It’s a new era of television for the National Hockey League. Gone are the days of NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA and wherever else the games were airing. While I enjoyed the NBC telecasts, mainly because of Doc Emerick, it was time for something new. There was a need to freshen things up and get the NHL in front of different eyes and perhaps even a younger audience.
The league is now in business with both ESPN and TNT. The deals are each for 7 years. ESPN is paying around 400-million a year, while Turner is paying around 225-millon annually. ESPN has the ‘upper hand’ in the broadcast arrangement because ABC will air four of the next seven Stanley Cup Final series every other year starting in 2022. Turner will broadcast the three Stanley Cup Final in the years between.
Before the Cup Final, the two networks will split the first two rounds of the playoffs and the conference finals. Turner will have the broadcasts for the annual Winter Classic on New Year’s Day.
I realize at the beginning of this column I said there was a need to ‘freshen things up’. While the games are on new networks, there are some familiar faces and voices still bringing you the action. I still say it’s ‘fresh’ because the presentation is a lot different and some of these voices have been cast in new and better roles, showing off personality and deep knowledge of the NHL.
The broadcasts on TNT and ESPN are very different. That includes the pregame, intermission and postgame shows as well. Last week, I watched a game on both outlets and was a little surprised at what I saw. Keeping in mind, the studio shows featured some different cast members than the opening week of the season. Wayne Gretzky was absent from the TNT set and John Buccigross, who is sharing hosting duties with Steve Levy, was at the helm of the ESPN studio show. Also keep in mind that both shows were dealing with the serious subject of the Kyle Beach sexual assault case against the Chicago Blackhawks. Beach had just been interviewed by TSN and the subject matter was deep.
TNT STUDIO SHOW
NHL on TNT Face Off is hosted by Liam McHugh, the former host on NBC’s intermission reports under the former contract. This night he was joined by Rick Tocchet, Anson Carter and Paul Bissonnette on the show.
McHugh is a seasoned pro, that actually gets to show off a little personality on this show. With NBC it seemed as though, McHugh was limited to a much more, straight forward approach, which allowed at times, a little humor. This TNT production allows him to really loosen up and run the show with fewer restrictions. His personality really comes out. He recently told the AP, basically the same thing.
“It felt like they wanted me to do what I do best, which is interact, and to keep a loose show,” McHugh said. “In the past, and it definitely occurred, I self-edited or I held back at times. In most cases, that’s gone. … And that was something that really appealed to me, it was more natural to me.”
Tocchet is an 18-year NHL veteran and coached for 6 seasons including the last four for the Coyotes. Tocchet can offer perspective as not only a high-level player, but as a coach just last season. He understands the mindset of today’s hockey player and that insight will be good as he gets more comfortable in the role. I like that he’s raw right now.
Bissonnette is the wildcard of the group. He’s probably the one most likely to drop a ‘bomb’, but that’s not an act, it’s all real. Hopefully he will be able to contain himself, but there’s no telling. During a Bleacher Report fans’ Q&A he told everyone what he’s most excited about, in joining the TNT crew.
“The advice I keep getting, especially from Wayne, is just be yourself. Turner tells us they want us to be ourselves. That was really refreshing. I’m excited to just get in there and let it fly with the guys. Whether it’s diving into a serious topic or breaking a video down, it’s just gonna be a very good time and a lighthearted feeling to the broadcast. Just having fun and just bringing my silly, goof personality.”
Carter is smooth on the set. No subject seems too much for him. He’s got a very calm demeanor about him, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t passionate. Watching him react to the Beach story and the Blackhawks, saying how it hits home to him with two daughters was powerful. Carter also made the comment that the hockey community is so close knit that the Hawks upper management failed to ‘take care of Kyle Beach’.
This production is terrific. It is very closely modeled after Inside the NBA on TNT. It’s irreverent at times, but mainly it’s fun. TNT showed us photoshopped pictures like the NBA show and also included instant reaction from fans and some famous folks on Twitter and social media. It’s almost like the folks at TNT are saying, ‘if you’re a fan of our NBA show, wait until you see what we can do for the NHL’. I loved the pacing of the show and everyone having a chance to take a ‘shot’ at the other.
This show featured a pregame interview with Oilers’ star Connor McDavid. Tocchet had the line of the interview when he prefaced his question by saying, “Hey Connor thanks for putting me on this panel, having to coach against you the last four years.” It was a fun interview that had its serious moments, but mainly showcased the personalities of the panel and of McDavid. The latter is so key for the development of the NHL on television. You have to let viewers get to know some of the big-time players and this was a mission accomplished.
