NBC SPORTS GROUP’S COVERAGE OF 2015 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BEGINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH FOUR GAMES

NBC SPORTS GROUP STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF CONFERENCE CALL – TOMORROW AT 4 P.M. ET

NBCSN’s Game Coverage Begins Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET with Game 1 of (3) Blackhawks-(2) Predators

USA Network Wednesday Game 1 Doubleheader – (3) Islanders-(2) Capitals at 7 p.m. ET, Followed by (3) Flames-(2) Canucks at 10 p.m. ET

NHL Network Presents Game 1 of (4) Senators-(1) Canadiens Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET

NBC Presents Live Coverage of 2015 NHL Draft Lottery Saturday Night at 8 p.m. ET, Prior to Game 2 of Penguins-Rangers

Pre-Game Coverage Begins with NHL Live at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 13, 2015 – NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins with four first-round games on Wednesday night, the first night of two months of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey. In order to televise as many as four games on a given day/night during the first round, NBC Sports Group will present matchups on NBC, NBCSN and NHL Network, as well as NBCUniversal’s USA Network, the No. 1 cable entertainment network, and CNBC, NBCUniversal’s business channel. This marks the first time USA Network will present NHL Stanley Cup Playoff coverage since 1985. CNBC has provided Stanley Cup Playoff coverage since 2012. First-round games on cable are subject to local blackouts.

NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream all games airing on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC, all via “TV Everywhere.”

Coverage begins Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live on NBCSN. On most nights of the first round, NBC Sports Group will produce two versions of NHL Live (one for NBCSN, one for USA Network/CNBC) from separate studios at its International Broadcast Center located in Stamford, Conn. NHL Live will feature a combination of hosts Liam McHugh, Kathryn Tappen, Russ Thaler and Dave Briggs, and analysts and former players Mike Milbury, Keith Jones, Jeremy Roenick and Anson Carter.

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NBC SPORTS GROUP 2015 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS CONFERENCE CALL – TOMORROW AT 4 P.M. ET

NBC Sports Group’s lead NHL game commentary crew of Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator and Sports Illustrated 2014 Media Person of the Year Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Eddie Olczyk, and Inside-the-Glass analyst and Emmy Award-winner Pierre McGuire, as well as Executive Producer Sam Flood, will preview the upcoming 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs on a media conference call tomorrow, April 14 at 4 p.m. ET. Media interested in participating should dial 719-325-2281; passcode 8306562.

• WHAT: 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs conference call
• WHO: Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire, Sam Flood
• WHEN: Tomorrow, April 14 at 4 p.m. ET
• NUMBER: 719-325-2281
• PASSCODE: 8306562

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NBC PRESENTS LIVE COVERAGE OF 2015 NHL DRAFT LOTTERY SATURDAY NIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET, PRIOR TO GAME 2 OF PENGUINS-RANGERS

The 2015 NHL Draft Lottery, a weighted system implemented and utilized to determine the order of selection in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft for the 14 Clubs not qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs (or the Clubs that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams), will take place on Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, prior to Game 2 of the Penguins-Rangers first-round series. Click here for more information.

The teams that earn the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in this year’s draft will have the opportunity to select from two players widely-regarded as potential future NHL superstars; Canadian Connor McDavid and American Jack Eichel, the latter of which was awarded the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, given to the top NCAA hockey player.

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NBC SPORTS GROUP STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF GAME 1 COVERAGE

WEDNESDAY

(3) NEW YORK ISLANDERS AT (2) WASHINGTON CAPITALS – GAME 1 ON WEDNESDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON USA NETWORK

Wednesday night’s Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage features a doubleheader on USA Network, beginning at 7 p.m. ET when Alex Ovechkin and the (2) Washington Capitals host John Tavares and the (3) New York Islanders. Ovechkin led the league with 53 goals, his sixth season with at least 50 goals, while Tavares finished the season with 86 points, one shy of league-leader Jamie Benn (87). Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Emmy Award-winning Inside-the-Glass analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call from the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C.

(4) OTTAWA SENATORS AT (1) MONTREAL CANADIENS – GAME 1 ON WEDNESDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON NHL NETWORK

NHL Network’s coverage begins Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, when P.K. Subban and the (1) Atlantic Division-champion Montreal Canadiens host Andrew Hammond and the (4) Ottawa Senators. Ottawa finished the season on a 23-4-4 run, led by Hammond, who has posted a remarkable 20-1-2 record since joining the Senators in the second half of the season, living up to his nickname, “The Hamburglar.” The two teams met in the first round in 2012-13, when Ottawa defeated Montreal in five games. Paul Romanuk, Mike Johnson, Glenn Healy and David Amber will have the call from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Que.

(3) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS AT (2) NASHVILLE PREDATORS – GAME 1 ON WEDNESDAY AT 8:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN drops the puck on its Stanley Cup Playoff game coverage Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, when Jonathan Toews and the (3) Chicago Blackhawks visit Shea Weber and the (2) Nashville Predators. Chicago won three of four matchups against Nashville this season, including a 5-4 shootout victory in their most recent matchup on Dec. 29. Gord Miller (play-by-play) and Joe Micheletti (Inside-The-Glass analyst) will call the action from Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville, Tenn.

