This is alist of American Stanley Cup Final television announcers.
NBC aired Games 1 and 4[3] of the1966 Stanley Cup Finals between theMontreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings.Win Elliot served as the play-by-play man whileBill Mazer served as the color commentator for the games.[4]
For the 1967 and 1968 playoffs,Jim Gordon worked play-by-play andStu Nahan worked color commentary and intermission interviews for CBS. During the regular season, the duo[5] alternated roles each week. For instance, Gordon provided the play-by-play on December 30 while Nahan did the same the next week. In1968–69,[6]Dan Kelly did play-by-play whileBill Mazer did color and intermission interviews.[7][8] While Dan Kelly once again handled all of the play-by-play work in 1971, Jim Gordon replaced Bill Mazer[9] in1970–71. For the CBS' Stanley Cup Finals coverage during this period, a third voice was added to the booth (Phil Esposito in 1971 andHarry Howell in 1972).
From1972–73[10]–1974–75,[11] NBC not only televised the Stanley Cup Finals[12] (including a couple of games inprime time[13]), but also weekly regular season games on Sunday afternoons. NBC also aired one regular season and a couple of playoff games in prime time during the first couple of seasons.Tim Ryan andTed Lindsay (withBrian McFarlane as the intermission host) served as the commentators for NBC's NHL coverage during this period.[14][15][16]
For theStanley Cup Finals,Jiggs McDonald[17] served as theplay-by-play man whileBill Clement was thecolor commentator for SportsChannel America. Also during the Stanley Cup Finals,Mike Emrick[18][19][20] served as the host whileJohn Davidson[21] served as the rinkside[22][23] and intermission analyst[24] (Herb Brooks filled that role in 1989).
2003 was the only year that ABC broadcast both theNBA and theStanley Cup Finals that involved teams from one city in the same year, as both theNew Jersey Nets and theNew Jersey Devils were in their respective league's finals. During ABC's broadcast of game three between theSan Antonio Spurs and the Nets inNew Jersey on June 8,Brad Nessler said that ABC was in a unique situation getting ready for both that game and game seven of theStanley Cup Finals between the Devils and theMighty Ducks of Anaheim the following night, also atContinental Airlines Arena.Gary Thorne mentioned this the following night, and thanked Nessler for promoting ABC's broadcast of game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals.[25]
| Announcer | Years | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Cole | 1980–1981 | Hughes |
| USA Network | ||
| Danny Gallivan | 1978 | NHL Network |
| Dan Kelly | 1978–1980 | NHL Network |
| Hughes | ||
| Jim Robson | 1980 | Hughes |
| Announcer | Years | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Dornhoefer | 1979–1981 | NHL Network |
| Hughes | ||
| USA Network | ||
| Dick Irvin Jr. | 1978–1980 | NHL Network |
| Hughes | ||
| Bobby Orr | 1979 | NHL Network |
| Mickey Redmond | 1981 | USA Network |
| Announcer | Years | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Boucher | 2020–2021;2025, 2027 | NBC/NBCSN |
| TNT | ||
| Ray Ferraro | 2022,2024, 2026, 2028 | ABC |
| Keith Jones | 2023 | TNT |
| Pierre McGuire | 2006–2019,2021(Games 2 and 3) | NBC/NBCSN |
| OLN/Versus | ||
| Darren Pang | 2011(Games 6 and 7) | NBC |
| Announcer | Years | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Jackson | 2022,2024, 2026, 2028 | ABC |
| Don Koharski | 2023 | TNT |
NBC's coverage of the1966 Stanley Cup Finals marked the first time that hockey games were broadcast on network television incolor.[31] TheCBC would follow suit the following year. NBC's Stanley Cup coverage preempted a sportsanthology series calledNBC Sports in Action, hosted byJim Simpson andBill Cullen, who were between-periods co-hosts for the Stanley Cup broadcasts.
In the1981–82 season,[32]Al Trautwig[33] took over as studio host for the USA Network. Dan Kelly did play-by-play with eitherGary Green[34][35] orRod Gilbert on color commentary. For theplayoffs, Dick Carlson andAl Albert[36] were added as play-by-play voices of some games. Meanwhile,Jim Van Horne hostedStanley Cup Finals games played in Vancouver.
