CFL needs a career year". Toronto Star. p. C.8.
  24. ^ Dunnell, Milt (16 July 1989). "Relief role McGwire's dream". Toronto Star. p. G1.
  25. Worcester Telegram & Gazette
    . 19 May 1990. p. B8.
  26. ^ Grant, Rob (19 May 1990). "Cool Goodyear feels the heat of Indy-scribable media hype". Toronto Star.
  27. ^ Kiley, Mike (26 March 1993). "HAWK PLAYOFF OPENER MAY BE SHOWN ON ABC". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  28. ^
    Kitchener-Waterloo Record
    . 27 August 1992. p. E2.
  29. ^ a b Swift, E. M. (20 June 1994). "Hot Not". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  30. ^ "ABC to televise five Sunday NHL playoff games". Tampa Bay Times. 4 March 1993. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  31. ^ "NHL returns to U.S. network TV for playoffs - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  32. New York Times
    . 4 March 1993. p. B17. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  33. ISBN 9781623686567
    .
  34. ^ a b c Shea, Jim (7 May 1993). "Select few watching NHL on ABC". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  35. ^ Heistand, Michael (4 March 1993). "Weighty ESPY awards get lighthearted touch". USA Today. p. 3C.
  36. ^ "NHL strikes TV deal with ESPN". UPI. 2 September 1992. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  37. ^ Martzke, Rudy (5 February 1993). "NHL's new boss ready to clear up confusion". USA Today. p. 3C.
  38. ^ Kiley, Mike (21 January 1994). "NHL Boss Finishes Eventful 1st Year – Bettman Focuses on CBS Deal". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  39. ^ a b McKee, Ken (15 April 1994). "TV picture still fuzzy for NHL playoff schedule". Toronto Star. p. E8.
  40. ^ Hiestand, Michael (3 September 1992). "NHL announces TV deal but some details murky". USA Today. p. 3C.
  41. Sun-Sentinel
    . Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  42. ^ Martzke, Rudy (12 September 1994). "Fox makes hockey its newest surprise". USA Today. p. 3C.
  43. New York Times
    . Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  44. Baltimore Sun
    . Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  45. ^ Wise, Aaron N.; Meyer, Bruce S. (1997). International sports law and business, Volume 3. Kluwer Law International. p. 1704.
  46. ^ DiGivanna, Mike (3 October 1993). "Mighty Ducks '93-94: Premiere Season: A Brave new NHL: As It Welcomes Two New Members, the National Hockey League Ponders What It Needs to Do to Become the Sport of the '90s". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  47. ^ Daniel, Al (17 May 2020). "NHL on Fox established hockey's lasting U.S. network presence". Fansided.
  48. New York Times
    . Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  49. Buffalo News
    . Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  50. ^ Lindquist, Jerry (24 March 1994). "No More Life in a Fishbowl". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. C4.
  51. ^ Caesar, Dan (25 March 1994). "Presidential Priorities: Clinton Cuts Off for Game". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4G.
  52. ^ Caesar, Dan (25 March 1994). "National Audience Is Again About to get ABCs of Hockey". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 5G.
  53. ^ McKee, Sandra (27 March 1994). "Juneau, Iafrate to meet after trading places". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  54. ^ a b Kiley, Mike (24 September 1993). "TWO GAMES IN HAWKS' STRETCH RUN TO BE ON ABC". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  55. ISSN 0190-8286
    . Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  56. YouTube
  57. YouTube
  58. YouTube
  59. ^ Wheatley, Tom (4 April 1994). "Blues Stick It Out, Earn Tie– Joseph on the Cutting Edge in Slice 'N' Dice Battle With Wings". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 1C.
  60. YouTube
  61. YouTube
  62. YouTube
  63. YouTube
  64. YouTube
  65. ^ Nidetz, Steve (11 April 1994). "LEAVE IT TO CABLE TO COME UP WITH A CLASSIC IDEA". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  66. ^ Hiestand, Michael (15 April 1994). "USA's Kenin gets CBS sports job". USA Today. p. 2C.
  67. ISSN 0190-8286
    . Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  68. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  69. New York Times
    . p. 1, Section 8. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  70. ^ "DEVILS GET FIRST CRACK AT PENGUINS". Deseret News. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  71. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  72. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  73. YouTube
  74. YouTube
  75. YouTube
  76. YouTube
  77. ^ Archives, L. A. Times (26 April 1993). "NHL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP : Devils Stop Penguins' Streak". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  78. ^ Nidetz, Steve (15 April 1993). "NETWORK TELECASTS GO BEYOND HAWK OPENER". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  79. ^ Tribune, Chicago (17 April 1993). "HAWKS SOMBER, BUT READY". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  80. ^ Tribune, Chicago (19 April 1993). "– Hockey ABCs: Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz…". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  81. ^ Nidetz, Steve (19 April 1993). "ABC DROPS PUCK IN HAWKS PLAYOFF BROADCAST". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  82. YouTube
  83. ^ Kiley, Mike (17 April 1993). "ABC PLANS TO SHOW 4TH HAWKS-BLUES GAME, TOO". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  84. YouTube
  85. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  86. YouTube
  87. ^ Dillman, Lisa (25 April 1993). "Kings Search for Scoring : Game 4: None of L.A.'s top four scorers has a goal in three games against the Flames. Stauber might start in goal today". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  88. YouTube
  89. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  90. YouTube
  91. YouTube
  92. YouTube
  93. YouTube
  94. YouTube
  95. YouTube
  96. YouTube
  97. ISBN 978-1-62601-545-6
    .
