NHL on Fox

NHL on Fox is the branding formerly used for broadcasts of National Hockey League games that were produced by Fox Sports, and televised on the Fox network from the 1994–1995 NHL season until the 1998–1999 NHL season. Although the Fox broadcast network no longer airs league telecasts, NHL games currently air on the Fox Sports Networks in the form of game telecasts that air on a regional basis, featuring local NHL teams that each of the regional networks have respective broadcast rights to air in their designated market.

NHL on Fox
The general NHL on Fox logo.
Also known asFox NHL Saturday
GenreSports
Directed bySandy Grossman (Stanley Cup Finals)
Bob Levy (Stanley Cup Finals studio show)
Artie Kemper (NHL on Fox game director)
Peter Bleckner (NHL on Fox game director)
Michael Frank (NHL on Fox game director)
Jennifer Love (senior associate director)
Craig Farrell (technical director)
Rich Basile (technical director)
Rick Tugman (technical director)
Jonathan X (technical director)
Clark Pierce (graphics producer)
John Ward (director of production)
Presented bySee "personalities" section
Theme music composerScott Schreer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
Production
Executive producersDavid Hill
Ed Goren
ProducersRichard Zyontz (Stanley Cup Finals)
Nancy Bernstein (Stanley Cup Finals studio show)
Mike Burks (NHL on Fox game producer)
Peter Macheska (NHL on Fox game producer)
Bill Brown (senior supervising producer)
Rich Russo (NHL on Fox game producer)
Scott Ackerson (coordinating producer of studio shows)
Dean Walker (Stanley Cup Finals technical producer)
Janice A. Casazza (supervising videotape producer)
Marvin Kale (technical producer)
Craig Marlowe (technical producer)
Dave Hill (technical producer)
James Crittenden (associate producer)
Production locationsVarious NHL stadiums (game telecasts)
Fox Network Center, Los Angeles (studio segments, pregame and postgame shows)
CinematographyRobert Lawton
Pete Chavelrus
David Geller
Don Cornelli
Al Mountford
Martin Miller
Andy Mitchell
James Lytle
Mark Stacey
EditorsAndy Boyle
Mitch Fehr
David Millar
Thimmiah Snyder
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time150 minutes or until game ends
Production companyFox Sports
Release
Original networkFox
Picture format480i (SDTV)
Original releaseApril 2, 1995 (1995-04-02) 
June 17, 1999 (1999-06-17)
Chronology
Followed byNHL on ABC
External links
Website

History

On the heels of its surprise acquisition of the television rights to the National Football League in December 1993,[1] Fox sought deals with other major sports leagues to expand its newly created sports division, opting to go after the rights to broadcast National Hockey League (NHL) games. CBS, which had just lost its NFL package (which primarily included the rights to regular season and playoff games from the National Football Conference) to Fox and had also lost its baseball and college football rights to other networks, was Fox's primary competitor for the NHL package, hoping to replace some of the sports programming it had lost to the upstart network.

Nevertheless, in a serious blow to the elder network, Fox outbid CBS for the NHL package as well. On September 9, 1994, the National Hockey League reached a five-year contract with Fox for the broadcast television rights to the league's games, beginning with the 1994–95 season. The network paid $155,000,000 ($31,000,000 annually) to televise NHL regular season and postseason games, considerably less than the $1,580,000,000 Fox paid for the NFL television rights.[2]

The NHL's initial deal with Fox was significant, as a U.S. network television contract was long thought unattainable for the league during the presidency of John Ziegler.[3] For 17 years after the 1975 Finals were broadcast on NBC, there would be no national over-the-air network coverage of the NHL in the United States (except for the 1979 Challenge Cup and Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals on CBS, and NBC's coverage of the NHL All-Star Game from 1990 to 1994) and only spotty coverage on regional networks. This was due to the fact that no network was willing to commit to carrying a large number of games, in turn providing low ratings for NHL telecasts. ABC would eventually resume the network broadcasting of regular NHL games (on a time buy basis through ESPN) for the 1992–93 season. This continued through the 1993–94 season, before Fox took over for the next five seasons.

