this is embrassing day for the league. 5 questionable calls plus their network drops them for horses. Great Job, Bettman

Posted by FlyersFan on 05/19/07 at 03:45 PM ET

I wonder, is this the “respect” that Bettman loves to tout that the NHL gets from VERSUS and NBC?

Posted by Michael from Columbus, OH on 05/19/07 at 03:45 PM ET

Rangers game pre-empted Barbaro special, Buffalo forces OT to avoid horse race…

Maybe New Yorkers just hate horses. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/19/07 at 03:49 PM ET

Oh the horror!!! I had to push three buttons on my remote control NHL, you will pay!!!!

Posted by Petey on 05/19/07 at 03:52 PM ET

stupid… lets pull up the discussion on why this game is not on at night again.. dumb afternoon time…

Posted by canesice on 05/19/07 at 03:55 PM ET

Mr. Townshend misses the whole point of the frustration, which has nothing to do with the difficulty behind having to change channels.

Well, no ... wait.  Actually, it does have to do with having to change channels, for a vast group of people who don’t even have VERSUS.

But it’s alright.  The world needs simple-minded people to make the smart people look even smarter.

Posted by Michael from Columbus, OH on 05/19/07 at 03:58 PM ET

So freaking pathetic.  Don’t have versus, I shouldn’t have even watched a minute of hockey on NBC today.  What nonsense....

Posted by Guy Legend on 05/19/07 at 04:09 PM ET

NBC should be at least streaming the OT. 
Without any warning so folks could make arrangements, this will hurt NBC.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 05/19/07 at 04:11 PM ET

Way to go NHL and NBC.  I wonder if NBC will even show the Cup being presented during the finals or will cut away for a re-run of the Apprentice.  Oh well, hopefully I can watch 10 seconds worth of highlights of this game on ESPN tonight.

Posted by Rachel from San Jose on 05/19/07 at 04:42 PM ET

Jesus Christ… we’re watching the game on NBC at a bar, it goes to overtime, and boom - now we’re watching horse racing! No Versus at this bar! Thanks a lot for nothing NHL and NBC.

Posted by e on 05/19/07 at 04:44 PM ET

If NBC can’t commit to show the game in its entirety it should have been shown on Versus in the first place.  Take what you can get from NBC as far as showing games, but they have to commit to showing the whole game. 

It would be one thing if it was a regular season game.  The playoffs are obviously different.  NBC has more potential viewers than ESPN but Versus is the only channel that could pre-empt its entire broadcast schedule to show the game to its conclusion. 

I’m not even sure ESPN would show the complete game were they to carry NHL games.  They might have to drop coverage for a dog show or the world’s strongest man competition.  I think the NHL gets more viewers than the championship barbecuing series that runs on Versus, so they wouldn’t be likely to drop the game like NBC did.

Posted by Dave on 05/19/07 at 05:01 PM ET

What’s worse, NBC wanted the game and had more clout than CBC, so the game was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, rather than Saturday night. And they still couldn’t commit to showing the entire game. While hardcore hockey fans will no doubt think that the solution is to require a full-game commitment from a broadcaster, I fear that the “solution” proposed in the GBHL will be to curtail overtime, to give the networks who don’t even want to show hockey “slot” certainty.

Whatever. Hardcore fans already knew where Versus is on their cable system, or how to access streaming audio on-line. It’s precisely the casual fans whom the league thinks they’re trying to attract (in order to “grow the sport”, don’t you know) who will take out of this that the NHL is the National “Ha-ha, fooled you into investing two and a half hours in watching a game we’re not going to show you the end of” League).

Posted by alice on 05/19/07 at 05:29 PM ET

My question is why didn’t the NHL and NBC schedule the game for 1:00 to give an extra hour of buffer time to avoid exactly what happened?  Let’s face it.  The only way to be assured of seeing the Stanley Cup playoffs is to buy tickets or move to Canada! 

I live in Cleveland and tomorrow’s game will be JIP due to the Indians’ baseball game.  We will also be pre-empted from game 6(?) of the finals due to baseball. 

And to think that the actual race didn’t happen until almost 6:30PM.

Posted by Brian on 05/19/07 at 05:32 PM ET

And to think that the actual race didn’t happen until almost 6:30PM.

I know.  I turned back to NBC after the game to see who won the race, and they hadn’t even started yet.  All I could think was, “They cut off hockey to watch horses walk around?”

Posted by K24 from NYC on 05/19/07 at 05:50 PM ET

People who were relying on Tivo to see the game later also missed the ending due to the change of channels. Lame as hell.

Posted by false_cause from DC on 05/20/07 at 09:51 AM ET

I sent an email to the VP of programming at NBC. Lets see if he has the guts to even respond.

No wonder NBC is last in ratings amongst the networks. I wonder why the NHL is even doing buisiness with the likes of NBC. Take a look at their fall lineup. They got a sitcom on staring the geico cavemen, and they’re banking on reality TV to make it big. If I could cancel NBC only from my local broaddcast I would do so in a second.

Posted by Jim Olender from Fords, NJ on 05/21/07 at 01:53 PM ET