TORONTO – CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada is facing off on the 2nd screen in a big way this Saturday to kick of its 60th season. Budweiser is sponsoring Facebook and Twitter pages where fans can login during national broadcasts and interact with in-game features that reflect the live game action.
HNIC says Hockey Night in Canada: 2nd Screen presented by Budweiser gives viewers new ways to interact and engage with the game through smartphones, tablets and computers. Fans can login at Facebook and test their knowledge and try their luck at predicting team and player performances to earn points and win weekly prizes as well as a grand prize at the end of the season. They can login through Twitter (#HockeyNight), Facebook and Pinterest. Fans can also stay up-to-date with the Hockey Night in Canada app for iOS and Windows 8, and via Google Currents.
Additional interactive features include:
• Connection to friends via Facebook and Twitter
• Live scoreboard tracking each user’s point totals
• Live Twitter feed
• Live NHL scoreboard
• Schedule of upcoming Hockey Night in Canada games
In addition to the second screen experience, hockey fans later this winter will be able to connect with HNIC through their Xbox consoles. Hockey Night in Canada on Xbox will give viewers the opportunity to watch live games and stay up-to-date with special in-game features designed specifically for them. With near instant three-minute highlight packs after each game, scores, schedules, and a Weekly Top 5 featuring the “greatest saves, most amazing goals and best plays of the week.”
When hockey fans tune in Saturday they’ll also notice a few changes to the show, beginning with a new rendition of ‘Hockey Tonight’ as performed by Colin MacDonald of The Trews, new animations and some familiar faces in new places throughout the broadcast.
“To coincide with the start of our 60th season, a milestone year for CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, we’ve made exciting changes to our all-star cast of personalities who bring distinct points of view to the broadcast” said Julie Bristow, Executive Director, Studio and Unscripted Programming, CBC.
Scotiabank Hockey Tonight will give viewers their first chance to see the new lineup. Host Ron MacLean is joined at the desk by hockey insiders and analysts Glenn Healy, P.J. Stock, Kevin Weekes, Elliotte Friedman with Andi Petrillo at the Chevrolet I-Desk. The same team will guide viewers from the pre-game to the final horn every Saturday night throughout the NHL season. In her role, Petrillo becomes the first full-time female Hockey Night in Canada in-studio personality.
The in-game broadcast teams will have a slightly different look as well this season, with the duo of Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson calling the Prime East games while Rick Ball will call the play-by-play alongside analyst Kelly Hrudey for many of the Prime West games throughout the season. HNIC’s team of rinkside reporters includes David Amber with the Prime East crew and Scott Oake handling reporting duties for the Prime West games in addition to anchoring After Hours to conclude the night.
Regional broadcasts feature Bob Cole (play-by-play) and Garry Galley (analysis), and Dean Brown (play-by-play) and either Greg Millen or Galley (analysis) in the East while West games feature Mark Lee (play-by-play) and Millen (analysis). A host of reporters join the regional teams each week, including Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Mitch Peacock, and Bruce Rainnie. In addition, veteran hockey writer Tim Wharnsby keeps fans up-to-date with the latest news and analysis from around the league at CBCSports.ca.
Don Cherry returns to the broadcast with Coach’s Corner presented by Budweiser alongside MacLean during the first intermission of the Prime East game. Enjoying expanded program coverage this year, Cherry returns at the end of the first period of the Prime West game with additional thoughts and commentary.
Wrapping up the night each Saturday is After Hours with hosts Oake and Hrudey as they welcome the NHL’s biggest names following the Prime West game. Fans will have the opportunity to interact with the hosts and their guests by submitting questions via Twitter.
Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi presented by Chevrolet returns for every Saturday night national double-header with veteran host Harnarayan Singh as he handles play-by-play duties alongside analysts Bhola Chauhan and Inderpreet Cumo. Fans can view every Saturday night national broadcast with live online streaming from CBCSports.ca and on TV through Bell Satellite TV channel 232, Bell Fibe TV 232, Rogers Digital TV channel 799, Shaw Digital TV channel 328 and TELUS Optik TV 131.
Hockey Night In Canada Radio on SiriusXM has been breaking the latest hockey news since it launched in the fall. The flagship show of NHL Network radio airs daily from 3-5 p.m. ET as members of the HNIC team along with guests discuss and debate the game of hockey. The show airs Monday to Friday at 3 p.m. ET on Sirius channel 207 and XM 92.