Fox inaugurated its NHL coverage on April 2, 1995, towards the end of the 1994–95 regular season, with six games (between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers; St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings; Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals; Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars; Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning; and the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks). Mike Emrick and John Davidson were the lead broadcast team. Joe Micheletti served as the reporter for national game broadcasts on Fox, while regionally-distributed games were handled by a variety of announcers, in addition to Emrick and Davidson. For the first four years of the deal, James Brown hosted the show and Dave Maloney was the studio analyst from the Fox Network Center studios in Los Angeles. For the fifth and final season, Suzy Kolber served as the studio host and Terry Crisp served as the studio analyst. Occasionally, active NHL players such as Mike Modano would serve as guest analysts.

FoxTrax

Fox's NHL broadcasts are perhaps best remembered for its use of FoxTrax (colloquially called the "glow puck,"[4][5] "smart puck," or "super puck"), a specialized ice hockey puck designed for the network's NHL telecasts which featured internal electronics that allowed its position to be tracked. It was primarily used to visually highlight the puck on-screen and display a trail when the puck was moving rapidly. The FoxTrax puck, while considered to be generally popular according to Fox Sports, generated a great deal of controversy and criticism, especially in Canada, from longtime fans of the game,[6] and was ridiculed by comedians on both sides of the border.

Stanley Cup playoff coverage

During the first two rounds of the playoffs, two games were aired each round and two games were distributed regionally, unless other series involving other scheduled games were already finished, in which case the telecast was broadcast nationally. Canadian viewers were upset over the apparent preference that the NHL had for Fox ahead of CBC Television in regards to the scheduling of playoff games; Montreal Gazette sports journalist Pat Hickey wrote that the schedule was "just another example of how the N.H.L. snubs its nose at the country that invented hockey and its fans."[7]

All-Star Game, Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals

For the All-Star Game, Conference Finals, and Stanley Cup Finals, the games (which were national telecasts) were hosted from the arena. The 1996 and 1997 All-Star Games were televised in prime time.

Stanley Cup Finals

Fox split coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals with ESPN. Game 1 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals was the first Finals game shown on network television since 1980 and the first in prime time since 1973. Games 1, 5, and 7 were usually scheduled to be televised by Fox; and Games 2, 3, 4, and 6 were set to air on ESPN. However, from 1995 to 1998, the Finals matches were all four game sweeps; the 1999 Finals ended in six games. The consequence was that – except for 1995, when Fox did televise Game 4 – the decisive Game 7 was never shown on network television. Perhaps in recognition of this, Games 3 through 7 were always televised by ABC in the succeeding broadcast agreement between the NHL and ABC Sports/ESPN.

Game 4 of the 1995 Final was notable because not only did the New Jersey Devils win the Stanley Cup, but also the team's main television play-by-play announcer, Mike Emrick, announced it.

KTVU, the Fox affiliate in the San Francisco Bay Area, dropped Game 4 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals (June 24) for a San Francisco Giants game. The game between the Giants and Florida Marlins in Miami had a long rain-delay. This allowed for KTVU to broadcast the hockey game after-all. However, the baseball game finally started before the hockey game ended. KTVU got a lot of complaints, so they re-aired the end of the hockey game the following Saturday.

Stanley Cup Finals broadcast schedules
  • 1995 – Games 1, 4, 5, 7 on Fox; Games 2, 3, 6 on ESPN
  • 1996 – Games 1, 3, 5, 7 on Fox; Games 2, 4, 6 on ESPN
  • 1997 – Games 1, 5, 6, 7 on Fox; Games 2, 3, 4 on ESPN
  • 1998 – Games 1, 5, 7 on Fox; Games 2, 3, 4, 6 on ESPN
  • 1999 – Games 1, 2, 5, 7 on Fox; Games 3, 4, 6 on ESPN

The end of NHL on Fox

Things ended badly between Fox and the league in 1999, when the NHL announced a new television deal[8][9][10] with ESPN that also called for sister broadcast network ABC to become the new network television partner (as previously mentioned). Fox challenged that it had not been given a chance to match the network component of the deal, but ABC ultimately prevailed.

Fox placed a bid for NHL broadcast rights when they came up for renewal in 2011[11] but dropped out of the running as a result of a bidding war between NBCUniversal and ESPN. The bid made by NBCUniversal (which owns NBC, Versus and USA Network and, through its ownership of the Philadelphia Flyers, a stake in the league itself) was selected by the league, in a ten-year extension of its existing broadcast contract.

After Disney acquired the entertainment unit 21st Century Fox (excluding the main network and sports units) in 2019, it resold the regional Fox Sports Networks to Sinclair Broadcast Group which maintained the rights on some NHL teams. In 2021, Sinclair plans to rebrand the channels as Bally Sports.

