About an hour after CBC announced it was picking up Sidney Crosby’s NHL season debut for Hockey Night in Canada, Versus says it will do the same. The network was originally slated to carry Boston-Montreal at 7:30 p.m. ET, but with this new development, Versus has adjusted its schedule. Instead, NHL Live which was originally to air at 7 p.m. ET, will now take the air at 6:30 p.m. ET with Crosby making his season debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New York Islanders at 7 p.m.
Versus has assigned Dave Strader and Pierre McGuire to call the game. So Crosby’s debut will carried nationally in both Canada and the United States.
Here’s the Versus press release.
VERSUS TO AIR ISLANDERS-PENGUINS GAME TOMORROW AT 7 P.M. AS CROSBY MAKES HIS RETURN
Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live
NEW YORK (November 20, 2011) – With Sidney Crosby making his return to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup for the first time since January 5, VERSUS is switching from the Boston Bruins/Montreal Canadiens game scheduled for Monday night to air the New York Islanders/Penguins game at 7 p.m. from the CONSOL Energy Center. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live after a 30-minute edition of NBC SportsTalk at 6 p.m. ET
COMMENTATORS: The team of Dave Strader (play-by-play announcer) and Pierre McGuire (‘Inside the Glass’ analyst) will call all the action from Pittsburgh.
VERSUS’ NHL action continues this week with the Los Angeles Kings at St. Louis Blues on Tuesday with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
That will do it.