NBC’s coverage of the NHL ends after the Stanley
Cup finals, but its impact on how the game
is broadcast will carry on due to its different
innovations in 15 years.
The network’s coverage could conclude
as soon as Monday night if the Tampa Bay
Lightning complete a four-game sweep of the
Montreal Canadiens.
“I think when the history books are written on
the NBC era with the NHL over the last 15 years,
the entire network has so much to be proud of,”
play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert said.
NBC has added many technical innovations,
but its most pronounced is having an analyst
positioned inside the glass and between both
team benches.
“Over in Sochi, they had three inside the glass
positions between the benches during the
Olympic tournament, and that made us all
smile knowing that we had taken this concept
from a board room at the NHL to the industry
standard and the international standard, which
was really gratifying,” NBC Sports executive
producer Sam Flood said. “We do think it’s
changed the way people watch the game of
hockey and consume it.”
Flood said there was initial pushback on having
a reporter between the benches until there
was a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary
Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly
before the start of NBC’s first season in 2005.
“Gary looked at me and said, ‘Sam what do you
guys need on the production side? What can I do
for you?’ I had been told by the NHL operations
people they weren’t going to allow it to happen,”
Flood said. “I said to Gary, ‘We need the position