SVG Sit-Down: NHL on ESPN Producer Jeff Dufine Talks Stanley Cup Final, Skate Cam, and the Crazy Journey Reuniting With the NHL Colorado Avalanche on the brink as Stanley Cup Final resumes with Game 5 Friday evening By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Friday, June 24, 2022 - 2:01 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The Stanley Cup will be in the building tonight as the Colorado Avalanche take a three games to one series lead into Game 5 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at Ball Arena in Denver (8 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN+).
The series has marked the return of ESPN to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2004 and the series has enjoyed strong ratings so far with Game 4 on Wednesday pulling 4.6 million viewers and the series averaging 4.2 million viewers so far (up 67% from the 2021 Stanley Cup Final).
SVG sat down with the lead producer of the NHL on ESPN Jeff Dufine to discuss the season that was, his take on new enhancements like Skate Cam and enhanced graphics, and how this Cup Final is a special milestone in his career.
NHL on ESPN lead producer Jeff Dufine in the truck during Game 4 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. (Photo: Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)
Let's start with the historical significance of this Stanley Cup Final. We are nearing the end of the first year of this new seven -year rights deal with the NHL that has brought the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final back to the ESPN family for the first time in nearly two decades. What's it been like for to be such a big part of the NHL's return to ESPN?
I remember the day [VP, Production] Mike McQuade called me [about a year ago] and said I want you to run our top crew and do the Stanley Cup [Final]. I was ecstatic about it. It was something that he and I talked about for probably a month or so prior.
A lot of people within [ESPN] are hockey fanatics. I'm sure you've heard that from several folks: the amount of people that approached [SVP, Production and Remote Events] Mark Gross, Mike McQuade. So many wanted to be a part of the NHL, which was pretty amazing. We were able to really collaborate with a lot of departments and put together a team that we're really proud of.
Since Mike gave me this responsibility, it has pretty much been nonstop. It's been an amazing adventure and we always circled Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final as the big moment.
What goes through your mind when you think how quickly this all came together?
It's been a pretty crazy journey. We started this thing with nothing. Well, we had one thing: we had the music.
We didn't have production teams. We didn't have any operations folks lined up. We didn't have trucks. We didn't have equipment. It has been a huge lift, but we're really proud about how we got here and the product we put on the air.
On this Stanley Cup Final, what new tools and technology do you have at your disposal and how has your arsenal increased with each round of these Playoffs?
When we started in the First Round, that's a unique time as we are sharing the building with the RSNs [regional sports networks] and [Canadian broadcaster] Sportsnet. My crew, specifically, did a few of the Boston-Carolina games and Pittsburgh-Rangers games. As big as those games were, there's limited camera positions because you're sharing the building. You work with each other and everybody worked well together and shared as much as we could, but that's the obstacle you're up against in the first round.
As we moved forward in the second round, we did the Carolina-Rangers series and added some additional cameras that were exclusive. We worked with the NHL around the buildings to basically extend our camera and tape plan, grant us some more access.
When we got to the [Eastern] Conference Final, we were pretty similar to what we were doing on ABC Saturdays [during the season]. We added our aerial cam, we added Skate Cam, ankle cameras, some additional Super-Mos on the cameras that we already had existing in the arena. There's the Libero telestrator which we used a lot on our games especially during the regular season.
Now, at the Final, we've added a second Skate Cam on the ice, ankle cameras, additional Super-Mos, all that. We have studio onsite, including the tech crew, the announcers, everything. We actually have a side set, as well, with Brian Boucher and a separate producer and technical tape room dedicated to him so we can break down more stuff in our intermissions. We've added the blimp, we've added virtual graphics, and we've added mic'd up players working with the league and NHL Studios. We have up to four players and both coaches every game mic'ed up.
Regarding the Skate Cam, what do you think about it as a resource to go to? How do you feel that has gone over the course of the entire season and how do you feel it looks?
It has been a huge effort and I applaud the league for giving us the ability to do that. That camera operator is on skates; he's moving around with this camera. He has a designated area where the league lets us go and he has somebody in his ear making sure he's aware if, say, there's a player to his left or there's an official to his right. We don't want him hitting anybody. We're being cautious with it.
It does allow us to get some really unique shots. I would say we do a good job in production of utilizing those shots out of commercial breaks. The really impactful shots that [director] Doug Holmes has been been able to get are during the National Anthem, during warmup, stuff during pregame, and anything around commercial breaks. It's pretty unique.
We feel good about it but, I would say, I still think that those cameras have a time and place. They've got to be used correctly
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
SVG Sit-Down: NHL on ESPN Producer Jeff Dufine Talks Stanley Cup Final, Skate Cam, and the Crazy Journey Reuniting With the NHL Colorado Avalanche on the brink as Stanley Cup Final resumes with Game 5 Friday evening By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
