NHL Puck Drop 2021: NHL Network Expands Showcase Schedule, Boosts Onsite Presence at Marquee Events The broadcaster is slated to air 34 games this season By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor
Thursday, October 14, 2021 - 10:57 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Over the past two nights, the National Hockey League returned to ESPN after 17 years and debuted on TNT. Another broadcast partner, NHL Network, is also entering the 2021-22 season, with wind in its production sails in the form of an increased slate of NHL Showcase games, additional coverage for international fans, and a return to onsite operations for major events.
Our goal is to get back out on the road, says Josh Bernstein, VP, production, NHL Network. We want to get as close to normal as we can. It may not look exactly the way it used to, but we'll be out there again.
More Exclusive Action: Showcase Slate Grows From 16 to 25 As the broadcaster's main platform for the league's biggest matchups, NHL Network Showcase will feature a wide array of franchises this season. The schedule will be increased from last year s 16 games to 25. The 2020-21 campaign was the first time that NHL Network deployed its own on-air talent and technologies for these games, and the crew is looking to improve that positive synergy in this increased workload.
Leading the on-air team will be E.J. Hradek and Mike Johnson on the call for their first Showcase game, between the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. ET. Stephen Nelson and Dave Reid will call the second NHL Network Showcase of the year: the Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 1:00 p.m. Although the pandemic has retreated slightly thanks to vaccines, play-by-play commentators and analysts will be calling each game from the NHL Network facility in Secaucus, NJ.
New rightsholders, new arena, new franchise mark the 2021-22 NHL season.
A flypack and technician will be onsite for additional camera feeds, but the working relationship with regional sports networks will continue to provide other essential resources. New technologies will include further implementation of virtual-blue-line technology.
Last year was an opportunity for us to create a game package and showcase the talent and technology that we have, says Eric Eisenberg, VP, programming and operations, NHL Network. It has been phenomenal to be able to grow our package out this year and take it to the next level.
From a technological perspective, the network's coverage of two virtual NHL Drafts has generated a lot of inspiration for the remote-production workflows still being used in Secaucus. Since the same facility houses MLB Network, cloud-based solutions were used for the 2020 World Series in Arlington, TX, and for the 2021 MLB All-Star Game in Denver.
We've been able to learn from all these shows that had fewer people in the field, says Jake Soto, VP, engineering and IT, NHL Network. We're now reinvesting all of [that technology] for hockey.
Global Audience: Live Coverage Includes Nine International-Only Games With numerous international players lighting up the ice, NHL Network is committed to serving the fan who lives outside the U.S. Along with the 25 exclusive productions, nine games will target the global audience. Eisenberg and his team have been working closely with the league's technical team and international-productions team to fine-tune these broadcasts.
We've decided to separate production elements that we used to share in the past, he explains. We'll have a little more flexibility with what we're going to do, and I think that that'll pay dividends for specific graphics on an international-only game or a Showcase game.
The network has worked hard to make both games personalized and seamless and, since beginning this effort last season, has received positive feedback from viewers watching both internationally and domestically. In addition, NHL Network and MLB Network are joining forces to put on a high-quality NHL show.
The mentality in our building is that you're not working only hockey or baseball, but you're working across both sports, adds Eisenberg. We're really fortunate to have that mindset, and we'll continue to adjust and evolve.
Bringing the Show Onsite: Studio Programming Travels to Tentpole Events For diehard supporters of the game, viewers flock to NHL Network for up-to-date information. The broadcaster is looking forward to producing a slate of studio shows that reflect on the day's action, discuss the main plotlines happening in the league, and preview upcoming matchups.
Leading off the studio shows will be NHL Now with Hradek and Jackie Redmond on weekdays at 4 p.m. NHL Tonight will provide live look-ins into games throughout the league and in-studio demos at 6 p.m. And On the Fly, with guests like Mike Kelly, will showcase highlights of the day's action. Starting the day of the first Showcase game, Ice Time will return to bring kid-centric content to young fans at 9 a.m.
In addition to Nelson, hosts Jamison Coyle, Lauren Gardner, Jamie Hersch, Tony Luftman, and Adnan Virk are on the roster of studio talent. Jeff Gorton joins analysts Bruce Boudreau, Ken Daneyko, Jeff Gorton, Stu Grimson, Scott Hartnell, Billy Jaffe, Mike Johnson, Brian Lawton, Bill Lindsay, Mark Parrish, David Reid, Mike Rupp, and Kevin Weekes.
Logistical hurdles abound with the network's coverage of the MLB Postseason running up against the opening slate of NHL games. Since the beginning of the pandemic, though, COVID-19 protocols have required the team to handle a lot of talent in different studios simultaneously.
Over the last 19 months, says Soto, we've had a lot of moves and changes because of social distancing. We're on the backside of [those i
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
NHL Puck Drop 2021: NHL Network Expands Showcase Schedule, Boosts Onsite Presence at Marquee Events The broadcaster is slated to air 34 games this season By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor 