(3) CALGARY FLAMES AT (2) VANCOUVER CANUCKS – GAME 1 ON WEDNESDAY AT 10 P.M. ET ON USA NETWORK

USA Network’s coverage continues Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET, following Islanders-Capitals, as Johnny Gaudreau and the (3) Calgary Flames visit Daniel Sedin and the (2) Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of their first-round series. The Flames return to the postseason for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign, while the Canucks return to the postseason led by Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who lead the club with 76 and 73 points, respectively. Chris Cuthbert (play-by-play) and Bret Hedican (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the action from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C.

THURSDAY

(4) PITTSBURGH PENGUINS AT (1) NEW YORK RANGERS – GAME 1 ON THURSDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Sidney Crosby and the (4) Pittsburgh Penguins renew their rivalry with Henrik Lundqvist and the (1) New York Rangers with a first-round matchup, beginning with Game 1 on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The Rangers earned their first Presidents’ Trophy since 1994 with a league-leading 113 points, a single-season franchise record. Pittsburgh defeated Buffalo 2-0 in the final game of the regular season to clinch the second Wild-Card spot. Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator and Sports Illustrated 2014 Media Person of the Year Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, and Inside-the-Glass analyst and Emmy Award-winner Pierre McGuire will have the call from Madison Square Garden in New York.

(3) DETROIT RED WINGS AT (2) TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – GAME 1 ON THURSDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON CNBC

CNBC’s playoff coverage begins Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. ET, when Steven Stamkos and the (2) Tampa Bay Lightning host Henrik Zetterberg and the (3) Detroit Red Wings. The Lightning have won three of four meetings between the two clubs, but Detroit earned a 4-0 win in their most recent meeting on March 28. This marks the first time the Red Wings and Lightning will meet in the postseason. John Forslund (play-by-play) and Andy Brickley (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will have the call from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

(4) MINNESOTA WILD AT (1) ST. LOUIS BLUES – GAME 1 ON THURSDAY AT 9:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Zach Parise and the (4) Minnesota Wild begin their first-round series against T.J. Oshie and the (1) St. Louis Blues on Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The two teams met on the final day of the regular season in St. Louis, with the Blues earning a 4-2 victory, snapping the Wild’s franchise-record 12-game road winning streak. Minnesota’s second half push was led by goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who recorded a 27-9-2 record after joining the team in January. The Blues notched their second division title in the last four seasons, and tied Anaheim for the most points in the Western Conference (109). Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the action from Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

(4) WINNIPEG JETS AT (1) ANAHEIM DUCKS – GAME 1 ON THURSDAY AT 10:30 P.M. ET ON CNBC

Game 1 coverage concludes Thursday on CNBC at 10:30 p.m. ET, as Ryan Getzlaf and the (1) Anaheim Ducks welcome Dustin Byfuglien and the (4) Winnipeg Jets in Game 1 of their first-round series. Anaheim earned its third straight Pacific Division title this season, while the Jets earned the final Wild Card spot to mark their first postseason appearance since relocating from Atlanta in 2011. Dave Randorf, Garry Galley and Cassie Campbell-Pascall will provide live game commentary from Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Following is NBC Sports Group’s Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round television schedule through Tue., April 28, including all potential Game 5, 6 and 7 matchups. (NOTE: Games airing on NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and NHL Network are subject to local blackouts in the first round; all times ET and subject to change):

*if necessary
**signifies regionalized coverage. On Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, select markets will receive Red Wings-Lightning on NBC, and Wild-Blues on NBCSN. Remaining markets will receive Wild-Blues on NBC, and Red Wings-Lightning on NBCSN.
***NBCSN will join in progress following Rangers-Penguins game.

COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE

Comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be provided daily via NBC Sports Regional Networks, available in more than 50 million U.S. households. Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will provide the hometown fans of the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals, respectively, with comprehensive coverage throughout their teams’ Stanley Cup Playoff runs, including exclusive regional coverage of first-round games, pre- and post-game shows and extensive on-line coverage via Comcast SportsNet’s team of NHL Insiders.

For teams that advance past the first round, NBC Sports Regional Networks will deliver extensive pre- and post-game coverage as well as breaking news and analysis throughout each team’s playoff run.

NBC SPORTS GROUP AND NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE CELEBRATE 2015 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS WITH “LORD STANLEY’S CUP DIDDLY-UMPTIOUS BRACKET BAR”

NBC Sports Group and the National Hockey League have once again joined forces to celebrate the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by providing fans with an edible chocolate bracket and a chance to spend time with The Stanley Cup. As part of this year’s “Every Game. Every Night. Don’t Miss a Moment” marketing campaign, NBC Sports Group and the NHL have created 32,768 “Lord Stanley’s Cup Diddly-Umptious Bracket Bar” chocolate bars, one for each possible bracket combination.

Each of the chocolate bars features an imprint of a blank Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket, and is packaged in a unique wrapper which includes one of 32,768 different bracket combinations. At the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final, one lucky winner will possess the perfect bracket and will win a trip to the 2016 NHL All-Star Weekend, and the opportunity to spend time with the Stanley Cup. In addition, four fans who receive chocolate bars featuring a silver ticket will win a trip to Game 3 of this year’s Stanley Cup Final and the opportunity to spend time with the Stanley Cup.

Click here for more information: http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2015/04/13/nbc-sports-group-and-national-hockey-league-celebrate-2015-stanley-cup-playoffs-with-lord-stanleys-cup-diddly-umptious-bracket-bar/

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA COVERAGE

NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will stream comprehensive coverage of games airing on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC on NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play and Windows Store.
--NBC SPORTS GROUP--