OLN celebrates the return of the NHL by making season opener available to all cable and satellite homes
Stamford, CT - OLN, the new,
national cable television home of the National Hockey League, will kick
off the 2005-06 season when the Rangers take on the Flyers on October
5. In an effort to allow the largest possible audience to
watch
the game when it returns to the ice, the network will make the opener
available to all cable and satellite operators, whether or not OLN is
offered as part of their regular channel line-ups. The game
begins at 7 p.m. ET on October 5 and will include highlights from other
games around the league as part of OLN's studio show.
"Opening night is a celebration of the return of these great teams and
players to the ice, so we're making it available free of charge to all
operators," said Gavin Harvey, President of OLN. "Rangers vs.
Flyers is a legendary match up and a terrific way to kick off the NHL
on OLN. We can't wait to deliver a great hockey season,
especially with as many teams going into it with serious playoff
potential."
OLN will be providing cable and satellite operators information on how
to access the NHL game signal. Viewers should check with their
provider to find out how they can watch the game, if they don't already
get OLN as part of their channel line-up. After October 5,
viewers in systems where OLN is widely distributed will be able to
watch national coverage of the most intense NHL rivalries every Monday
and Tuesday night. In total, the network will present 58
regular-season games, wall-to-wall playoff action, and the first two
games of the Stanley Cup Final.
"OLN is going to capture the key moments of the season," said Marc
Fein, Senior Vice President of Programming and Production. "From
the national debut of Sidney Crosby as a Pittsburgh Penguin, to Wayne
Gretzky's first game as an NHL coach for the Phoenix Coyotes, we're
going to be there, giving our viewers unprecedented access and taking
advantage of the new rules on the ice."
The NHL on OLN's schedule highlights some of the most exciting hockey
match-ups, such as Boston vs. Montreal, Chicago vs. Detroit, Pittsburgh
vs. Philadelphia, Colorado vs. Detroit and Boston vs. NY Rangers.
Every U.S.-based team will be featured on OLN at least once during the
regular season, with teams like Detroit and Colorado making eight
appearances each. Mike "Doc" Emrick will be the network's lead
play-by-play announcer, John Davidson will serve as the network's lead
analyst and veteran NHL analyst Bill Clement will host OLN's studio
show. Additions to OLN's hockey commentating team will be
released as details become available.
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