World-Record Crowd of 100,000+ Anticipated for Original Six Clash at Michigan Stadium on New Year’s Day
Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire to Call Action at Ice Level for First Time in NBC Sports Broadcast-Television History
Winter Classic Media Conference Call with Emrick, Olczyk, McGuire and Executive Producer Sam Flood Monday, Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. ET
NHL Live’s Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick On-Site From “The Big House”
Team USA Men’s and Women’s Hockey Rosters to Be Announced
STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 26, 2013 – Two storied NHL franchises will face off at one of college football’s most historic stadiums in front of more than 100,000 fans on New Year’s Day, when NBC presents the 2014 NHL Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET, from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. In addition, NBCSN will present coverage of the Maple Leafs-Red Wings Alumni Games on New Year’s Eve, a pre-Olympic exhibition game in women’s hockey between Team USA and Team Canada on Saturday, Dec. 28, and a matchup of the previous two Stanley Cup winners on Monday night, when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Los Angeles Kings.
Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will have the Winter Classic call rink-side from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., home of the University of Michigan Wolverines football team. It will be the first time a full broadcast team has called an NHL regular-season game at ice level in NBC Sports broadcast-television history.
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NHL WINTER CLASSIC CONFERENCE CALL – MONDAY, DEC. 30 AT 1 P.M. ET
Emrick, Olczyk, McGuire and executive producer Sam Flood, will preview the upcoming NHL Winter Classic on a media conference call Monday, Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. ET. Media interested in participating should call 719-325-2458; Passcode: 7161389.
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NHL Live host Liam McHugh will be on-site at Michigan Stadium alongside former players and analysts Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick to provide pre-game and post-game analysis, as well as commentary during intermissions.
In addition, The Weather Channel on-camera meteorologist and storm tracker Jim Cantore will be on-site to provide weather updates and conduct interviews throughout the game, a role he has held at previous NHL Winter Classics.
The Red Wings will make their second appearance in the NHL Winter Classic, having defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4, in 2009 at Wrigley Field, while the Maple Leafs become the first Canadian team to appear in the annual New Year’s Day outdoor affair. The event will aim to set the Guinness World Record for highest attendance at a hockey game, which was set at Michigan Stadium in a college hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State in 2010 (104,073).
In advance of the NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, NBCSN will provide live coverage of two alumni games between former members of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, starting at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 31, from Comerica Park in Detroit, Mich.
The NHL Winter Classic will also have an Olympic element, with less than 50 days remaining until the start of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. During the second intermission, NBC will provide live coverage of the final roster announcement for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Women’s ice hockey team. Following the game, NBC will also provide coverage of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men’s ice hockey team roster announcement.
On Saturday, Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. ET, Team USA faces Team Canada in a pre-Olympic women’s exhibition game on NBCSN. Last Friday, Team USA defeated Team Canada, by a score of 4-1, for their second straight victory against their rivals to the north. Dave Strader will provide play-by-play action alongside former Team USA members A.J. Mlezcko (analyst) and Natalie Darwitz (analyst), from Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn.
NBC Sports Group’s NHL coverage next week begins Monday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN with a matchup of the two previous Stanley Cup Champions, when Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks host Dustin Brown and the Los Angeles Kings. John Forslund (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (analyst) will provide live commentary from United Center in Chicago, Ill.
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will stream all 2013-14 NHL regular-season games televised on NBC and NBCSN, including this week’s Kings-Blackhawks matchup, the NHL Winter Classic, both alumni games and the Team USA-Team Canada pre-Olympic exhibition game.
| Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) |
| Sat., December 28 | Team USA vs. Team Canada – Women’s Exhibition | NBCSN | 4 p.m. |
| Mon., December 30 | NHL Live | NBCSN | 7 p.m. |
| Los Angeles at Chicago | NBCSN | 8 p.m. | |
| Tue., December 31 | Winter Classic Alumni Game #1 | NBCSN | 1 p.m. |
| NHL Top 10 | NBCSN | 3 p.m. | |
| NHL Top 10 | NBCSN | 3:30 p.m. | |
| Winter Classic Alumni Game #2 | NBCSN | 4 p.m. | |
| Wed., January 1 | Toronto at Detroit – 2014 NHL Winter Classic | NBC | 1 p.m. |
| Return to Vancouver – 2010 Gold Medal Game | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
NHL WINTER CLASSIC PRODUCES MOST-WATCHED NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES
The Winter Classic, which was co-created by NBC Sports and the NHL and debuted in 2008, has produced five of the six most-watched NHL regular-season games in the past 38 years (average viewers).
| Viewership | Date | Network | Game |
| 1. 4.5 million | Jan. 1, 2011 | NBC | Capitals-Penguins |
| 2. 4.4 million | Jan. 1, 2009 | NBC | Red Wings-Blackhawks |
| 3. 3.8 million | Jan. 27, 1996 | FOX | Six-game regional coverage |
| 4. 3.8 million | Jan. 1, 2008 | NBC | Penguins-Sabres |
| 5. 3.74 million | Jan. 2, 2012 | NBC | Rangers-Flyers |
| 6. 3.68 million | Jan. 1, 2010 | NBC | Flyers-Bruins |
NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will stream NHL coverage via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.
For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
Games airing on:
- NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra;
- NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.
2013-14 REGULAR-SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN
NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of 103 NHL regular-season games during the 2013-14 season, featuring 13 games on NBC and 90 games on NBCSN. All games will be streamed live via NBC Sports Live Extra. Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive NHL coverage this season.
NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS
NBC Sports Regional Networks, which serve top NHL markets such as Boston (Bruins), Philadelphia (Flyers), Washington D.C. (Capitals), Chicago (Blackhawks) and the Bay Area (Sharks), will air more than 300 live NHL games and surround the 2013-14 NHL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most.
NBC SPORTS GROUP’S DIGITAL AND SOCIAL NHL COVERAGE
NBC Sports Group will continue to provide hockey fans with up-to-the-minute news, video, and information on the NHL and hockey from around the world via its digital and social properties, including NBCSports.com, Twitter and Facebook. Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s Digital and Social NHL coverage.
For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com
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