Things pretty much remained the same for USA during the1982–83 season. Dan Kelly and Gary Green called most games, while Al Albert did play-by-play on severalplayoff[37] games and hosted one game of theStanley Cup Finals.[38][39]
| Announcer | Years | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Hodge | 1978–1981 (all locations except Montréal) | NHL Network |
| Hughes | ||
| USA Network | ||
| Dan Kelly andDick Irvin Jr. | 1978–1979 (in Montréal only) | NHL Network |
| Hughes |
| Announcer | Years | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Don Cherry | 1981 | USA Network |
| Howie Meeker |
CBS managed to televise the1971 Stanley Cup Finals clincher on a Tuesday night and the1972 Stanley Cup Finals clincher[40] on a Thursday night. In 1971, CBS was not scheduled to broadcast Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but showed theprime time contest (the first ever occurrence of an NHL game being nationally televised in prime time in the United States) between theMontreal Canadiens andChicago Black Hawks after fans reportedly swamped switchboards at network headquarters in New York City asking that the seventh game be televised. Ironically, the game was not telecast by CBS' Chicagoowned-and-operated stationWBBM-TV, nor on CBSaffiliates in most ofIllinois (except areas nearSt. Louis), and parts ofIndiana,Wisconsin andIowa, due to Blackhawks' ownerArthur M. Wirtz policy of not telecasting home games. While Dan Kelly once again handled all of the play-by-play work, Jim Gordon replaced Bill Mazer[41] in1970–71. For the CBS' Stanley Cup Finals coverage during this period, a third voice was added to the booth (Phil Esposito in 1971 andHarry Howell in 1972).
During the1972 Stanley Cup Finals between theBoston Bruins andNew York Rangers, CBS took a rather calculated risk in not televising the Game 5 match on May 9 (CBS aired regular programming, including the originalHawaii Five-O in that time period on that Tuesday night). This was despite the fact that Game 5 was a potential clincher with the Bruins up three games to one on the Rangers. CBS ultimately lucked out (since the Rangers won Game 5 3–2), and televised the clincher (Game 6) on Thursday night, May 11.
In1979, ABC was contracted to televise game seven of theStanley Cup Finals.[42][43] Since the Finals ended in five games, the contract was void.[44] Had there been a Game 7, thenAl Michaels would have called play-by-play alongsideJim McKay (between-periods host),Bobby Clarke (color commentator), andFrank Gifford (reporter, who would have been in the winning team's dressing room to interview players and coaches as well as hand the phone to the winning team's coach that would have allowed him to talk to bothPresidentJimmy Carter andPrime MinisterPierre Trudeau). This would give Michaels the honor of being the first announcer to call the play-by-play in all four major sports, having called theSuper Bowl, theWorld Series, andNBA Finals. The game would have started at 5:10 p.m.Eastern Daylight Time on a Saturday, replacingWide World of Sports and local news shows that typically followed it onABC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones.
Mainly influenced by theUnited States men's Olympic hockey team's surprisegold medal victory (dubbed "The Miracle on Ice") inLake Placid several months prior,[45] CBS agreed to pay$37 million to broadcast the sixth game of the1980 Stanley Cup Finals. In return, the NHL happily moved[46] the starting time fromprime time to the afternoon.[47] The Saturday afternoon game was the first fullAmerican network telecast of an NHL game since Game 5 of the1975 Stanley Cup Finals aired on NBC. By this time, Dan Kelly[48] was joined by formerNHL on NBC commentator,Tim Ryan.[49] Kelly didplay-by-play for the first and third periods as well as overtime.[50] Meanwhile, Tim Ryan did play-by-play only for the second period.Minnesota North Stars general managerLou Nanne[51] was the color commentator throughout the game. This turned out to be the last NHL game on American network television until NBC televised the1990 All-Star Game.[52][53]
FOX split coverage of theStanley Cup Finals withESPN. Game 1 of the1995 Stanley Cup Finals was the first Finals game shown on network television since1980 and the first inprime time since1973. FOX was scheduled to televise Games 1, 5, and 7; and ESPN airs Games 2, 3, 4, and 6. However, from1995 to1998, the Finals matches were all four game sweeps; the1999 Finals ended in six games. The consequence was that – except for 1995, when Fox did televise game four – the decisive game was never shown on network television. Perhaps in recognition of this, Games 3 through 7 were always televised byABC in the succeeding broadcast agreement between the NHL andABC Sports/ESPN.
Before the2004–05 lockout, the NHL had reached two separate deals withNBC (who would replaceABC as the NHL's American national broadcast television partner) and ESPN. ESPN offered the NHL$60 million for about 40 games (only fifteen of which would be during the regular season), all on ESPN2, with presumably, only some midweek playoff games, the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals and theAll-Star Game airing on ESPN.[54] The NBC deal stipulated that the network would pay the league no rights fees - an unheard of practice to that point. NBC's deal included six regular season windows, seven postseason broadcasts and Games 3–7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in primetime. The contracts were to commence when the lockout ended. The NBC deal expired after the2006–07 season, and NBC had picked up the option to renew for the2007–08 season (Just like theAFL/NBC agreement, which the network did not renew in 2006). The NHL and NBC shared in revenues from advertising.
