NHL Fantasy League - Game On - Episode VI

[Sava]

and wtf is with people having shutouts against me?

Boos had one last week... now Imran's team has one??

[Asher]

You realize Alfredsson was benched on your lineup, nye? You missed out on 2G, 2A, +1, and 3PPP...

[notyoueither]

Yes. I was reading up on his ribs. He was rumoured to maybe play, maybe not. I decided a bird in the hand was better than a top scorer in the bush, to my regret.

[Sava]

Gionta 2 more assists (jan 9th)

[Asher]

NBC is starting to air NHL games.

3 games each Saturday, 1 of which in HD.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=52437

NBC NHL broadcasts start Saturday
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Posted: January 11, 2006

Canadian Press

There will be no glowing puck when the NBC network tries to sell hockey to sometimes-reluctant American viewers.

Instead, coordinating producer Sam Flood promises a new approach -- including a goalie cam and an "inside the glass" reporter at ice level -- when the network's NHL broadcasts begin with three games on Saturday.

"There are no glowing pucks or glowing helmets or glowing goalposts, but what there is going to be is passionate hockey conversation," Flood said Wednesday on a conference call with the NBC broadcast team. "We're not reinventing the wheel. We're showing a great game in a new light."


NBC will show games in various regions of the United States on six Saturdays during the regular season and will also televise several playoff matches. One game each broadcast day will be in high definition.

On Saturday, the network will show the New York Rangers at Detroit, Colorado at Philadelphia and Dallas at Boston.

Instead of the traditional radio-style play-by-play, the announcers hope to take a more conversational approach, saying not only what is happening, but how and why.

The announcer and analyst will be joined by a third "inside the glass" voice stationed between the two players benches to provide insight on what is happening on the benches and on the ice.

Former NHL coach Pierre McGuire, a well-known analyst on Canada's The Sports Network, will be "inside the glass" at the Rangers-Red Wings game with play-by-play man Mike Emrick and analyst John Davidson in the broadcast booth.

"Being inside the glass will allow people to get a feel for the game at ice level in terms of what adjustments are being made during the game," McGuire said.

"How coaches are dealing with certain players who don't want to get engaged in battle situations, certain players challenging each other on the ice, who's trash-talking who, how come that player wasn't in a shooting lane that allowed a player to score.

"I'm excited about that. I stood behind the bench a long time and it's a unique perspective. Hopefully, I can translate that to the viewers."

A quirky innovation is the goalie cam, similar to football's helmet cam, which will be worn by one of the goaltenders.

"The goalie cam is going to be a very different look at the game of hockey," said Flood. "It's stunning to see what a goalie has to put up with to try to stop a black disc."

The intermissions will see former NHL players Bill Clement and Ray Ferraro, on skates on a rink, along with a guest giving updates on games around the league and demonstrating how the game is played. Mark Messier is to be the first guest.

"We plan on showing people what happens in certain situations," Clement said. "We were talking about one of Sidney Crosby's favorite moves and demonstrating it."

Speaking of Crosby, Flood acknowledged that the popularity of the 18-year-old phenom is one reason the Pittsburgh Penguins will be featured in half of the regular season telecasts.

Flood, who worked on NASCAR broadcasts in recent years, said a challenge of showing hockey in the U.S. is making it simple enough for viewers unfamiliar with the sport to understand while not alienating the large number of long-time fans with a dumbed-down production.

The FOX network's much-derided experiment a decade ago with a glowing puck that left a blue vapor trail in its wake was a case in point.

"We will take care of the hockey fan first," Flood said. "We will never insult the hockey fan.

"But in doing so, we have some of the great teachers in the history of the game working as our broadcasters and they'll make everyone welcome through their conversations."

Hockey lags far behind sports like football, golf and baseball in TV viewership in the U.S., but Davidson believes that with play opened up by some new rules and a crackdown on obstruction, they can be won over.

He credited Detroit Red Wings veteran Brendan Shanahan for using the lockout to lead a move to make the game the sport more entertaining.

"It was a chance, during a down time, to figure out why our game wasn't doing well," said Davidson. "I think that if people give it a chance and see how well it is being played, I think people are going to be impressed.

"We'll do our best to show how great the game is."

Other NBC crews have Chris Cuthbert along with analyst Peter McNab and reporter Cammi Granato -- a former U.S. national team player and the sister of former NHL player Tony Granato -- and Dave Strader with analyst Brian Hayward and reporter Joe Micheletti. NBC has not broadcast NHL regular season hockey since 1975. Coincidentally, Clement played in the last televised NBC game -- the final game of Philadelphia's last Stanley Cup conquest.

ESPN abandoned the NHL during the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season, passing on a $60 million option to remain the league's U.S. broadcaster. The Outdoor Life Network signed a two-year rights deal that will pay the league $65 million this season and $70 million in 2006-07.

OLN will show 58 to 78 regular-season games on Mondays and Tuesdays and some playoff matches.

The league also made a two-year deal with NBC that is a profit-sharing arrangement in which the network pays no rights fees.

[mrboo123]

Originally posted by Asher
NBC is starting to air NHL games.

3 games each Saturday, 1 of which in HD.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=52437

wow! great news for the NHL. I wonder why NBC deicde now...

[Pekka]

because they're smart and understand Hockey is the game of Gods.

I mean who cares if you can put a ball into a round bucket, or if you can run with a hand melon made of pig skin. Or if you can play 9 hours a day baseball and 3000 games a year.

HOCKEY!

[Ninot]

Originally posted by mrboo123


wow! great news for the NHL. I wonder why NBC deicde now...

IIRC, NBC decided this about a year ago, not just now.

But I guess they didn't get the rights to show any before January? I dunno.

[Asher]

The Islanders fired their coach, Steve Stirling, tonight.

[Ninot]

Originally posted by Asher
The Islanders fired their coach, Steve Stirling, tonight.

They should fire their GM.

[Asher]

No kidding.

[Ninot]

Isles GM IS stepping down

Finally

[Asher]

He has quite an impressive track record.

Milbury took over as GM from Don Maloney in December 1995 and became notorious for his blockbuster trades, most of them not helping the Islanders. He traded away the likes of Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, Eric Brewer, Wade Redden, Roberto Luongo, Zdeno Chara and Olli Jokinen.

[Asher]

Apparently the Islanders are trying hard to get Brent Sutter as their coach.

[Sava]

should be the start of a great era in Islanders hockey