FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 25th, 2018

2018 STANLEY CUP FINAL BEGINS MONDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC – VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS HOST WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Pre-Game Coverage Starts at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire to Call 12th Consecutive Stanley Cup Final as Broadcast Team

Hosts Liam McHugh, Kathryn Tappen, and Paul Burmeister Anchor On-Site Studio Coverage with Analysts Mike Milbury, Jeremy Roenick, Keith Jones, Brian Boucher, and Anson Carter Throughout Stanley Cup Final

Mike Tirico to Host Game 1 Coverage from T-Mobile Arena

NBC Sports’ Coverage of First Three Rounds of 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs Is Most-Watched In 21 Years & Up 7% vs. 2017

NBC Sports Stanley Cup Final Media Conference Call Transcript Available

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 25, 2018Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will attempt to capture their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, while Marc-Andre Fleury and the expansion Vegas Golden Knights try to cap the most improbable inaugural season in the history of professional sports with a championship, as NBC Sports begins exclusive coverage of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final for the 13th consecutive year with Game 1 on Monday, May 28, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Pre-game coverage from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN with a special two-hour edition of NHL Live.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will provide streaming coverage of all 2018 Stanley Cup Final games.

Six-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member and analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will call the 2018 Stanley Cup Final on NBC and NBCSN. This marks the 12th consecutive year that Emrick, Olczyk and McGuire will call the Stanley Cup Final for NBC Sports, one of the longest streaks by any broadcast team calling a major U.S. team sport championship. Coverage of all 2018 Stanley Cup Final games will begin at 8 p.m. ET, with pre-game coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Host Liam McHugh will anchor pre-game, intermission and post-game coverage on-site throughout the series, alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones. In addition, Kathryn Tappen and Paul Burmeister will host pre-game and post-game coverage from outside sets in Las Vegas and Washington, capturing the scene amongst the fans alongside analysts and former players Jeremy Roenick, Brian Boucher, and Anson Carter.

Mike Tirico will host Game 1 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and will contribute to the coverage of other Stanley Cup Final games as well.

Monday night’s two-hour pre-game show on NBCSN will include in-depth interviews with Marc-Andre Fleury and Alex Ovechkin, as well as features on the Golden Knights’ improbable run, the franchise’s community efforts following October’s tragic shooting, current Vegas general manager and former Capitals general manager George McPhee, and more.

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NBC SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF FIRST THREE ROUNDS OF 2018 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS IS MOST-WATCHED IN 21 YEARS & UP 7% VS. 2017

Following Thursday night’s thrilling Eastern Conference Final Game 7, in which the Washington Capitals defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-0, to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs to date (78 games) has averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.206 million viewers, which stands as the most-watched playoffs in 21 years (1997/ESPN, ESPN2, FOX 1.237 million viewers), and is up 7% vs. 2017 (1.129 million). Click here for more information.

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NBC SPORTS STANLEY CUP FINAL MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

NBC Sports Group’s lead NHL broadcast team of Emrick, Olczyk, McGuire and Mike Milbury (analyst), as well as executive producer Sam Flood, previewed the 2018 Stanley Cup Final between the Golden Knights and Capitals on Thursday. The following are highlights from the call. Click here for a complete transcript.

Olczyk on the series: “If the Vegas Golden Knights are not the Sports Team of the Year or the Decade; I said this before, there should be an investigation. Just an incredible story, a team that hasn’t even been around for one year – and to see where the Washington Capitals are after the first two games of the playoffs, losing both games at home, it’s well-documented. But just an incredible, resilient bunch to get to this stage; and to get an opportunity in the Alexander Ovechkin era, who has just played absolutely terrific hockey in all three zones.”

McGuire on Ovechkin: “The playoff that he’s had; the domination that he’s had, even when he’s not scoring, is influencing the outcome of games. A big body presence; the mobility that we haven’t seen from him probably since he’s been in his first three years in the league. He’s just gotten quicker and he’s gotten stronger, and I think that’s a testament to his commitment to the game.”

Milbury on the Golden Knights: “They’re emblematic of what makes the game so good. No, I don’t think they are as talented as everybody else in the league. They still have some great talent and evolving talent but they have also bought in in a different way. Their work ethic is just beyond compare. They go, go, go, and they go four lines deep and three sets of defensemen backed up by a world-class goaltender, and that kind of performance and consistency of effort, concerted effort, can overcome lack of talent at every level of this game, and they have certainly shown that.”

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STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 1 – GOLDEN KNIGHTS-CAPITALS – MONDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC

Washington advanced to its first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years following a 4-0 win against Tampa Bay in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. Alex Ovechkin netted the eventual game-winner just 1:02 into the game, Andre Burakovsky scored his first two goals of the postseason, and Braden Holtby made 29 saves to record his second consecutive shutout.  This marks the Capitals’ second Stanley Cup Final berth overall and the first during the Ovechkin era. The 13-year veteran is tied for the 10th-most postseason games played prior to making an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. The Capitals were swept by the Detroit Red Wings in their only prior Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1998.

With a series-clinching win against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 5 on Sunday, the Golden Knights advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. Vegas is led by Fleury, who recorded his 74th career postseason victory in Game 5, and Jonathan Marchessault, who leads the team in both goals (eight) and points (18) this postseason.

Vegas defeated Washington in both meetings during the regular season, including a narrow 4-3 victory over the Capitals on Feb. 4 in Capital One Arena. Fleury combined for 46 saves on 49 shots in the two contests and recorded one shutout.

Following is the full telecast schedule for the 2018 Stanley Cup Final with networks and start times. Pre-game coverage will begin each night with NHL Live at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Date Coverage Network Time (ET)
Mon., May 28 Game 1 – Washington at Vegas NBC 8 p.m.
Wed., May 30 Game 2 – Washington at Vegas NBCSN 8 p.m.
Sat., June 2 Game 3 – Vegas at Washington NBCSN 8 p.m.
Mon., June 4 Game 4 – Vegas at Washington NBC 8 p.m.
Thur., June 7 Game 5 – Washington at Vegas* NBC 8 p.m.
Sun., June 10 Game 6 – Vegas at Washington* NBC 8 p.m.
Wed., June 13 Game 7 – Washington at Vegas* NBC 8 p.m.

*if necessary

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NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all Stanley Cup Playoff games to desktops, tablets, and connected TVs. The NBC Sports app will stream coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, and Xbox.

 

–NBC SPORTS–