The game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings was supposed to be played earlier this year, but due to the lockout, it was scrapped, however, the NHL did keep the event intact so it could be played this season.
So on January 1 at 1 p.m. ET at the venerable Michigan Stadium in front of 100,000 fans, the 2014 Winter Classic will take place.
NBC will air the event with Mike Emrick and Ed Olcyzk rinkside calling the game. Pierre McGuire will be in-between the benches to provide nothing.
NBC’s studio team of Liam McHugh, Keith Jones, Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick will be on-site to provide analysis in-between periods.
And the U.S. Olympic Women’s and Men’s Hockey Teams will be announced during the broadcast.
Here’s the NBC press release.
DETROIT RED WINGS HOST TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS BEFORE 100,000+ FANS ON NEW YEAR’S DAY IN 2014 NHL WINTER CLASSIC ON NBC
World-Record Crowd of 100,000+ Anticipated for Original Six Clash at Michigan Stadium on New Year’s Day
Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire to Call Action at Ice Level for First Time in NBC Sports Broadcast-Television History
NHL Live’s Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick On-Site From “The Big House”
Team USA Men’s and Women’s Hockey Rosters to Be AnnouncedSTAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 26, 2013 – Two storied NHL franchises will face off at one of college football’s most historic stadiums in front of more than 100,000 fans on New Year’s Day, when NBC presents the 2014 NHL Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET, from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. In addition, NBCSN will present coverage of the Maple Leafs-Red Wings Alumni Games on New Year’s Eve, a pre-Olympic exhibition game in women’s hockey between Team USA and Team Canada on Saturday, Dec. 28, and a matchup of the previous two Stanley Cup winners on Monday night, when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Los Angeles Kings.
Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will have the Winter Classic call rink-side from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., home of the University of Michigan Wolverines football team. It will be the first time a full broadcast team has called an NHL regular-season game at ice level in NBC Sports broadcast-television history.
NHL Live host Liam McHugh will be on-site at Michigan Stadium alongside former players and analysts Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick to provide pre-game and post-game analysis, as well as commentary during intermissions.
In addition, The Weather Channel on-camera meteorologist and storm tracker Jim Cantore will be on-site to provide weather updates and conduct interviews throughout the game, a role he has held at previous NHL Winter Classics.
The Red Wings will make their second appearance in the NHL Winter Classic, having defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4, in 2009 at Wrigley Field, while the Maple Leafs become the first Canadian team to appear in the annual New Year’s Day outdoor affair. The event will aim to set the Guinness World Record for highest attendance at a hockey game, which was set at Michigan Stadium in a college hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State in 2010 (104,073).
In advance of the NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, NBCSN will provide live coverage of two alumni games between former members of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, starting at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 31, from Comerica Park in Detroit, Mich.
The NHL Winter Classic will also have an Olympic element, with less than 50 days remaining until the start of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. During the second intermission, NBC will provide live coverage of the final roster announcement for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Women’s ice hockey team. Following the game, NBC will also provide coverage of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men’s ice hockey team roster announcement.
On Saturday, Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. ET, Team USA faces Team Canada in a pre-Olympic women’s exhibition game on NBCSN. Last Friday, Team USA defeated Team Canada, by a score of 4-1, for their second straight victory against their rivals to the north. Dave Strader will provide play-by-play action alongside former Team USA members A.J. Mlezcko (analyst) and Natalie Darwitz (analyst), from Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn.
NBC Sports Group’s NHL coverage next week begins Monday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN with a matchup of the two previous Stanley Cup Champions, when Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks host Dustin Brown and the Los Angeles Kings. John Forslund (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (analyst) will provide live commentary from United Center in Chicago, Ill.
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will stream all 2013-14 NHL regular-season games televised on NBC and NBCSN, including this week’s Kings-Blackhawks matchup, the NHL Winter Classic, both alumni games and the Team USA-Team Canada pre-Olympic exhibition game.
Date Coverage Network Time (ET) Mon., December 30 NHL Live NBCSN 7 p.m. Los Angeles at Chicago NBCSN 8 p.m. Tue., December 31 Winter Classic Alumni Game #1 NBCSN 1 p.m. NHL Top 10 NBCSN 3 p.m. NHL Top 10 NBCSN 3:30 p.m. Winter Classic Alumni Game #2 NBCSN 4 p.m. Wed., January 1 Toronto at Detroit – 2014 NHL Winter Classic NBC 1 p.m. Return to Vancouver – 2010 Gold Medal Game NBCSN 8 p.m. NHL WINTER CLASSIC PRODUCES MOST-WATCHED NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES
The Winter Classic, which was co-created by NBC Sports and the NHL and debuted in 2008, has produced five of the six most-watched NHL regular-season games in the past 38 years (average viewers).
Viewership Date Network Game 1. 4.5 million Jan. 1, 2011 NBC Capitals-Penguins 2. 4.4 million Jan. 1, 2009 NBC Red Wings-Blackhawks 3. 3.8 million Jan. 27, 1996 FOX Six-game regional coverage 4. 3.8 million Jan. 1, 2008 NBC Penguins-Sabres 5. 3.74 million Jan. 2, 2012 NBC Rangers-Flyers 6. 3.68 million Jan. 1, 2010 NBC Flyers-Bruins
That will do it.
