FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 19th, 2017

HOCKEY IS BACK! NBC SPORTS PRESENTS PAIR OF NHL PRESEASON GAMES THIS WEEK ON NBCSN, HIGHLIGHTED BY BLUES-PENGUINS KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE USA ON SUNDAY NIGHT

2017 Kraft Hockeyville USA – St. Louis Blues vs. Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN

First-Ever NHL Preseason Game Played in China – Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings LIVE from Shanghai – Thursday at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – September 19, 2017 – Hockey is back as NBC Sports presents a pair of NHL preseason games this week, highlighted by the 2017 Kraft Hockeyville USA matchup featuring the St. Louis Blues and the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

This week’s coverage also features the first-ever NHL preseason game played in China, when the Vancouver Canucks face off against the Los Angeles Kings live from Shanghai, China, on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN, as part of the 2017 NHL China Games.

2017 KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE USA – BLUES VS. PENGUINS SUNDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

This year marks the third season of the Kraft Hockeyville USA campaign, whose mission is to help build better hockey communities across the country. The Penguins hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, Pa., in 2015, while the Buffalo Sabres faced the Carolina Hurricanes at Lakeview Arena on the shore of Lake Superior in Marquette, Mich., last year.

Rostraver Ice Garden in Belle Vernon, Pa., won this year’s competition, which includes $150,000 in arena upgrades, but is unable to host this year’s game, which will be played at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in nearby Cranberry, Pa.

NBCSN’s telecast will honor the rich hockey history of the local Belle Vernon community, highlighted by a first intermission feature on the Rostraver Ice Garden, and a live interview with Chris Kostick, who wrote the winning essay on behalf of Rostraver Ice Garden.

The telecast will also feature footage from community events in Belle Vernon surrounding Kraft Hockeyville USA, including a youth hockey game hosted by the Penguins, a local parade, and the Penguins red carpet arrival at Rostraver Ice Garden, where the Penguins will conduct practice prior to the game. Sunday’s game serves as a preview for the regular-season opener on NBCSN on Wednesday, Oct. 4, which will feature the Blues and Penguins at 8 p.m. ET.

Five-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will call the action live from the arena. In addition, Kathryn Tappen (host) and Jeremy Roenick (analyst) will also be on-site to provide studio coverage and updates throughout the game.


CANUCKS VS. KINGS LIVE FROM SHANGHAI, CHINA – THURSDAY MORNING AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Canucks and Kings face off in the first-ever NHL preseason game played in China live on Thursday morning on NBCSN. This will be the first of two games played this week as part of the 2017 NHL China Games. Thursday’s game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, followed by a second clash between the Canucks and Kings on Saturday in Beijing.

Players on the trip for the Kings include Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty, and Anze Kopitar, while the Canucks’ roster is highlighted by brothers Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin.

Brendan Burke (play-by-play) and Pierre McGuire (analyst) will call the action. Kathryn Tappen (host), Keith Jones (analyst), and Brian Boucher (analyst) will provide studio coverage.

Following is this week’s hockey coverage on NBCSN:

Date Coverage Network Time (ET)
Thur., September  21 NHL Preseason Game – Canucks vs. Kings* NBCSN 7:30 a.m.
Sun., September  24 Kraft Hockeyville USA – Blues vs. Penguins NBCSN 8 p.m.

*game played in Shanghai, China

 

2017-18 REGULAR SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN

NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of nearly 100 NHL regular-season games during the 2017-18, beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, when the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins host the St. Louis Blues. All games will be streamed live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app to authenticated users via TV Everywhere. Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive NHL coverage this season.


NHL ON NBCSPORTS.COM AND THE NBC SPORTS APP: NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will stream coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value 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 app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, and Xbox. The NBC Sports app is powered by Playmaker Media, NBC Sports Digital’s technology service which provides end-to-end support for companies in need of best-in-class live streaming and VOD solutions.

-NBC SPORTS GROUP-