FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 16th, 2015

NBC SPORTS GROUP CELEBRATES HOCKEY DAY IN AMERICA & 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF “MIRACLE ON ICE” ON SUNDAY; KINGS-SHARKS IN NHL STADIUM SERIES SATURDAY ON NBCSN

Hockey Day In America Tripleheader on Sunday

Studio Coverage On-Site from Lake Placid on 35th Anniversary of 1980 “Miracle On Ice”

Interviews with Members of 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, Feature on Forward Mark Wells

HDIA Tripleheader – Capitals-Flyers at Noon ET on NBC, Bruins-Blackhawks at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC, Stars-Wild at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN

  Stories Throughout Day to Explore Hockey’s Influence and Impact in America

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NHL Stadium Series – Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks at Levi’s Stadium – Coverage Begins Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Red Wings-Blackhawks on Wednesday Night Rivalry at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, Followed by Kings-Avalanche at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday Nightcap

Penguins Host Blue Jackets Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, Sabres Visit Devils Tomorrow Night at 7:30 p.m. ET

STAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 16, 2015 – NBC Sports Group will celebrate hockey in the United States with Hockey Day In America coverage this Sunday from the site of one of the most influential hockey games in U.S. history, when NBC and NBCSN present a hockey tripleheader with studio coverage on-site from Lake Placid, N.Y., on the 35th anniversary of the 1980 “Miracle On Ice.”

Sunday’s Hockey Day In America coverage begins at noon ET on NBC with Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals visiting Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers, followed by a rematch of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at 3:30 p.m. ET between Milan Lucic’s Boston Bruins, and Patrick Kane’s Chicago Blackhawks. Coverage shifts to NBCSN at 7 p.m. ET for NHL Live, followed by an 8 p.m. ET puck drop between Zach Parise and the Minnesota Wild and Jamie Benn and the Dallas Stars, concluding an 11-hour block of NHL programming across NBC and NBCSN.

In addition to extensive Hockey Day In America coverage, NBCSN will present the latest iteration of the NHL Stadium Series on Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET, when Joe Pavelski and the San Jose Sharks host Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings at Levi’s Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, in Santa Clara, Calif. Pre-game coverage begins at 9:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live on-site from Levi’s Stadium.

NBCSN’s Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup features the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by a Wednesday Nightcap showdown at 10 p.m. ET between the Kings and Colorado Avalanche. NBCSN’s coverage also features the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET, and the Buffalo Sabres at the New Jersey Devils tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET.

 

HOCKEY DAY IN AMERICA COVERAGE ON NBC AND NBCSN

Hockey Day In America studio coverage will originate live from Lake Placid throughout the day on Sunday. Liam McHugh will anchor Sunday’s coverage, alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick.

NBC and NBCSN’s Hockey Day In America presentation will include interviews with members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, as well as in-depth features surrounding Hockey Day In America, exploring hockey’s influence and impact in America. Feature stories and interviews include:

  • 1980 U.S. Olympic Team Forward Mark Wells – NBC Sports’ Jimmy Roberts sits down with Mark Wells to discuss the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, his adversity in life after hockey, including a debilitating back injury and the sale of his 1980 Olympic gold medal, and how he’s now getting back on his skates.

 

  • U.S. Sled Hockey’s Josh Sweeney – A U.S. Marine who lost his legs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan on 2009, Josh Sweeney brings viewers inside the role sled hockey played in his recovery, which ultimately led him to Sochi, where he scored the game-winning goal in the 2014 Paralympic gold medal final.

 

  • Defending The Blue Line – NBC Sports profiles Defending The Blue Line, a foundation whose mission is to ensure children of military members are afforded every opportunity to play hockey, and the story of SFC Wade Scott, who was wounded in Afghanistan, and his two young boys who participate in the program.

 

  • Pierre McGuire with Ryan Suter – NBC Sports Group’s Inside-The-Glass analyst Pierre McGuire sits down with Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter. Suter’s father Bob, who passed away in September, was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, and will have his number raised to the rafters in Lake Placid this weekend.

 

  • U.S. National Team Development Program – A profile of the program which has served as the launching pad for many NHL stars, including Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, Jimmy Howard and Ryan Suter, as well as budding stars like Jack Eichel.

 

CAPITALS-FLYERS – SUNDAY AT 12:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

The Capitals and Flyers kick off NBC Sports Group’s Hockey Day In America tripleheader on NBC, as Philadelphia (24-22-10, 58 pts) rides a nine-game point streak into this week’s action (6-0-3). The Capitals (30-17-10, 70 pts) currently sit fourth in the Metropolitan Division, but trail the first-place New York Islanders by just five points. In their last meeting on Feb. 8 in Washington, Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek scored in a 3-1 victory.

