Round One schedule features the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators series as well as marquee matchups featuring the NHL’s top teams and a special playoff preview show on April 10
The road to the Stanley Cup begins Wednesday, April 11 and CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA is the exclusive home of both Canadian playoff teams as they begin their quests for hockey’s biggest prize. Along with Canada’s Stanley Cup hopefuls, CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA has two more marquee 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs matchups featuring some of the game’s brightest stars, all in High-Definition and available live online at cbcsports.ca.
“Watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada is a Canadian tradition for everyone from dedicated hockey fans to casual viewers,” said Julie Bristow, CBC’s Executive Director of Studio and Unscripted Programming. “With 50 days and nights of coverage from the drop of the first puck to the final horn in the Stanley Cup Final, we’re proud to continue the great tradition of providing viewers with innovative world class coverage and analysis that is second to none.”
The 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA features a host of innovative social media applications that will make every game an interactive experience for viewers across the country. One such feature is the Hockey Night Playoff Pulse, which invites fans to engage online with cbcsports.ca through the ultimate “second screen” experience with in-game polls and pools where fans can challenge each other through Facebook and Twitter, plus live updated leader boards.
“Stanley Cup Playoff hockey is part of the Canadian fabric and, as the exciting action gets underway on Wednesday, we know millions of fans will be following closely to see who gets to hoist the Cup in June,” said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA NHL playoff broadcast coverage kicks off with the Stanley Cup Countdown on Tuesday, April 10 at 8 p.m. local (8:30pm NT), in front of a live studio audience. Host Ron MacLean and analysts Kelly Hrudey and P.J. Stock will breakdown all eight first-round series and analyze the chances of the 16 teams vying for the Stanley Cup. Elliotte Freidman will also have breaking news from around the league.
The puck officially drops Wednesday, April 11 as CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA kicks off its schedule with a must-see doubleheader. Ron MacLean hosts the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs along with Kelly Hrudey and P.J. Stock as coverage gets underway at 8 p.m. ET when Pavel Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings visit Shea Weber and the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. The broadcast team for this Western Conference Quarterfinal includes play-by-play commentator Mark Lee and analyst Kevin Weekes (please see below for complete first round broadcast schedule and distribution).
Following the Detroit/Nashville game on Wednesday night, CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA heads to Rogers Arena in Vancouver at 10:30 p.m. ET as Henrik Sedin and the Canucks square off against Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings. This Western Conference Quarterfinal best-of-seven showdown will be called by play-by-play commentator Jim Hughson, analyst Craig Simpson and reporter Scott Oake.
The excitement continues on Thursday, April 12 with another two games, beginning at 7 p.m. ET with Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers hosting Daniel Alfredsson and the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden. The legendary Don Cherry and Coach’s Corner make their playoff debut during the first intermission, while play-by-play duties will be handled by Bob Cole who will be joined in the booth by analyst Garry Galley, with Glenn Healy providing analysis from between the benches and Cassie Campbell-Pascall reporting from rinkside.
Just after the puck drops in New York on the main CBC-TV network, CHEX has live coverage as Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals take on Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins at TD Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET. Dean Brown will call the series alongside analyst Greg Millen supported by rinkside reporter Andi Petrillo.
On Saturday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. ET, CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA sets the stage with Scotiabank Hockey Tonight, the pre-game show, followed by game two of the Ottawa/New York series.
The Vancouver/Los Angeles series will be featured on Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi presented by Chevrolet with Harnarayan Singh handling play-by-play duties. The Punjabi broadcasts will be available on Rogers Cable channel 799, Shaw Digital TV channel 328, Shaw Direct (channel TBD), TELUS Optik TV channel 131 and on Bell TV and FIBE TV channel 232 and will also be streamed live and on-demand on CBCSports.ca.
** TV Schedule follows**
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus seven languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.
For further information, contact:
James Lamont, Veritas Communications
(Work) 416-482-2617; (Cell) 416-859-5870
lamont@veritascanada.com
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA: 2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
ROUND ONE - CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
BROADCAST SCHEDULE
All series best of seven. Schedule subject to change.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS (#4) VS. DETROIT RED WINGS (#5)
Game 1 Detroit @ Nashville Wed., April 11 @ 8 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 2 Detroit @ Nashville Fri., April 13 @ 7:30 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 3 Nashville @ Detroit Sun., April 15 @ 12 noon ET FULL NETWORK
Game 4 Nashville @ Detroit Tue., April 17 @ 7:30 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 5** Detroit @ Nashville Fri., April 20 @ 8 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 6** Nashville @ Detroit Sun., April 22 @ TBD FULL NETWORK
Game 7** Detroit @ Nashville Tue., April 24 @ TBD FULL NETWORK
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (#1) VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS (#8)
Game 1 Los Angeles @ Vancouver Wed., April 11 @ 10:30 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 2 Los Angeles @ Vancouver Fri., April 13 @ 10 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 3 Vancouver @ Los Angeles Sun., April 15 @ 10:30 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 4 Vancouver @ Los Angeles Wed., April 18 @ 10 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 5** Los Angeles @ Vancouver Sun., April 22 - TBD FULL NETWORK
Game 6** Vancouver @ Los Angeles Tue., April 24 - TBD FULL NETWORK
Game 7** Los Angeles @ Vancouver Thu., April 26 - TBD FULL NETWORK
NEW YORK RANGERS (#1) VS. OTTAWA SENATORS (#8)
Game 1 Ottawa @ New York Thu., April 12 @ 7 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK*
Game 2 Ottawa @ New York Sat., April 14 @ 7 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 3 New York @ Ottawa Mon., April 16 @ 7:30 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK*
Game 4 New York @ Ottawa Wed., April 18 @ 7:30 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 5** Ottawa @ New York Sat., April 21 @ 7 p.m.ET FULL NETWORK
Game 6** New York @ Ottawa Mon., April 23 - TBD FULL NETWORK
Game 7** Ottawa @ New York Thu., April 26 - TBD FULL NETWORK
BOSTON BRUINS (#2) VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (#7)
Game 1 Washington @ Boston Thu., April 12 @ 7:30 p.m. ET CHEX
Game 2 Washington @ Boston Sat., April 14 @ 3 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 3 Boston @ Washington Mon., April 16 @ 7:30 p.m. ET CHEX
Game 4 Boston @ Washington Thu., April 19 @ 7:30 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 5** Washington @ Boston Sat., April 21 @ 3 p.m. ET FULL NETWORK
Game 6** Boston @ Washington Sun., April 22 - TBD FULL NETWORK
Game 7** Washington @ Boston Wed., April 25 - TBD FULL NETWORK
*Excluding CHEX
**If necessary
