In the United States, changes are in the works for NBC’s hockey telecasts. Sources say the studio show will be scrapped now that Brett Hull has left to take a front-office job with the Dallas Stars.

Replacing Hull will be Mike Milbury, the former NHL player and general manager. He is likely to work on-site as a commentator.

NBC is expected to drop Bill Clement as the host of the NHL broadcasts. The status of analyst Ray Ferraro isn’t clear

Clement was doing a great job but it shows you how much NBC cares about NHL......

Posted by FlyersFan on 07/23/07 at 09:55 PM ET

Frankly, if there going to replace him with Al Michaels or Bob Costas, go for it.  That’s my best guess.  Buccigross signed a 5-year deal to stay with ESPN, so there’s really no one else out there.  The NHL can use all the star power it can get.  At least Michaels and Costas are farmiliar faces.

The fact is, you could tell Bill hated it at NBC.

Posted by Steve from NJ on 07/23/07 at 10:10 PM ET

Buccigross signed a 5-year deal to stay with ESPN, so there’s really no one else out there.

If he hadn’t signed the contract, there’d still be no one else out there.

Posted by Greg Wyshynski from Washington, D.C. on 07/24/07 at 07:40 AM ET

Well, no one is to NBC what that dead singer is to Sublime.

Sent a line to William Houston who wrote the story...said that the team of Emrick, Olczyk and McGuire will stay in place.  Milbury will be on-site to give commentary in-between periods.  I guess they’ll hire a big gun (Michaels, Costas, Olbermann) to help him.

Posted by Steve from New Jersey on 07/24/07 at 10:09 AM ET

There was discussion several weeks ago about possibly brining Ken Daniels into HNIC… I hope thats not the case.  I much prefer having him on my Fox Sports Detroit during Red Wings and college hockey.  Mickey Redmond keeps taking little bits of time off here and there though, and this timetable probably closely coincides with when Mickey would like to think about retiring from FSN himself, which would be the most natural time for Ken Daniels to make the move to HNIC.

Buccigross could host a studio show just fine.  NHL2Nite was always worth watching, he’s known to a lot of NHL fans, and he has way more passion for the game than a lot of other options out there.  Furthermore, short of having a naked Jessica Alba hosting, no one is gonna give a damn about the studio show, because its so poorly done.  This spring, I don’t know how often I just cracked up at Bill/Brett/Ray’s expense, listening to their hugely awkward game highlights, or listening to Brett Hull tell Ray Ferraro that he’s a dumbass, then returning to the camera with the most smug expression ever on his face.  They need an actual crew with tv experience and some amount of chemistry, to make it actually work.

Posted by Hasekbowstome on 07/24/07 at 10:47 AM ET

Ken Daniels would be outstanding on HNIC...but I hope that move is a ways off yet.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/24/07 at 11:20 AM ET