NHL Radio

NHL Radio
Other namesNHL Game of the Week[1]
GenreSports
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Canada
Language(s)English
AnnouncerSee below
Created byWestwood One
Recording studioThe site of the games
Original release1993 –
present
Audio formatStereophonic sound

NHL Radio is the official national radio broadcaster of the National Hockey League, covering the Stanley Cup Finals, both Conference Finals, selected early round playoff action, the All-Star Game, the NHL Winter Classic and a selected number of regular-season games. The package was distributed by Westwood One[2] and premiered in the 1993-94 season. This arrangement lasted through the end of the 2007-08 season[3] until it was relaunched for the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, through the network's NBC Sports Radio service.[4] The contract was continued for the 2016-17 season with a playoff game of the week, both conference finals, the Stanley Cup Finals, the Winter Classic and select regular season games being added.[5] The NBC Sports Radio brand was dropped in 2020; Westwood One will syndicate the broadcasts directly.[6] In 2021, Sports USA Radio Network took over the national radio rights to the NHL.[7][8]

NHL Radio's blackout rules

Within 75 miles of a team's home arena, only stations the team or its flagship station contracts with can carry those games, regardless if the team is home or away. Thus, any competing station that carries national broadcasts cannot air those games.

Unlike Westwood One's NFL coverage and other leagues' radio coverage, there have never been any blackout restrictions on internet streaming of NHL games. Also, during the Stanley Cup Finals, there is also no requirement that only the 2 participating teams' flagship stations are allowed to carry coverage, as is the case with the NFL during the Super Bowl and Major League Baseball during the World Series; local network affiliates may continue to carry the local broadcast and are not forced to carry the Sports USA feed.

Commentators

Current

Former

Stanley Cup Finals commentating crews

Main article: List of Stanley Cup Finals broadcasters
Year Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Ice level reporter
2024 John Ahlers Brian Boucher Billy Jaffe
2023 John Ahlers Brian Boucher Billy Jaffe
2022 John Ahlers Joe Micheletti Billy Jaffe
2021 John Ahlers Joe Micheletti
2020 Kenny Albert (Games 1–4, 6–7)
Sam Rosen (Game 5) 		Joe Micheletti
2019 Kenny Albert Joe Micheletti (Games 1–4, 6–7)
Darren Pang (Game 5) 		Brian Boucher
2018 Kenny Albert Joe Micheletti (Games 1–4)
Jim Fox (Gm 5) 		Ray Ferraro
2017 Kenny Albert Joe Micheletti Ray Ferraro
2016 Kenny Albert Joe Micheletti Darren Eliot
2008 Sam Rosen Bill Clement
2007 Sam Rosen Darren Pang
2006 Sam Rosen Darren Eliot
2005 Canceled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout.
2004 Sam Rosen Eddie Olczyk
2003 Sam Rosen Eddie Olczyk
2002 Sam Rosen Gary Green and Darren Eliot
2001 Sam Rosen Gary Green
2000 Sam Rosen Gary Green
1999 Sam Rosen Gary Green
1998 Sam Rosen Gary Green Sean Grande
1997 Sam Rosen Gary Green Doug Brown and Sean Grande
1996 Sam Rosen Gary Green Doug Brown and Sean Grande
1995 Kenny Albert Gary Green Doug Brown
1994 Kenny Albert Sherry Ross Doug Brown

See also

References

  1. ^ Westwood One: NHL Game of the Week
  2. ^ NHL Radio no longer on Westwood One
  3. ^ If you're looking for the Stanley Cup finals on radio, you can stop hitting the buttons. Unless you have the XM satellite service, you aren't finding the games. Unlike years past, no national radio network is carrying the event. Thus in the St. Louis market - where listeners can hear indoor football, women's soccer, Frontier League baseball and high school sports - the championship series in one of the supposed "major" sports is a no-show. "In the past, the Stanley Cup finals were carried by Westwood One, but they don't have it this year and nobody offered it to us, said Jason Barrett, programming director at sports-talk station WXOS (101.1 FM).
  4. ^ "NBC Sports Radio Named Exclusive National Terrestrial Radio Partner for the 2016 Stanley Cup Final". 10 May 2016.
  5. ^ "The NHL returns to Westwood One in 2017". Westwood One Sports. December 5, 2016.
  6. ^ Venta, Lance (March 5, 2020). "Westwood One To Cease Distribution Of NBC Sports Radio". Radio Insight.
  7. ^ "Schedules".
  8. ^ "About Us".
  9. ^ "Greg Dickerson - CSN New England Sideline Reporter | Celtics.com - The official website of the Boston Celtics". www.nba.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-17.
  10. ^ "SI.com - Hockey - Roundup: Stars lend name to suburban Dallas country club - Wednesday August 13, 2003 06:53 PM". Archived from the original on 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
  11. ^ He also called the 1993 and 1994 NHL All-Star Games and the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals for the NHL Radio Network. Archived 2008-05-30 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Over the last five seasons, Ralph has also done play-by-play and ice-level reporting for NHL Radio for World Cup and NHL regular season and playoff games, including the last two Western Conference Final series’. Archived 2007-10-12 at the Wayback Machine