In August 2019, Fox Sports SVP/sales Mark Evans told The Big Lead that Fox would be interested in pursuing NHL media rights when they became available.[12]

Coverage overview

Regular season

Fox's logo for their regular season broadcasts.

Fox televised between 5 and 11 regionally distributed games on Saturday or Sunday afternoons during the regular season, where anywhere from 2 to 6 games ran concurrently. All times below are Eastern.

1994–95

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
4/2/95 New York Rangers at Philadelphia
St. Louis at Detroit
Boston at Washington
Dallas at Chicago
Florida at Tampa Bay
San Jose at Anaheim
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
6 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Dave Strader and Denis Potvin
Dick Stockton and Mike Eruzione
Kenny Albert and Gary Green
4/9/95 Boston at Buffalo
New York Rangers at New Jersey
Dallas at St. Louis
Detroit at Chicago
Los Angeles at Anaheim
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
6 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Jiggs McDonald and Greg Millen
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
Kenny Albert and Gary Green
4/16/95 Detroit at St. Louis
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
New York Rangers at New York Islanders
Chicago at Dallas
Tampa Bay at Florida
Los Angeles at San Jose
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
6 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Denis Potvin
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
Jiggs McDonald and Greg Millen
Dave Strader and Gary Green
4/23/95 New York Rangers at Boston
Chicago at St. Louis
Detroit at San Jose
Philadelphia at Buffalo
Anaheim at Los Angeles
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
6 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Dave Strader and Denis Potvin
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Gary Green
4/30/95 St. Louis at San Jose
New York Rangers at Philadelphia
Washington at Florida
Chicago at Detroit
Pittsburgh at Boston
Anaheim at Los Angeles
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
6 p.m.
Kenny Albert and Mickey Redmond
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Dick Stockton and Mike Eruzione
Dave Strader and Denis Potvin
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Bob Miller and Gary Green

1995–96

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
1/27/96 New York Rangers at Boston
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh*
Anaheim at Los Angeles
Colorado at San Jose
Tampa Bay at St. Louis
Detroit at Chicago
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Dave Strader and Greg Millen
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Kenny Albert and Denis Potvin
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
2/3/96 Chicago at San Jose
Florida at Tampa Bay
New York Rangers at Colorado*
Pittsburgh at Detroit
Buffalo at Boston
Philadelphia at St. Louis
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Dave Strader and Greg Millen
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Rick Jeanneret and Mickey Redmond
Kenny Albert and Denis Potvin
2/10/96 St. Louis at Dallas
New York Rangers at New Jersey
Detroit at Tampa Bay
Philadelphia at Boston*
Chicago at Pittsburgh
San Jose at Los Angeles
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Kenny Albert and Denis Potvin
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Dave Strader and Greg Millen
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
3/31/96 Boston at Buffalo
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
St. Louis at Detroit*
Dallas at Chicago
New York Rangers at New York Islanders
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
Kenny Albert and Denis Potvin
4/7/96 Colorado at Dallas
Detroit at Chicago*
Boston at Philadelphia
New York Rangers at New Jersey
Anaheim at San Jose
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Dave Strader and Greg Millen
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Denis Potvin
Randy Hahn and Pete Stemkowski
4/14/96 Detroit at Dallas
Pittsburgh at Boston
Philadelphia at Tampa Bay
New York Rangers at Florida*
St. Louis at Chicago
Los Angeles at Colorado
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Dave Strader and Greg Millen
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
Kenny Albert and Denis Potvin

Note: *Denotes use of FoxTrax puck.

1996–97

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
1/25/97 Colorado at Boston
New York Rangers at Pittsburgh
Detroit at Philadelphia
Anaheim at Los Angeles
Tampa Bay at Florida
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Bob Miller and Jim Fox
Kenny Albert and Craig Simpson
2/1/97 Phoenix at Pittsburgh
Detroit at St. Louis
Colorado at San Jose
New York Rangers at Philadelphia
Washington at Florida
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Lange and Paul Steigerwald
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Craig Simpson
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
2/8/97 New York Rangers at New York Islanders
Chicago at Colorado
St. Louis at Boston
Detroit at Pittsburgh
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Kenny Albert and Craig Simpson
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
2/15/97 Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
Boston at Phoenix
Colorado at St. Louis
New York Rangers at Chicago
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Kenny Albert and Craig Simpson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
2/22/97 Phoenix at Anaheim
Chicago at Pittsburgh
Detroit at St. Louis
Philadelphia at Florida
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Kenny Albert and Craig Simpson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
3/1/97 Philadelphia at Boston
Florida at Tampa Bay
New York Rangers at Detroit
Chicago at Colorado
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Craig Simpson
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab

