Kukla's Korner Hockey
Category: Hockey-Broadcasting
Watching Round 2
by Paul on 05/14/12 at 07:04 PM ET
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NEW YORK – May 14, 2012 – The NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the first two rounds of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have averaged 1.06 million viewers, making the Conference Quarterfinals and Conference Semifinals the most-watched first two rounds on record (sine 1994, when cable program data started). On NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC, the 2012 Conference Semifinals averaged 1.32 million viewers, making them the most-watched Conference Semifinals on record. More than 39 million total viewers have watched the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs on NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC, up 23% vs. last year (32.2).
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, NBCSN,
Watching The NHL Playoffs
by Paul on 05/14/12 at 03:18 PM ET
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from Bruce Dowbiggin of the Globe and Mail,
The last time the NHL was riding this high, in the estimation of American public opinion anyway, was during the spring of 1994 when the New York Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. The league promptly celebrated its success by locking out its players for the first three months of the next season, thereby squandering almost all of its hard-won momentum.
Fast forward to the present. Ratings for the first two rounds of the NHL playoffs are hitting record levels with four of the top-6 NBC Sports Channel games ever telecast. On a local level, the New York Rangers (playing in the No. 1 media market in the U.S.) have reached the finals in the Eastern Conference, while the Los Angeles Kings (No. 2 media market) are in the Western Conference finals.
Strike up Gary Bettman’s Marching Band ... we’re headed for another lockout.
Much is being made in some corners of the ascension in NHL playoff ratings and the concurrent decline in the NBA’s ratings during its just-completed first round.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Video-The Hotstove Talk
by Paul on 05/12/12 at 09:57 PM ET
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The Hotstove on HNIC talks UFAs, some coaching positions and other topics.
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Coach’s Corner Tonight
by Paul on 05/12/12 at 09:13 PM ET
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Ron MacLean and Don Cherry discuss the first period of Game 7, the handling of Joel Ward and the rest of the segment is non-NHL talk.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Between The Benches With Pierre McGuire
by Paul on 05/11/12 at 11:18 AM ET
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from Justin Terranova of the NY Post,
The idea to put an analyst between the benches, providing a close view of the action and an opportunity to interview coaches during the game, was first hatched eight years ago by NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood. Flood approached McGuire, then with Canada’s TSN, before Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup before the Lightning and Flames.
“I didn’t think it would be allowed, and he said, ‘just leave it to me,’” McGuire said. “Well, we left it to him and here we are eight years later and it’s become pretty much commonplace for everyone in the league to be doing it, and other sports are basically trying the same formula.”
But some would prefer McGuire was not a part of this formula started in 2006 after the previous season was canceled due to the lockout. There are numerous online forums devoted to his demise. Though the former Whalers head coach ignores the criticism, he said he believes it stems from the deep loyalty fans feel toward their team.
“I respect people’s opinions, just like I’m entitled to my opinion,” McGuire said “We’re not homers. We don’t work for one team or the other. We try to play it straight down the middle, so I don’t pay attention to it all. I have a job to do. I do it to the best of my ability. I prepare for every game like it’s a Game 7, and I won’t change. But I respect the passion of hockey fans, their love of the game, but people are expecting me to be a homer and that’s not how it works when you do a national show.”
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Pierre+McGuire,
MacLean Clarifies His Comments
by Paul on 05/10/12 at 12:59 PM ET
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TORONTO, May 10, 2012 /CNW/ - As Hockey Night In Canada went to air for last night’s game between Washington and New York, in his opening remarks, Ron MacLean described the on-going battle between the two teams and made reference to the respective cities, both of which were 9/11 targets.
Ron and CBC would like to clarify what may have been misunderstood by his comments.
“Washington and New York. The two cities united by the tragedy of 9/11. I, like everyone on the planet in his or her lifetime, saw beyond the horror, the single greatest testament to the strength of the human spirit in the efforts of the first responders”, says Ron Maclean.
“We never know if we’ll have that spirit. The bravery, the resilience. As I made clear, the hockey games in no way compare. However Sports has proven a worthy training ground in nurturing the qualities which beget that spirit. To say he plays like a firefighter or a policeman would instantly conjure the traits an athlete most desires, especially in New York and Washington. There could be no higher praise of a player, no greater choice of a role model .
But as I said of first responders, ‘Our worst day is their everyday’. They stand alone.”
Below, you can watch and hear what MacLean said last night
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ron+MacLean,
Video- Numerous Topic On Coach’s Corner
by Paul on 05/09/12 at 09:01 PM ET
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Ron MacLean and Don Cherry discuss the Washington goal in the first period, someone should hire Rick Tocchet, Dan Girardi, the Devils/Flyers and other topics…
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Video- Coach’s Corner Tonight
by Paul on 05/07/12 at 09:10 PM ET
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Don and Ron talk Lundqvist, Quick, a Bobby Orr story, raise the glass height along the sideboards to avoid over the glass penalties and Dale Hunter.
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Who Will Be Watching The Conference Finals?
by Paul on 05/07/12 at 01:08 PM ET
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from Mike Ozanian of Forbes,
During the 2011-12 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings led the league in local television ratings. The Penguins, Bruins and Red Wings were ousted in the first round and the Blues were eliminated last night by the Los Angeles Kings (the Sabres did not make the playoffs). Moreover, among the playoff teams whose ratings increased more than 50% this season (Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Flyers and Bruins), only the Predators might make the conference finals.
Further challenging the NHL’s ability to continue to produce impressive television viewership figures are that the Los Angeles Kings made it to the Western Conference Finals and New Jersey Devils, up 3 games to 1 against the Flyers, appear headed to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Kings had the 26th-worst television ratings among the league’s 30 teams this season while the Devils were 28th.
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Video- Don Cherry Talks Kings and Predators
by Paul on 05/06/12 at 09:28 PM ET
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Don Cherry and Ron MacLean discussed the Kings’ winning ways and the issue of the “suspended two” in Nashville, plus more topics…
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
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