  98. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  99. ISSN 0190-8286
    . Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  100. YouTube
  101. YouTube
  102. YouTube
  103. YouTube
  104. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  105. YouTube
  106. YouTube
  107. YouTube
  108. YouTube
  109. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  110. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  111. YouTube
  112. YouTube
  113. YouTube
  114. YouTube
  115. ^ Walters, John (10 January 2000). "Learning It Cold". Sports Illustrated.
  116. ^ Umstead, R. Thomas (31 August 1998). "ESPN Lands $600M NHL Deal". Multichannel News. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  117. New York Times
    . Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  118. ^ Goldberg, Jeff (23 April 1999). "Fox Probably Grateful to Ice the Puck". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  119. Baltimore Sun
    . Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  120. ^ "Stars' 1-0 triumph brings in viewers". ESPN. 9 June 2000.
  121. ^ Hirsley, Michael (26 August 1998). "Price for NHL Rights Is Right, Disney Says". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  122. ^ Sandomir, Richard (7 August 1998). "Best N.H.L. Action Is the Battle Over TV Rights". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  123. ISBN 9781623686567
    .
  124. ^ Sandomir, Richard (10 June 2015). "Without Showing Games, ESPN Leaves a Mark on the N.B.A. Finals". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  125. ^ Miller, James Andrew; Shales, Tom. Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN (PDF). p. 543.
  126. ^ Rovell, Darren (17 August 2005). "ESPN decides not to match Comcast's offer". ESPN.
  127. ISBN 9781897415054
    .
  128. ^ "J.D. Hired By ABC". CBS News. 30 September 1999. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  129. ^ a b c d "ABC Sports - ABC Sports announces its hockey broadcast teams". www.espn.com. 18 April 2003. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  130. ^ a b c "NHL playoffs to air exclusively on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2". ESPN. 18 April 2003.
  131. ^ a b Houston, William (10 January 2003). "TSN hands off Wickenheiser game to bolster sister network". Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  132. ^ "Finding a New Comfort Zone". Los Angeles Times. 16 May 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  133. ^ Houston, William (2 June 2000). "TRUTH & RUMOURS". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  134. ^ Sandomir, Richard (10 June 2000). "TV SPORTS; ABC Made Most of Three Overtimes". The New York Times. p. D5. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  135. ^ Musnick, Phil (25 April 2003). "Brand Berman & ESPN Shameless". New York Post. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  136. ^ Marchand, Andrew (13 December 2002). "Howie Switching to Radio Booth? Mets May Recast Broadcast Lineups". New York Post. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  137. Sun-Sentinel
    . Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  138. ^ "1999–2000 NHL Schedule". The Washington Post. 1 October 1999.
  139. YouTube
  140. ^ "ABC Sports - ABC Sports announces its 2000-2001 National Hockey League Schedule". www.espn.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  141. YouTube
  142. YouTube
  143. YouTube
  144. YouTube
  145. YouTube
  146. YouTube
  147. YouTube
  148. YouTube
  149. ^ "ABC Sports - ABC's 2001-2002 NHL schedule". www.espn.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  150. YouTube
  151. YouTube
  152. YouTube
  153. YouTube
  154. YouTube
  155. ^ "ABC Sports - The NHL on ABC". www.espn.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  156. ^ "ABC Sports - The NHL on ABC". www.espn.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  157. ^ "ABC's 2002–2003 NHL schedule". ESPN. ABC Sports.
  158. YouTube
  159. YouTube
  160. YouTube
  161. YouTube
  162. YouTube
  163. YouTube
  164. YouTube
  165. YouTube
  166. YouTube
  167. YouTube
  168. YouTube
  169. YouTube
  170. YouTube
  171. YouTube
  172. YouTube
  173. YouTube
  174. YouTube
  175. YouTube
  176. YouTube
  177. YouTube
  178. YouTube
  179. YouTube
  180. YouTube
  181. YouTube
  182. YouTube
  183. ^ Kennedy, Kostya (5 February 2001). "The NHL". Sports Illustrated.