1997–98

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
1/24/98 Philadelphia at Detroit
St. Louis at Chicago
New Jersey at New York Rangers
Los Angeles at Anaheim
Dallas at Colorado
Boston at Pittsburgh
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Josh Lewin and Daryl Reaugh
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
1/31/98 New York Rangers at Boston
Chicago at Los Angeles
Detroit at Pittsburgh
Dallas at St. Louis
Tampa Bay at Florida
Colorado at San Jose
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Josh Lewin and Daryl Reaugh
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
2/7/98 New Jersey at New York Islanders
Carolina at Boston
Philadelphia at Colorado
Los Angeles at Anaheim
Chicago at Dallas
Detroit at St. Louis
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Howie Rose and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
Josh Lewin and Daryl Reaugh
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
2/28/98 Philadelphia at New York Rangers
Chicago at Colorado
Pittsburgh at Boston
Washington at Tampa Bay
St. Louis at Los Angeles
Phoenix at Dallas
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Josh Lewin and Daryl Reaugh
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
3/7/98 Detroit at Los Angeles
New York Rangers at New Jersey
Florida at Washington
Dallas at St. Louis
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh
Chicago at Boston
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
Josh Lewin and Daryl Reaugh
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
3/14/98 Buffalo at Pittsburgh
Detroit at Philadelphia
New York Rangers at Boston
Chicago at Tampa Bay
Colorado at Los Angeles
Phoenix at St. Louis
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
Josh Lewin and Daryl Reaugh
3/21/98 Phoenix at Los Angeles
Boston at Buffalo
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh
Detroit at New York Rangers
Colorado at San Jose
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
3/28/98 Carolina at Philadelphia
New York Rangers at Pittsburgh
Anaheim at Colorado
Detroit at St. Louis
Florida at Boston
San Jose at Dallas
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
Josh Lewin and Daryl Reaugh
4/4/98 Detroit at Chicago
Colorado at St. Louis
Florida at Philadelphia
Los Angeles at Washington
New York Rangers at New York Islanders
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Josh Lewin and Daryl Reaugh
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
4/11/98 New York Rangers at Detroit
Florida at Pittsburgh
Phoenix at St. Louis
Washington at Philadelphia
Dallas at Tampa Bay
Colorado at Los Angeles
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
6 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Josh Lewin and Daryl Reaugh
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
4/18/98 Chicago at Dallas
Detroit at Colorado
New York Rangers at Philadelphia
Anaheim at Los Angeles
Boston at Pittsburgh
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
John Kelly and Craig Simpson
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp

1998–99

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentator crews
2/7/99 New York Rangers at Boston
Detroit at Pittsburgh
Colorado at Dallas
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab
2/14/99 Detroit at New York Rangers
Philadelphia at Colorado
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
2/21/99 Boston at Chicago
Colorado at Dallas
Detroit at Buffalo
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab
Jiggs McDonald and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
2/28/99 Philadelphia at New York Rangers
Pittsburgh at Washington
Los Angeles at Dallas
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
3/7/99 Colorado at Pittsburgh
New York Rangers at Boston
St. Louis at Dallas
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab
3/14/99 Detroit at Colorado
St. Louis at Chicago
New York Rangers at New York Islanders
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
3/21/99 Pittsburgh at New York Rangers
Detroit at Philadelphia
Colorado at Chicago
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab
3/28/99 Philadelphia at Detroit
St. Louis at Chicago
Los Angeles at Colorado
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab
4/4/99 New York Rangers at New Jersey
Detroit at Dallas
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
4/11/99 Pittsburgh at Detroit^
Colorado at St. Louis
Los Angeles at Dallas
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab
4/18/99 Pittsburgh at New York Rangers^
Dallas at Colorado
Boston at Philadelphia
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Sam Rosen
Jiggs McDonald and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab

^The Pittsburgh Penguins-New York Rangers game on April 18 (Wayne Gretzky's final game before his retirement) began on MSG Network in the New York City market as WNYW (Fox's flagship station) aired a Yankees game against the Detroit Tigers. The station joined the hockey game midway through the second period. The week prior (April 11), WNYW aired another Yankees game over the Pittsburgh-Detroit NHL game, which instead aired on MSG from start to finish.

