Starting with the Selection Show this Sunday and then starting in earnest on Friday, March 23, the ESPN Family of Networks, mainly ESPN2 and ESPNU will cover the NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Championships starting with the Regional Semifinals and heading to the Frozen Four in Tampa, FL.
All but two of the games will be shown on the combination of ESPNU/ESPN3. ESPN2 will air one Frozen Four semifinal and the Championship Game on April 5 and 7 respectively.
John Buccigross and Barry Melrose will be seen on the Selection Show and they’ll call the East Regional in Bridgeport, CT. Barry will then head to Tampa and be joined by Gary Thorne who will call the Frozen Four.
We have details of the coverage from ESPN.
New Replay Graphics Highlight ESPN’s Complete NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Coverage
Sunday’s Selection Show to feature three-time Stanley Cup Champion Aaron Ward
For the eighth consecutive year, ESPN will present every glass-crushing moment of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship starting with the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Selection Show on Sunday, March 18, and culminating with the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla., April 5 and 7. All 15 games will air live on ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3. Four regional games will be shown on ESPN3 with additional coverage on ESPNU in tape delay. For 2012, ESPN will debut its Advanced Replay Tool (ART) which allows graphics to be used in a replay, a first in the network’s coverage of NCAA hockey.
As in past years, the tournament brackets will be announced on the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Selection Show by SportsCenter anchor John Buccigross, analyst Barry Melrose and new to the selection show this year, three-time Stanley Cup champion Aaron Ward. Airing Sunday, March 18, at noon ET on ESPNU, Ward’s three-consecutive NCAA Championship appearances while playing at Michigan brings a second layer of expertise to the passion and enthusiasm Melrose infuses into the 30-minute special. The show will also include features from current NHL standouts reflecting on their own NCAA memories, including Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis, Buffalo’s Ryan Miller, New Jersey’s Zach Praise and Ottawa’s Matt Gilroy.
The ART, developed by ESPN Emerging Technology, allows graphics to be instantaneously embedded within a replay, providing commentators greater visual resources to communicate analysis to viewers. It has seen previous success in ESPN’s coverage of basketball, football and golf telecasts.
Melrose, Gary Thorne and Clay Matvick will utilize the tool during ESPN’s Frozen Four telecasts. Former NCAA players Sean Ritchlin (Michigan), Dave Starman (Hartford) and Billy Jaffe (Michigan) will also contribute analysis throughout the two week coverage span. ESPN has aired games from the Championship since 1980 and recently extended its commitment to the NCAA, which includes airing the entire Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship through 2024.
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators
Network (s) Sunday, Mar 18 noon NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Selection Show
John Buccigross, Barry Melrose and Aaron WardESPNU Friday, Mar 23 3 p.m. East Regional Semifinal 1 (Bridgeport, Conn.)
John Buccigross and Barry MelroseESPNU/ESPN3 5:30 p.m. Midwest Regional Semifinal 1 (Green Bay, Wis.)
Ben Holden and Sean RitchlinESPN3 6:30 p.m. East Regional Semifinal 2 (Bridgeport, Conn.)
John Buccigross and Barry MelroseESPNU/ESPN3 9 p.m. Midwest Regional Semifinal 2 (Green Bay, Wis.)
Ben Holden and Sean RitchlinESPNU/ESPN3 11:30 p.m. Midwest Regional Semifinal 1 (Green Bay, Wis.)
Ben Holden and Sean RitchlinESPNU* Saturday, Mar 24 1:30 p.m. West Regional Semifinal 1 (Saint Paul, Mass.)
Clay Matvick and Dave StarmanESPN3 4 p.m. Northeast Regional Semifinal 1 (Worcester, Mass.)
Dan Parkhurst and Billy JaffeESPNU/ESPN3 5 p.m. West Regional Semifinal 2 (Saint Paul, MN)
Clay Matvick and Dave StarmanESPN3 6:30 p.m. East Regional Final (Bridgeport, Conn.)
John Buccigross and Barry MelroseESPNU/ESPN3 7:30 p.m. Northeast Regional Semifinal 2 (Worcester, Mass.)
Dan Parkhurst and Billy JaffeESPN3 9 p.m. Midwest Regional Final (Green Bay, Wis.)
Ben Holden and Sean RitchlinESPNU/ESPN3 11:30 p.m. Northeast Regional Semifinal 2 (Worcester, Mass.)
Dan Parkhurst and Billy JaffeESPNU** Sunday, Mar 25 12:30 p.m. West Regional Semifinal 1 (Saint Paul, Minn.)
Clay Matvick and Dave StarmanESPNU** 3 p.m. West Regional Semifinal 2 (Saint Paul, Minn)
Clay Matvick and Dave StarmanESPNU** 5:30 p.m. West Regional Final (Saint Paul, Minn.)
Clay Matvick and Dave StarmanESPNU/ESPN3 8 p.m. Northeast Regional Final (Worcester, Mass.)
Dan Parkhurst and Billy JaffeESPNU/ESPN3 Thursday, Apr 5 4:30 p.m. Frozen Four Semifinal 1 (Tampa Bay, Fla.)
Gary Thorne, Clay Matvick and Barry MelroseESPNU/ESPN3 8 p.m. Frozen Four Semifinal 2 (Tampa Bay, Fla.)
Gary Thorne, Clay Matvick and Barry MelroseESPN2/ESPN3 Saturday, Apr 7 7 p.m. NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship (Tampa Bay, Fla.)
Gary Thorne, Clay Matvick and Barry MelroseESPN2/ESPN3 *Tape Delayed from earlier March 23 live game on ESPN3
**Tape Delayed from earlier March 24 live game on ESPN3
That will end our posts for the night.