As part of ESPN's new deal with the NHL, which starts with the2021–22 season, ABC will exclusively air four Stanley Cup Finals over the life of the contract (2022, 2024, 2026, and 2028). This will be the first time that a broadcast over-the-air network will exclusively air the Stanley Cup Finals.
For USA's final full season of NHL coverage in1984–85,[55][56] Dan Kelly[57] and Gary Green[58] once again, did most games, while Al Albert and Green called the rest. In all, USA covered about 55 games, including 33 in the regular season.[59] Also,Hartford Whalers goaltenderMike Liut was added as an intermission analyst for theStanley Cup Finals.[60][61]
Games 1 and 2 of the2006 Stanley Cup Finals were on OLN, while the remainder of the series was on NBC.
Under the terms of the contract running from2007–2011, Versus aired 54 or more NHL games each season, generally on Monday and Tuesday nights, and provided coverage of as manyStanley Cup Playoff games as possible (generally two per night in the first two rounds; the Conference Finals are usually played on alternating days), and two games of theStanley Cup Finals (Games 3 and 4 in2009,[62]2010 and2011).
In2014,NBCSN broadcast Games 3 and 4, while NBC televised the remaining games. NBC Sports originally planned to repeat its coverage pattern from the last few seasons: NBCSN would televise Games 2 and 3, while NBC would broadcast Game 1, and then Games 4 through 7.[63] After the League scheduled Game 2 on the day of theBelmont Stakes, coverage of games two and four were switched so NBC's telecast of the horse race would serve as lead-in programming to Game 2. Due to the death of a family member, NBC lead play-by-play announcerMike Emrick missed Game 1.Kenny Albert, who was also theNew York Rangers radio announcer forWEPN and announced several national games (including the Western Conference Finals) for NBC/NBCSN, filled in for Emrick in the first game.[64]
It was originally announced that Games 2 and 3 of the2015 Finals were to be broadcast by NBCSN, with the remainder on NBC. Game 2 was moved to NBC to serve as a lead-out for its coverage of the2015 Belmont Stakes in favor of Game 4 on NBCSN. AsEddie Olczyk was also a contributor to NBC's Belmont coverage, he missed Game 2.[65][66][67]
On May 27, 2016, NBC Sports announced that if theFinals was tied at 1-1 entering Game 3, then it would have aired on NBC and Game 4 televised on NBCSN. However, if one team led 2-0 (as this eventually happened; Penguins led 2–0), Game 3 would be moved to NBCSN and then Game 4 on NBC.[68]
Pursuant to the announcement of Turner Sports (nowTNT Sports) claiming the NHL's new “B” package for the2021–22 season, on April 27, 2021,TNT will air three Stanley Cup Finals in 2023, 2025 and 2027. In the2023 Finals, TNT's coverage was simulcast on sister networksTruTV andTBS, the latter unavailable on Tuesdays due toMajor League Baseball coverage.
In the United States, the clinching game of the1966 Stanley Cup Finals on the evening of Thursday, May 5 aired on RKO General's stations, such asWOR-TV inNew York City andWHCT inHartford, Connecticut. The commentators for RKO's coverage on that occasion wereBob Wolff andEmile Francis. Wolff at the time didplay-by-play forNew York Rangers games seen on WOR. Although the TV listings page of the May 5, 1966 edition of theBoston Globe indicated that RKO-ownedWNAC-TV inBoston would not carry the game,[69] the then-ABC-affiliated station did clear the broadcast at the last minute.
The1976 Stanley Cup Finals on the NHL Network marked the first time that the NHL's championship series was nationally televised in its entirety in the United States.[70][71] Starting in the1978 playoffs, the NHL Network begansimulcasting many games withHockey Night in Canada. In these games,Dan Kelly, who was the NHL Network's lead play-by-play broadcaster, was assigned to do play-by-play along withHNIC color commentators.
The entire1979 Stanley Cup Finals between theMontreal Canadiens andNew York Rangers was simulcast as well.[72] However, had that final gone to Game 7, then that game would have been broadcast onABC.[73]
Hughes televised Games 1-5 of the1980 Stanley Cup Finals[74] (the final game, Game 6, was broadcast byCBS). Hughes technically, usedCBC'sHockey Night in Canada feeds for the American coverage of the first five games of the Stanley Cup Finals.
NBC will broadcast game one, game four, and Games 5–7 (if necessary), with NBCSN televising Games 2–3
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