1995

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentators
5/7/95 New Jersey at Boston
Buffalo at Philadelphia
Dallas at Detroit
Vancouver at St. Louis
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Dave Strader and Denis Potvin
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
5/14/95 New York Rangers at Québec
Washington at Pittsburgh
Buffalo at Philadelphia
Detroit at Dallas
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Kenny Albert and Denis Potvin
Jiggs McDonald and Mickey Redmond
Dave Strader and Joe Micheletti
5/21/95 San Jose at Detroit
New York Rangers at Philadelphia
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
5/28/95 New Jersey at Pittsburgh 3 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
6/4/95 Chicago at Detroit 3 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
6/11/95 New Jersey at Philadelphia 3 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
6/17/95 New Jersey at Detroit 8 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
6/24/95 Detroit at New Jersey 8 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti

Notes

  • The May 14 game in Colisée Pepsi was the final home game ever for the Quebec Nordiques. The team became the Colorado Avalanche in the fall of 1995.
  • The June 24 game in New Jersey was the Stanley Cup Finals' deciding game as the Devils swept the Red Wings. Although Fox did retain rights to certain other games where the Cup could be decided (including any and all seventh games), 1995 was the only time during its run as NHL broadcaster that Fox actually carried the Cup-clinching victory on-air.

1996

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentators
4/21/96 Philadelphia at Tampa Bay
New York Rangers at Montréal*
Detroit at Winnipeg
Chicago at Calgary
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Kenny Albert and Mickey Redmond
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
4/28/96 New York Rangers at Montréal*
Pittsburgh at Washington
Detroit at Winnipeg
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Pat Foley and Mickey Redmond
5/5/96 St. Louis at Detroit*
New York Rangers at Pittsburgh
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
5/12/96 Florida at Philadelphia
St. Louis at Detroit*
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
5/19/96 Colorado at Detroit* 3 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
5/26/96 Pittsburgh at Florida* 3 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
6/4/96 Florida at Colorado* 8 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, Joe Micheletti, and Sandra Neil
6/8/96 Colorado at Florida* 8 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, Joe Micheletti, and Sandra Neil

*Denotes use of FoxTrax puck.

Note

1997

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentators
4/20/97 New York Rangers at Florida
Colorado at Chicago
Detroit at St. Louis
Anaheim at Phoenix
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Craig Simpson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
4/27/97 Detroit at St. Louis
Dallas at Edmonton
Anaheim at Phoenix
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Kenny Albert and Craig Simpson
Jiggs McDonald and Peter McNab
5/4/97 Anaheim at Detroit
New York Rangers at New Jersey
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
5/11/97 New York Rangers at New Jersey
Philadelphia at Buffalo*
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
5/18/97 New York Rangers at Philadelphia 2 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
5/25/97 New York Rangers at Philadelphia 2 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
5/31/97 Detroit at Philadelphia 8 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, Joe Micheletti, and Christine Simpson

1998

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentators
4/26/98 New Jersey at Ottawa
Washington at Boston
Detroit at Phoenix
Dallas at San Jose
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Kenny Albert and Terry Crisp
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Jiggs McDonald and Daryl Reaugh
5/3/98 Washington at Boston
Detroit at Phoenix
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
5/10/98 St. Louis at Detroit
Montréal at Buffalo
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
5/17/98 St. Louis at Detroit 2 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
5/24/98 Detroit at Dallas 2 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
5/31/98 Dallas at Detroit 2 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
6/9/98 Washington at Detroit* 8 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti

1999

Date Teams Start times (All times Eastern) Commentators
4/25/99 New Jersey at Pittsburgh
Detroit at Anaheim
Phoenix at St. Louis
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Kenny Albert and Peter McNab
5/2/99 New Jersey at Pittsburgh
Phoenix at St. Louis
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
5/9/99 Buffalo at Boston
Detroit at Colorado
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
5/16/99 Detroit at Colorado
Buffalo at Boston
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
Mike Emrick and John Davidson
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti
5/23/99 Buffalo at Toronto 2 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
5/30/99 Colorado at Dallas 2 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
6/8/99 Buffalo at Dallas 8 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
6/10/99 Buffalo at Dallas 8 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti
6/17/99 Buffalo at Dallas 8 p.m. Mike Emrick, John Davidson, and Joe Micheletti