Chris Cuthbert (play-by-play) and Anson Carter (analyst) will have the call from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

 

BRUINS-BLACKHAWKS – SUNDAY AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

The Blackhawks host the Bruins in a rematch of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final in the second game of NBC Sports Group’s tripleheader. The Blackhawks (35-18-4, 74 pts) enter the week following a 2-1 shootout victory over Pittsburgh in NBC’s NHL Game of the Week on Sunday, while the Bruins (28-20-7, 63 pts) currently hold the final Wild Card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator and Sports Illustrated 2014 Media Person of the Year Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk and Emmy Award-winning Inside-the-Glass analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call from United Center in Chicago, Ill.

 

STARS-WILD – SUNDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Sunday’s tripleheader concludes on NBCSN with a Central Division matchup between the Stars and Wild. Minnesota (28-20-7, 63 pts) has been one of the hottest teams in the NHL, earning points in 10 straight games (8-0-2) to move back into playoff contention. Dallas (26-22-8, 60 pts) defeated Minnesota 7-1 in their most recent meeting on Jan. 3.

Gord Miller (play-by-play) and Bret Hedican (analyst) will call the action from Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

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NHL STADIUM SERIES – KINGS-SHARKS – SATURDAY AT 9:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN presents the latest edition of the NHL Stadium Series this Saturday night, when the Sharks host the Kings at Levi’s Stadium. This marks the first outdoor game in Sharks’ history, while the Kings have previous outdoor game experience from last year’s Stadium Series matchup against the Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium. The Kings and Sharks are battling in a closely-matched Pacific Division, with four points separating the second-place Sharks and fifth-place Kings. Los Angeles (25-18-12, 62 pts) has won four straight games heading into the week. San Jose (29-21-8, 66 pts) defeated L.A. 4-2 in their most recent matchup on Jan. 21 on NBCSN.

Kathryn Tappen will host live studio coverage on-site at Levi’s Stadium, and will be joined by Dave Strader (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst), Brian Engblom (Inside-The-Glass analyst) and Carolyn Manno (reporter).

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY – RED WINGS-BLACKHAWKS – WEDNESDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Blackhawks host the Red Wings in this week’s Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup, as Detroit and Chicago continue to solidify their playoff positioning. The Red Wings (31-13-10, 72 pts) are 9-2-1 in their last 12 games, and are four points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Canadiens and Lightning.

Emrick, Olczyk and McGuire will call the action from United Center in Chicago on Wednesday night.

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHTCAP – KINGS-AVALANCHE – WEDNESDAY AT 10 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Kings visit the Avalanche in the Wednesday Nightcap this week. Colorado (23-22-11, 57 pts) sits eight points outside of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and looks to build off a 4-1 win over the Stars on Saturday night. This marks the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.

Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (Inside-The-Glass analyst) will have the call from Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.

 

BLUE-JACKETS-PENGUINS – THURSDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Penguins host the Blue Jackets this Thursday night on NBCSN in a rematch of their thrilling first-round playoff series from a season ago. This marks the second meeting of the season between the two teams, with Columbus earning a 4-3 shootout win over Pittsburgh on Dec. 13.

John Forslund (play-by-play) and Pierre McGuire (Inside-The-Glass analyst) will provide live commentary from CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

 

SABRES-DEVILS – TOMORROW AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Devils host the Sabres on tomorrow on NBCSN in their second meeting of the season, following New Jersey’s 4-1 win over Buffalo on Jan. 6. The Devils look to snap their four-game losing streak against the Sabres, who have lost their last three contests.

Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Joe Micheletti (analyst) will call the action from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

 

Following is this week’s NHL telecast schedule on NBC and NBCSN. Games are subject to local blackout.

Date Coverage Network Time (ET)
Tues., February 17 NHL Live NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
Buffalo at New Jersey NBCSN 7:30 p.m.
Wed., February 18 NHL Live NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday Night Rivalry – Detroit at Chicago NBCSN 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday Nightcap – Los Angeles at Colorado NBCSN 10 p.m.
Thurs., February 19 NHL Live NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
Columbus at Pittsburgh NBCSN 7 p.m.
Sat., February 21 NHL Live NBCSN 9:30 p.m.
NHL Stadium Series – Los Angeles at San Jose NBCSN 10 p.m.
Sun., February 22 Hockey Day In America Pre-Game Show NBC Noon
Washington at Philadelphia NBC 12:30 p.m.
Boston at Chicago NBC 3:30 p.m.
NHL Live NBCSN 7 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota NBCSN 8 p.m.

 

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 2014-15 NHL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most.

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA

NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will stream this week’s NHL coverage 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 at the App Store for iPad and iPod touch, and on select tablet devices within Google Play.

-NBC SPORTS GROUP-