  184. ^ McEntegart, Pete (16 June 2003). "Under Review". CNN.
  185. ^ NHL on ABC: Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals (television). ABC Sports. 9 June 2003.
  186. ^ Martzke, Rudy (19 May 2004). "NHL announces TV deal with NBC". USA Today. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  187. ^ Downey, Kevin (12 April 2001). "Sports TV get pricier and pricier. Here's why". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008.
  188. YouTube
  189. YouTube
  190. YouTube
  191. YouTube
  192. YouTube
  193. YouTube
  194. YouTube
  195. YouTube
  196. YouTube
  197. YouTube
  198. YouTube
  199. YouTube
  200. YouTube
  201. YouTube
  202. YouTube
  203. YouTube
  204. YouTube
  205. YouTube
  206. ^ Pergament, Alan (28 April 2001). "ABC KEEPS EMPIRE FROM CASHING IN ON BIG RATINGS". Buffalo News. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  207. ^ Pergament, Alan (5 May 2001). "ABC SENDS IN ITS BIG GUNS FOR SABRES-PENGUINS". Buffalo News. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  208. YouTube
  209. YouTube
  210. YouTube
  211. YouTube
  212. YouTube
  213. YouTube
  214. YouTube
  215. YouTube
  216. YouTube
  217. YouTube
  218. YouTube
  219. YouTube
  220. YouTube
  221. YouTube
  222. YouTube
  223. YouTube
  224. YouTube
  225. YouTube
  226. YouTube
  227. YouTube
  228. YouTube
  229. YouTube
  230. YouTube
  231. YouTube
  232. YouTube
  233. YouTube
  234. YouTube
  235. YouTube
  236. YouTube
  237. YouTube
  238. YouTube
  239. YouTube
  240. ^ Buckler, Matt (11 June 2001). "ABC let soap opera get in way of telecast". Journal Inquirer.
  241. Baltimore Sun
    . Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  242. ^ Jeff Jacobs (1 June 2001). "Our Ultimate Opponent". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  243. ^ Farber, Michael (9 June 2003). "Bedeviled in Jersey They're a Smart, Tough Hockey Team Battling for Their Third Championship in Nine Years. So Why Don't the Devils Have More Admirers?". Sports Illustrated.
  244. ^ Fischer, John (9 June 2011). "Eight Years Ago, The New Jersey Devils Won Their Third Stanley Cup". All About the Jersey.
  245. ^ Lapointe, Joe (6 June 2003). "Hockey: Game 5 TV Analysis; ABC and ESPN Script Grabs More Eyeballs". The New York Times.
  246. ^ Coryell, Grace (10 March 2021). "The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and National Hockey League Reach Groundbreaking Long-Term Agreement". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  247. ^ "NHL back on ESPN with 7-year multiplatform deal". ESPN. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  248. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  249. NHL.com
    . Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  250. ^ Staff, Sean Shapiro and The Athletic. "ESPN, NHL agree to 7-year broadcast deal". The Athletic. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  251. Sporting News
    . Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  252. ^ O'Leary, Sean; Gold-Smith, Josh (10 March 2021). "NHL, ESPN reach 7-year broadcast deal reportedly worth over $2.8B". theScore.com. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  253. ^ Battaglio, Stephen (10 March 2021). "NHL TV rights return to ESPN with a seven-year-deal that includes streaming". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  254. ^ Clinkscales, Jason (29 June 2022). "Start times for the NBA Finals are harder to defend now after watching the Stanley Cup Final". Awful Announcing. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  255. ^ Lucia, Joe (27 April 2021). "Turner's NHL deal will include "up to 72" exclusive national games each season, half the Stanley Cup Playoffs, HBO Max streaming". Awful Announcing.