Personalities

Play-by-play

Color commentator

Studio commentators

Reporters

Ratings

Stanley Cup Finals

Year Teams Games Carried Rating
1995 New Jersey-Detroit 1, 4 3.4
1996 Colorado-Florida 1, 3 3.6
1997 Detroit-Philadelphia 1 4.0
1998 Detroit-Washington 1 3.3
1999 Dallas-Buffalo 1, 2, 5 3.4

Game 4 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals drew a 4.7 rating and a 10 share.[13] In the New York City market (on Fox owned-and-operated station WNYW), the game drew a 10.6 rating and 21 share; in Detroit (on Fox affiliate, now owned-and-operated station, WJBK), it drew a 14.1 rating and 26 share.[13]

Regular season

Season Number of Dates Rating
1994–95 5 2.0
1995–96 6 2.1
1996–97 6 1.9
1997–98 11 1.4
1998–99 11 1.4

All-Star Game

Year Rating
1995 No game due to lockout
1996 4.1
1997 2.8
1998 2.7
1999 2.2

NHL coverage on other Fox-owned outlets

Fox owned-and-operated television stations

Team Station Years of broadcast rights
Dallas Stars KDFI 27[n1 1] 2000
Philadelphia Flyers WTXF 29 19731985

Fox Sports Networks owned-and-operated affiliates

Network Region served NHL team rights Notes
Fox Sports Arizona[n1 2] Arizona
New Mexico
Utah
southern Nevada
Arizona Coyotes
Fox Sports Carolinas[n1 3] North Carolina
South Carolina
Carolina Hurricanes
Fox Sports Detroit Michigan (statewide)
northwestern Ohio
northeastern Indiana
northeast Wisconsin
Detroit Red Wings FSN Detroit produces a pre-game/post-game show titled Red Wings Live. Fox Sports Net Detroit acquired the local television rights to Red Wings games (as well as those from the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Tigers) from PASS Sports, which subsequently ceased operations in 1997.
Fox Sports Florida[n1 4] Florida (statewide)
southern Alabama
southern Georgia
Florida Panthers Shares broadcast rights to the Panthers with co-owned Sun Sports.
Fox Sports Midwest[n1 5] Missouri
southern Illinois
southern Indiana
eastern Nebraska
eastern Kansas
western Kentucky
northern Arkansas
St. Louis Blues Fox Sports Midwest's telecasts of Blues games are also available on Fox Sports Kansas City.
Fox Sports North[n1 6] Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
North Dakota
South Dakota
Minnesota Wild
Fox Sports Ohio[n1 7] Ohio
eastern Indiana
Kentucky
northwestern Pennsylvania, southwestern New York
Columbus Blue Jackets Fox Sports Ohio carries the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets in southern Ohio, Kentucky, and eastern Indiana, while the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers are carried in northern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania, and southwestern New York
Fox Sports Southwest[n1 8] Texas
northern Louisiana
New Mexico
Arkansas
Dallas Stars Stars telecasts are sometimes broadcast on Fox Sports Oklahoma, a sub-feed of Fox Sports Southwest, whenever an Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma Sooners or Oklahoma State Cowboys game telecast is not scheduled.
Fox Sports Tennessee[n1 9] Tennessee
northern Alabama
Nashville Predators
Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket[n1 10] Southern and Central California, southern Nevada, and Hawaii Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks
Sun Sports[n1 11] Florida Tampa Bay Lightning
SportSouth[n1 12] Georgia
Alabama
Mississippi
Tennessee
South Carolina
North Carolina
Nashville Predators SportSouth and Fox Sports South previously held the regional television rights to Atlanta Thrashers games until the team's relocation to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 2011, when it became the Winnipeg Jets.
Former regional rightsholders
Network Region served NHL team rights Notes
FSN Bay Area[n1 13] Northern and central California, northwestern Nevada and parts of southern Oregon. San Jose Sharks Cablevision sold its 60% interest in FSN Bay Area in April 2007 to Comcast, which relaunched the network as NBC Sports California on March 31, 2008 (the channel continued to carry select FSN programming until August 2012); Fox Sports retains a 25% ownership stake in the network.
FSN Chicago[n1 14] Northern Illinois, northern Indiana, and eastern Iowa Chicago Blackhawks FSN Chicago lost the regional cable rights to the Blackhawks to NBC Sports Chicago; FSN Chicago ceased operations on June 23, 2006.
MSG Plus[n1 15][14] New York, northern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, southern Connecticut. New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
Now co-owned with MSG Network, which also broadcasts NHL games from the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers.

