The National Hockey League has announced that some of its flagship NHL Network studio programs will be revamped ahead of the 2023-24 regular season. Although these changes are being instituted starting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, the first night of the 2023-24 regular season, fans will still receive wall-to-wall coverage of games, news and all the highlights to enhance the viewing experience.
NHL Now will be hosted by Lauren Gardner and Jamie Hersch, both rotating in the role throughout the regular season. They will be joined by studio analyst and former Stanley Cup champion Mike Rupp, along with a panel of contributing analysts with recent playing experience. Former forward Brian Boyle, defenseman Thomas Hickey and goaltender Devan Dubnyk are part of this rotation, and they will bring fresh perspectives and forthright commentary to the air on a daily basis, starting at 4 p.m. EST.
“I’m looking forward to digging in and breaking down clips every day, but really focusing on the players’ perspectives,” Rupp said in a statement. “You’ll get all your news and highlights, but we really want to tackle and emphasize the players’ mindsets and give the viewers an ‘inside look’ at all the biggest topics around the league.”
Gardner has been part of MLB Network for several years after a stint hosting for Altitude Sports Network in Denver. She previously served as a local correspondent for NHL Network and eventually auditioned for a full-time job, which landed her the role in Secaucus, N.J. While she has hosted programming for the network in the past – including reporting at the Stanley Cup Final and Stadium Series – she is eager to get started with this new opportunity.
“The chance to be part of such a dynamic team on a show with creative freedom talking hockey is a dream come true,” Gardner said. “The opportunity to be a conduit for fans of the sport we both love is a gift I don’t take for granted, and I can’t wait [to] get started in my fifth season on NHL Network.”
Hersch has hosted programming on NHL Network for nine years and recently began broadcasting games as a play-by-play announcer. The Minnesota native joined Gardner for an all-women program on NHL Network on International Women’s Day and has also contributed to MLB Network, displaying her versatility. Before making the move to the east coast, she served as a host and reporter for the Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Twins, respectively.
“At its core, hockey is fun – fun to play; fun to watch; and fun to talk about,” Hersch said. “I’m eager to join a show like NHL Now that has always heightened the fun aspects of our sport, and I can’t wait to help deliver fresh new content and segments to this season’s show. We’re hoping to make it a player-driven, player-focused program for a different look at the daily happenings around the hockey world.”
In addition to the reimagined NHL Now, the nightly NHL Tonight program will have a new look with E.J. Hradek joining the roster as its lead analyst. The NHL Network senior reporter will contribute his insight and experience acquired from covering hockey for more than 30 years. He will be joined by hosts Tony Luftman and Jamison Coyle, along with several different analysts including NHL veterans Mike Johnson and Dave Reid.
“I’m thrilled and excited to be moving into a new role as lead analyst on the 6 p.m. [EST] NHL Tonight, our signature pre-game show, in addition to serving as the play-by-play voice for our weekend Showcase Games and Team USA contests from the 2024 World Junior Championships,” Hradek said. “Our NHL Tonight team will be working hard to keep fans informed and get them ready for each night’s action.”
Hradek previously co-hosted NHL Now with Jackie Redmond, who is now joining the NHL on TNT as a rinkside reporter. Because of a deluge of road responsibilities, she will be an on-site correspondent for the network in addition to hosting select programming such as NHL Tonight and On The Fly. Redmond was also recently named the backstage interviewer for Monday Night Raw and host of premium kickoff programs for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
“Co-hosting NHL Now with E.J. has been a dream come true,” Redmond said, “and I am so excited to continue my journey with the NHL Network [by] popping up on many different shows and contributing from the road whenever I can.”
Editions of NHL Tonight will also air in prime time with live look-ins of games in progress, in-depth breakdowns and analysis of news from around the league. The night concludes with On The Fly, the whiparound recap show, and will be hosted by the aforementioned Hersch, along with Erika Wachter and Siera Santos, within the season’s first week.