  256. ^ Knoll, Andrew (27 April 2021). "N.H.L. and Turner Sports Reach 7-Year Media Rights Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  257. ^ Hayes, Dade; Pedersen, Erik (27 April 2021). "Turner & NHL Ice Seven-Year Rights Deal Including Some Playoff & Stanley Cup Final Games, HBO Max – Update". Deadline. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  258. ^ Lucia, Joe (16 September 2021). "ESPN, Turner release NHL schedules for 2021-22 season, featuring 78 regular season games on cable and broadcast". Awful Announcing. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  259. ^ "Breaking it Down: How to Watch the NHL on ESPN, ESPN+, Hulu and ABC". ESPN Press Room U.S. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  260. ^ "Start times for the NBA Finals are harder to defend after the Stanley Cup Final". Awful Announcing. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  261. ^ Paulsen (26 April 2023). "Weeknight NBA Finals games to begin half-hour earlier". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  262. ^ "2023 NHL Stadium Series between Capitals, Hurricanes to air on ABC, ESPN+". NHL.com. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  263. ^ Chi, Danny (1 December 2022). "NHL Schedule Update: 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series to be Broadcast on ABC and Simulcast on ESPN+". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  264. ^ Chi, Danny (7 September 2022). "The Walt Disney Company Announces 103 Exclusive National Hockey League Games Across ESPN, ESPN+, Hulu and ABC Beginning October 11". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  265. ^ "The Walt Disney Company Announces 100 Exclusive National Hockey League Games Across ESPN, ESPN+, ABC, and Hulu Beginning October 10". ESPN Press Room (Press release). 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  266. ^ DiCristoforo, Andrea (13 February 2024). "2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series Headlines Five Exclusive Games this Week on ABC and ESPN+/Hulu". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  267. ^ "McDonough gets lead NHL gig on ESPN". Sports Media Watch. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  268. ^ a b Greenspan, Jared (29 June 2021). "ESPN tabs Sean McDonough as lead NHL play-by-play voice". New York Post. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  269. ^ a b "McDonough, Levy to lead ESPN's team for NHL coverage". USA Today. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  270. ^ a b c "Dynamic, Diverse and Accomplished Team to Present ESPN's NHL Coverage to Fans". ESPN Press Room U.S. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  271. ^ Gardner, Steve. "ESPN adds Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier as NHL analyst". USA Today. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  272. ^ "NHL great Messier joins ESPN as studio analyst". ESPN. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  273. ^ "Sean McDonough to lead ESPN's NHL coverage". www.boston.com. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  274. ^ "ESPN Announces Its No. 1 Announcer For The NHL". The Spun. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  275. ^ Marchand, Andrew (10 May 2021). "ESPN adding Ray Ferraro, Brian Boucher as NHL analysts". New York Post. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  276. ^ The Athletic Staff. "Ray Ferraro and Brian Boucher to join ESPN as NHL analysts: Sources". The Athletic. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  277. ^ Tornoe, Rob (30 June 2021). "ESPN's new NHL roster has several Flyers connections, including a once-hated foe". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  278. ^ "Referee Dave Jackson Joins ESPN NHL Broadcast Team". Scouting The Refs. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  279. ^ Patrick Johnston [@risingaction] (1 October 2021). "ESPN adding a rules analyst in retired ref Dave Jackson. TSN of course had Kerry Fraser in the past" (Tweet). Retrieved 7 October 2021 – via Twitter.
  280. ^ Marchand, Andrew (28 June 2021). "ESPN hiring Chris Chelios to join Mark Messier in NHL studio". New York Post. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  281. ^ Coryell, Grace (11 November 2021). "ESPN NHL Schedule Update: New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins Added for 2021 NHL Thanksgiving Showdown on ABC November 26". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  282. ^ "2023 NHL Stadium Series between Capitals, Hurricanes to air on ABC, ESPN+ | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  283. ^ "Bruins set NHL history as fastest team to 50 wins". ESPN.com. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  284. ^ "NHL.com Media Site". media.nhl.com. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  285. ^ "Bruins edge Red Wings for 50th win, clinch playoff berth | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  286. ^ DiCristoforo, Andrea (25 January 2023). "ESPN Updates NHL Exclusive Games for 2022-23 Season". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  287. ^ "Bruins edge Devils, tie NHL record for wins in season at 62 | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. 9 April 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  288. ^ "Bruins top Devils, tie NHL record with 62nd win". ESPN.com. 9 April 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  289. ^ a b c DiCristoforo, Andrea (19 December 2023). "ESPN Updates NHL Exclusive Games for 2023-24 Season". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  290. ^ DiCristoforo, Andrea (8 February 2024). "ESPN Updates NHL Exclusive Games for 2023-24 Season". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  291. ^ "'NHL Big City Greens Classic' returns with Penguins, Bruins on March 9 | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  292. ^ DiCristoforo, Andrea (15 April 2023). "ESPN Drops the Puck on the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs presented by GEICO with 13 First Round Games Over Four Days". ESPNPressroom.com. ESPN Interactive. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  293. ^ DiCristoforo, Andrea (29 April 2023). "2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs presented by GEICO Continue Saturday with Devils at Rangers Game 6 on ABC and ESPN+". ESPNPressroom.com. ESPN Interactive. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  294. ^ DiCristoforo, Andrea (17 May 2023). "2023 Stanley Cup Western Conference Final Begins Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes". ESPNPressroom.com. ESPN Interactive. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  295. ^ DiCristoforo, Andrea (26 May 2023). "2023 Stanley Cup Western Conference Final Continues Saturday in a Primetime Game 5 Matchup 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved 28 May 2023.

External links

Preceded by NHL network broadcast partner
(with NBC) in the United States
1992–1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NHL network broadcast partner
in the United States
2000–2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NHL network broadcast partner
in the United States
2021– 		Succeeded by
–
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NHL_on_ABC&oldid=1218648469"