FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

HOCKEY IS BACK – 2014-15 NHL REGULAR SEASON BEGINS WITH DOUBLEHEADER TONIGHT ON NBCSN

Boston Bruins Host Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday Night Rivalry at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings Host San Jose Sharks at 10 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Opening Night Coverage Starts with NHL Live Tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET

Veteran TSN Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger Join NBC Sports Group; McKenzie In-Studio Tonight

NBCSN’s NHL Coverage Continues Tomorrow with Avalanche-Wild at 9 p.m. ET

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 8, 2014 – Hockey Starts TONIGHT – The puck drops on the 2014-15 NHL regular season tonight with a doubleheader on NBCSN, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET when Milan Lucic and the Boston Bruins host Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday Night Rivalry, followed by the 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings against the San Jose Sharks at 10 p.m. ET.

This week’s NHL coverage continues tomorrow night with a second 2014 Stanley Cup Playoff rematch in as many days on NBCSN, when the Colorado Avalanche visit the Minnesota Wild at 9 p.m. ET.

This week’s NHL games will all be streamed via NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets.

Coverage begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh. He will be joined by former NHL players and analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones, as well as veteran TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, who joins NBC Sports Group this season with more than 35 years of hockey reporting experience.


WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY
: FLYERS AT BRUINS – TONIGHT AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The 2014-15 NHL regular season kicks off with a Wednesday Night Rivalry clash between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins tonight on NBCSN. The Bruins recorded 117 points (54-19-9) in the 2013-14 regular season and earned the Presidents’ Trophy for the NHL’s best regular-season record, but fell to the rival Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series. The Flyers enter the 2014-15 season following a first-round loss to the eventual Eastern Conference Champion New York Rangers a season ago. Boston swept the season series from Philadelphia last year, winning all three games against the Flyers.

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 call from TD Garden in Boston, Mass.


SHARKS AT KINGS – TONIGHT AT 10 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The reigning Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings will raise their championship banner to the STAPLES Center rafters tonight on NBCSN, prior to puck drop against the San Jose Sharks at 10 p.m. ET. San Jose enters the 2014-15 campaign looking to avenge its playoff collapse to Los Angeles last season. The Kings began their title run with an improbable first-round series win over the Sharks, becoming just the fourth team in NHL history to erase a 3-0 series deficit.

Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (analyst) will provide live commentary STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif.


AVALANCHE AT WILD – TOMORROW AT 9 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN presents another 2014 Stanley Cup Playoff rematch tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET, when Zach Parise and the Minnesota Wild host Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche and Wild open the season on Thursday following a high-octane first-round series last season. The Wild upset the Central Division champion Avalanche in Game 7 with Nino Niederreiter’s overtime series-clinching goal, before falling to Chicago in the second round.

John Forslund (play-by-play) and Pierre McGuire (Inside-the-Glass) will have the call from Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

Following is this week’s NHL coverage on NBCSN:

 

Date Coverage Network Time (ET)
Wed., October 8 NHL Live NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday Night Rivalry – Philadelphia at Boston NBCSN 7:30 p.m.
San Jose at Los Angeles NBCSN 10 p.m.
Thurs., October 9 Colorado at Minnesota NBCSN 9 p.m.


VETERAN TSN HOCKEY INSIDER BOB MCKENZIE JOINS NBC SPORTS GROUP

It was announced today that Bob McKenzie, the longtime TSN Hockey Insider with more than 35 years of reporting experience, is joining NBC Sports Group’s NHL coverage. In addition, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger will join NBC Sports Group’s NHL coverage as a contributor. Both McKenzie and Dreger will continue in their respective roles for TSN in Canada. Click here to read the full release.


2014-15 REGULAR SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN

NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of 103 NHL regular-season games during the 2014-15 season, featuring 14 games on NBC and 89 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-