I like to flip between both networks watching the Wings. Doc Emrick is the Ernie Harwell of hockey. Milbury has a unique perspective-and lately he has been “entertaining’ to watch, and I like Olczyks commentary and perspective.

CBC had always been a fav of mine. The anticipation of what Don Cherry will say or wear has me always watching.

And what I like best-HNIC putting other players in the spotlight besides Crosby. NBC-rosby was going overboard with their constant attention on Sidney. It was just too much overkill. Although in the last NBC telecast, that was as apparent.

Posted by rjman48 from Royal Oak on 06/04/08 at 10:39 AM ET

Also-what’s the availabilty of CBC in Americas homes? TSN is Canadien based-hence it’s extremely hard and rare to have it has an option for Satellite/Cable providers here in Michigan. That may have a bearing in how this coverage data is configured.

Posted by rjman48 from Royal Oak on 06/04/08 at 10:45 AM ET

CBC/HNIC definitely takes the cake in commentating, and you can’t beat Don Cherry during Intermission.

Posted by Doug from Tilbury on 06/04/08 at 11:06 AM ET

I like Doc and Eddie O on NBC. The intermission stuff is not great. Would love to see Grapes instead.

Posted by PredNeck from Hicktown on 06/04/08 at 11:38 AM ET

I want some of what James Deacon must be smoking.  Because to posit that NBC is actually producing a better broadcast than CBC, must be the product of minad altering substances.

Granted I have yet to see a full broadcast of the SCF by the CBC (thanks, Gary. Ass) because the CenterIce package by DishNetwork STOPS when the games are on either VS. or NBC.  BUT, I have seen some CBC highlights on the NHL On The Fly.

I am here to tell you that IF NBC is in fact doing better than CBC, hockey broadcasts are in ridiculously bad shape.

I find NBC camera angles terrible, often missing the action.  Doc Emrick is okay, Bozo (Edzo) is almost clueless.  McGuire and Millbury gush endlessly over the flavor of the day (whoever happens to be winning) without ever informing the audience as to tactics or strategy being employed by the teams (of course it may be they don’t know either).

If Deacon is right and CBC is worse, I feel truly sorry for you fans in Canada - because NBC is awful, and worse than awful (I actually don’t know what that word might be)—hideous??

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 06/04/08 at 11:42 AM ET

I don’t mind CBC’s intermission coverage but the actual game coverage is clearly better on NBC as this article states. NBC has Pierre McGuire at ice level to give us a unique perspective on what is being said and done on the benches as well as coach interviews during each period that CBC just doesn’t give you because they don’t have that kind of access. That is part of the reason but also the fact the play-by-play of Emrick on NBC clearly blows Bob Cole out of the water over on CBC is another major factor. CBC made the right move to pull Cole’s plug after this year’s Finals and hand the reins to Jim Hughson starting next season. Emrick is just so sharp and describes the play at a rapid speed and is really doing a great job and really impressing us with his knowledge of the game. Bringing up Bobby Baun when Sergei Gonchar came back during the power play in the 3rd OT period was just a fantastic reference by Emrick to Baun coming back on to the ice form injury to score a goal in the past and that’s because Emrick truly loves the game and respects it including the rich history of it too. CBC has their work cut out for them. The coverage of the actual game is not even close to what NBC is serving up. They need to go back to the drawing board. Jim Hughson taking over the Finals next season is a good start.

Posted by Brad on 06/04/08 at 12:04 PM ET

Now, see, I hate Pierre between the benches.  I don’t care about what the chatter is, I don’t care about the unimaginative trash-talk, I just want the game to be called accurately, without spin, fluff, and hyperbole, and without making up new word uses.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/04/08 at 12:18 PM ET

McGuire and Millbury gush endlessly over the flavor of the day (whoever happens to be winning) without ever informing the audience as to tactics or strategy being employed by the teams (of course it may be they don’t know either).

That’s why my mom sincerely hopes that NBC has excellent medical coverage - she figures the poor men must get whiplash from switching so rapidly back and forth between which team to brown-nose. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/04/08 at 12:21 PM ET

CBC has almost completely lost it when it comes to hockey coverage.  I’ll be brutally honest here - Bob Cole is senile, Kelly Hrudey is an idiot of Maddenesque proportions when it comes to making a point, Don Cherry ran out of things to say a long time ago, and even Ron McLean’s puns have gone stale.

It’s not about TSN or NBC - it’s entirely CBC’s.  They’re occupying the second half of the statement “Innovate or Die.”

Posted by PRC. on 06/04/08 at 12:34 PM ET

NBC needs to tweak their “sounds of the game”. I dont want to hear the grunts, and “whiffs” of the hockey stick. I want to hear the actual talking, communcating on the bench, and the interaction between players from opposing teams on the ice.

Posted by rjman48 from Royal Oak on 06/04/08 at 12:36 PM ET