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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, May 13th, 2012

NBC SPORTS GROUP TO AIR EXCLUSIVE THIRD-ROUND COVERAGE OF 2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

NEW YORK – May 13, 2012 – The NBC Sports Group’s exclusive Conference Finals coverage of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins tonight in Phoenix with Game 1 of the Western Conference between the #3 Coyotes and the #8 Los Angeles Kings at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live.

Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (‘Inside-the-glass’ analyst) will call the action in the Rangers-Devils series. The team of Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (analyst) and Darren Pang (‘Inside-the-glass’ analyst) will helm the Western Conference games between the Kings-Coyotes.

Continuing through the Stanley Cup Final, all remaining Stanley Cup Playoff games will air exclusively on NBC and NBC Sports Network. Following is the current schedule for Conference Finals games (all times ET and subject to change):

*If Necessary

CHANNEL FINDER

With all 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games airing nationally for the first time, the NBC Sports Group created a channel finder to help fans find NBC and NBC Sports Network in their area by simply entering a zip code.

Click here for the channel finder.

PRE-GAME & POST-GAME COVERAGE

NHL Live, NBC Sports Network’s NHL pre-game show, will air every game night a half hour before the game of the night begins. NHL Post-Game will air a 30-minute program following the conclusion of game coverage every night of the playoffs.

NBCSPORTS.COM

NBCSports.com’s fast-growing ProHockeyTalk, which has experienced a 140% increase in unique visitors and a 289% in page views compared to last season, will anchor NBC Sports’ online and mobile coverage of the NHL Playoffs.

Featuring writers Jason Brough & Mike Halford, ProHockeyTalk provides unique, informative and entertaining news, commentary and analysis– updated around the clock — on all the stories surrounding the NHL Playoffs. ProHockeyTalk is also an integral part of the popular NBC Sports Talk app.  Other NBCSports.com features will include:

• The debut of PHT Extra, a multiple-times-a-week. online-only. video segment, featuring ProHockeyTalk’s Brough and Halford
• Online-only videos featuring NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network hockey commentators previewing upcoming playoff games and wrapping-up all of the NHL action that day
• Content provided by Comcast SportsNet NHL insiders
• An NHL Playoffs Channel Finder tool that will help fans locate the times and stations for every NHL playoff broadcast
• “Second screen” companion programming on NBCSports.com for games airing on NBC will include live, in-game video highlights; a live chat with ProHockeyTalk’s Brough & Halford; “Star Cams” featuring alternating, video coverage of the best players on each team, and a newly-introduced “Spotlight Cam,” a just-above-ice-level/center ice look at the action

SOCIAL MEDIA

In addition to broadcast, cable, regional and digital platforms, theNBC Sports Group will connect with NHL fans via numerous social media initiatives, including social integration, on-air integration and news:

• Social Integration:
  • #StanleyCup Hash Tag: NHL Fans can join the conversation by using the #StanleyCup hash tag across every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
  • Milestone Mania: With the launch of the new Facebook Timeline, fans can explore and answer Stanley Cup Playoffs trivia questions
  • NHL on NBC Sports Instagram: NHL fans can upload photos to Instagram and use #instahockey. The NHL on NBC Sports Instagram account “Because It’s the Cup” will feature the best fan photos
  • Live Twitter Chats: Fans will have the opportunity to have live Twitter chats with NHL and NBC Sports personalities and commentators throughout the playoffs
• On-Air Integration:
  • Playoff Polls: Fans can weigh in on a variety of NHL themed polls on Facebook and Twitter that commentators will discuss throughout the broadcasts
  • #MVPonNBC – During pre-game, post-game and in-game coverage, fans can tweet who they think the #MVPonNBC is. Commentators will discuss the fan favorites and weigh in with their own opinions.
• News:
  • Fans can engange with Twitter (@NHLonNBCSports) and Facebook (facebook.com/NHLonNBCSports) to receive the most up to date tune-in information, scores, reports and stories from around the NHL and ProHockeyTalk.

REMAINING STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF COVERAGE

STANLEY CUP FINAL

For the seventh consecutive year, NBC and the NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) will provide exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final. NBC will broadcast Games 1-2 and Games 5-7 (if necessary), with NBC Sports Network televising Games 3-4.

• Last year’s Stanley Cup Final seven-game series, which featured the Boston Bruins defeating the Vancouver Canucks to claim their first championship since 1972, (Games 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 on NBC and Games 3, 4 on VERSUS) averaged 4.6 million viewers and a household rating of 2.7/5, surpassing the 2004 series (3.3 million, 2.2/4 on ABC/ESPN) as the most-watched combined network/cable Stanley Cup involving a Canadian team ever and up 39 percent from that series
• Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which saw the Boston Bruins defeat the Vancouver Canucks, 4-0, was watched by 8.54 million people on NBC, making it the most-watched NHL game in 38 years, according to The Nielsen Company