References

  1. "CBS, NBC Battle for AFC Rights // Fox Steals NFC Package". Chicago Sun-Times (via HighBeam Research). December 18, 1993. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.
  2. Richard Sandomir (September 10, 1994). "Fox Outbids CBS for N.H.L. Games". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
  3. Steve Simmons (September 30, 1994). "The Commish is not to blame". Calgary Sun.
  4. Fang, Ken (January 24, 2017). "LOOKING BACK AT THE NHL ON FOX'S GLOWING PUCK". Awful Announcing.
  5. Casselberry, Ian (October 20, 2017). "Maybe Fox's glow puck was ahead of its time and should be brought back". Awful Announcing.
  6. Jonah Keri (November 30, 2006). "Gear through the years". ESPN. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
  7. Richard Sandomir (April 30, 1996). "Fox Is Playing It Safe With N.H.L." The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
  8. "Is Disney Goofy To Bid $600 Million For Nhl Tv Rights?". Sports Illustrated. August 17, 1998.
  9. John Walters (January 10, 2000). "Learning It Cold". Sports Illustrated.
  10. Richard Sandomir (August 7, 1998). "Best N.H.L. Action Is the Battle Over TV Rights". Retrieved March 20, 2008.
  11. Campbell, Ken (January 25, 2009). "Campbell's Cuts: Making new friends". The Hockey News.
  12. Giuffra, Brian (August 5, 2019). "Future of Media: How Fox Will Challenge ESPN and CBS". The Big Lead.
  13. "FOX'S RATING IN FINALE SOARS". The Buffalo News. June 26, 1995. p. D3.
  14. R. Thomas Umstead (2008-02-29). "FSNY To Morph Into MSG Plus". Multichannel News. Retrieved 2008-02-29. MSG Plus continues to air programming from Fox Sports Net.

Notes

  1. Was an independent station at the time KDFI held Stars broadcast rights, now a MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated station.
  2. Formerly known as Prime Sports Arizona until 1996.
  3. Formerly part of Fox Sports South, became a sub-feed in 2008.
  4. Formerly known as SportsChannel Florida until 2000, and was the last FSN-acquired network acquired through the SportsChannel purchase to retire the name.
  5. Formerly known as Prime Sports Midwest until 1996.
  6. Originated as WCCO II in 1986, later known as Midwest Sports Channel from 1989 to 1996. Regional subfeeds exist for the Minnesota/Dakotas region, and portions of Wisconsin not part of the MinneapolisSt. Paul market. The Wisconsin feed (which originally operated as the separate Wisconsin Sports Network from 1996 to 1998, before being absorbed into the then Midwest Sports Channel) became the separate Fox Sports Wisconsin in April 2007.
  7. Formerly known as SportsChannel Ohio until 1998. Separate subfeeds also exist for the Cincinnati and Cleveland markets.
  8. Formerly known as Home Sports Entertainment from 1984 to 1994, and as Prime Sports Southwest until 1996.
  9. Formerly part of Fox Sports South, became a sub-feed in 2008.
  10. Fox Sports West was formerly known as (the original) Prime Ticket from 1987 to 1993 and Prime Sports West until 1996; Fox Sports Prime Ticket was formerly known as FSN West 2 until 2007.
  11. Formerly known as Sunshine Network (originally serving as a Prime Network affiliate) until 2009; was acquired by Fox Sports Networks in 1996.
  12. Formerly known as Turner South from 1996 to October 13, 2006, when it adopted its current name following its sale by Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary to then Fox Sports Networks parent News Corporation (now 21st Century Fox).
  13. Formerly known as Pacific Sports Network (PSN) until 1990, SportsChannel Bay Area until 1993 and SportsChannel Pacific until 1998.
  14. Originally known as Sportsvision Chicago from 1979 to 1984, Hawkvision/ONTV until 1987 and SportsChannel Chicago until 1998.
  15. Formerly SportsChannel New York from 1982 to 1998 and FSN New York from 1998 to March 10, 2008. Neil Best (2008-02-26). "FSNY to be renamed MSG Plus". Newsday. Archived from the original on April 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
Preceded by
ABC & NBC
NHL network broadcast partner
in the United States

19941999
Succeeded by
ABC
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