Through all the fun, this show was able to turn into a very serious and informative program. With the seriousness of the Kyle Beach and Chicago Blackhawks situation, balance had to be struck. It was time to be serious and the balance was struck well. Carter was well spoken during the segment and spoke from the heart when he said, “this really hits home to me, I have two daughters,” he continued to call out the former Hawks executives, saying the hockey culture is all about looking out for each other and “they didn’t protect Kyle Beach”.
NHL ON TNT BROADCAST
Game broadcast has a familiar tone to the NBC telecasts of the past. That’s because this booth featured Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and Keith Jones, guys that used to call games for NBC and NBCSN.
I think Albert is always solid. He has the ability to rise to the occasion when the moment calls for it and at the same time, he knows when to clear out to let Olczyk do his thing. Olczyk is hands down the best hockey analyst in the game, with a great feel for television and the game of hockey. He’s a great ambassador and a great teacher of the game for those that may have tuned in for the first time. Jones also moves from the NBC studio to the “inside the glass” position for the TNT broadcast. Unlike Pierre McGuire who made it more about himself than the game, Jones is now afforded the chance to analyze what he’s seeing at ice level and provides great insight.
The TNT scorebug is great as well. It’s just big enough not to be obtrusive. It’s clean and colorful and has excellent information. The thing most hockey fans truly appreciate about the TNT ‘bug’ is that the ‘Shots on Goal’ stay on it at all times.
ESPN STUDIO SHOW
In watching the first few minutes of this particular show, it kind of gave me the same feel as the old NBC telecast. It’s a little more “buttoned up” than the TNT show. Hockey lover Buccigross hosted this installment, he will split time with another hockey guy, Levy in hosting the show for the season. Both will also call games on ESPN’s coverage of the NHL. The ESPN studio show has two analysts. They are well known names to hard core and casual hockey fans. Mark Messier and Chris Chelios make up the panel. They are decorated players and big names in hockey circles.
Messier brings a wealth of experience and success to the ESPN show. He’s a six-time Stanley Cup champion and Hall of Fame center. His prior television experience includes work as an in-game analyst for the All-Star Game and making occasional guest commentator appearances for NHL on NBC. Messier is somewhat soft spoken on the ESPN set. But what he says packs a punch thanks to his credentials. You can tell he takes meticulous notes on each game he’s watching, now it’s just a matter of being able to speak without having to refer to them on air. Messier seems a bit fidgety in his chair at times, but that will change as he gets a little more experience. I was happy to see that he’s not so super serious all the time, playing well off his teammates on set.
Chelios is also a Hall of Fame player. He’s currently an ambassador for the Blackhawks. He previously worked for Fox Sports 1 back in 2013. He was part of the coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Chelios is the ‘fun-loving’ side of the ESPN studio show. He smiles a lot and genuinely looks like he’s having a great time. He is dialed in on the current players in the game and is not afraid to express opinions. Chelios handled the Kyle Beach situation very well, when pressed during this particular show. While he still works for the Blackhawks, he didn’t mince words in stating how awful this situation was. Chelios looks very comfortable in the chair and is able to get Messier to smile and engage during the show.
NHL ON ESPN BROADCAST
There is a ‘newness’ to the telecast, just because it’s been so long since ESPN televised the NHL. Sean McDonough was named the lead play-by-play broadcaster and this night he was joined by a former NBC voice, Brian Boucher and reporter Emily Kaplan.
McDonough is a terrific broadcaster, versatile and solid. He’s called MLB, NCAA and NFL games. His foray back into hockey is taking a little time to get back on solid ground. It’s a different sport with different flow than the ones he’s more recently called. There were a few times that he was a little slow on the action. I’m sure as the season goes on, that will change, but right now it’s noticeable.
Boucher is solid as well. He was a rising star in the analyst world at NBC, so it makes sense that ESPN scooped him up. Boucher has a deep working knowledge of the NHL and has a clear and concise way of presenting information to the fans at home.
The ESPN scorebug is simple, maybe too simple. It doesn’t provide much other than the essentials, like the score and time left, etc. It’s larger than the one on TNT, but it features less. Shots on Goal are not regularly a part of it, once in a while the SOG is flashed up, but it’s not a fixture. The bug does expand to include penalty, power play time. I think it needs some work.
Overall, from the one watch of both networks, I’m kind of partial to the TNT telecast as a whole. From the studio show to the game broadcast, it just seemed more upbeat and cleaner. I think both broadcasts are a step up from the NBC broadcasts. Both are taking a few more chances visually. Whether it be penalty time actually displayed on the ice (TNT) or unique camera angles that capture more of the game from different perspectives (ESPN). Hockey is in good hands for the next seven years.
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
