Kathryn Tappen will rejoin NHL Network as a studio host and reporter, making her season debut this Wednesday, March 6 on NHL Now at 4 p.m. EST with analysts Mike Rupp and Kevin Weekes. The lead sideline reporter for NBC Sports’ presentation of B1G Saturday Night was formerly a part of NHL Network’s on-air roster from 2011 to 2015 and will appear across its slate of programming in her new role. Before moving to B1G Saturday Night, Tappen served as the sideline reporter for NBC football broadcasts of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, along with the studio host for coverage emanating from South Bend, Ind.
“I am thrilled to be reuniting with my former teammates at NHL Network. A special thank you to the NHL, Steve Mayer, and Josh Bernstein for making this possible,” Tappen said in a statement. “As we enter into the final stretch of the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s no greater time to be jumping back into the sport I love, as we prepare to award one team the greatest trophy in all of sports. For my entire career, it’s been an honor to cover this league. I am energized and excited at the thought of returning to the great folks at the NHL Network.”
“We are incredibly excited to have Kathryn back at NHL Network,” Josh Bernstein, NHL Network vice president of programming, said in a statement. “Her love for the game of hockey is infectious, and it shows in how she covers it.”
Tappen began her broadcast career as a weekday sports reporter and weekend anchor at WJAR in Providence, R.I. A few years later, she joined the New England Sports Network (NESN) hosting Boston Bruins game broadcasts and reporting on its coverage of the Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots.
When she joined NBC Sports in 2015, Tappen appeared across the network’s hockey coverage both in the studio and on site, including for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tappen also had the honor of anchoring an all-female crew on an NHL game broadcast, marking the first such endeavor in the United States. Additionally, she has been a part of the network’s coverage of the PGA Tour, NFL Kickoff, various Super Bowl broadcasts and the Olympic Games.
