NHL: Kenny Albert and John Forslund will share NBC’s regular season load; Full list of all teams’ TV/Radio voices

• Now that the season has begun, NHL fans are listening and watching, be it radio or television, be it team voices or network announcers. This is a thorough roster of those broadcasters covering the NHL this season. Detail is provided for changes of significance. 

• With Covid protocols in place, team announcers will broadcast road games remotely. Where network talent will be situated when covering games remains fluid.

• The NHL’s network television contract expires after this season. There have been rumblings about the league developing a mix of NBC, Fox and ESPN going forward beginning in 2021-22. In other words, this could be the final year when NBC will have a national exclusive or even have the NHL at all. Nothing has been confirmed.

It’s a shortened season so let’s enjoy every minute of it.

Play-by-Play developments and changes:

• NBC’s lead NHL announcer for the last 15 years, Hall of Famer Mike “Doc” Emrick retired following the Stanley Cup Finals. His successor in the #1 spot has not been officially confirmed, with Kenny Albert the likely frontrunner.

• John Forslund, who has called games for the Carolina Hurricanes since they were in Hartford, left the organization in July when he and the team were unable to agree on a new contract. He will continue to call national games in his role with NBC. Mike Maniscalco, previously the team’s studio host, is now the play-by-play announcer on their TV/radio simulcast.

• Veteran NHL voice Chris Cuthbert left TSN for rival Sportsnet in June, citing his desire to call games deeper into the playoffs. While Jim Hughson called the most recent Stanley Cup Final, Cuthbert’s contract reportedly includes a guarantee that he calls at least one Final in the next three years. Cuthbert will also take over the Toronto Maple Leafs’ regional telecasts on Sportsnet, bumping John Bartlett, while Gord Miller will handle both the Leafs and Ottawa Senators on TSN. Cuthbert will not return to NBC.

• Hall of Famer Rick Peckham retired from the Tampa Bay Lightning’s television broadcast team after 24 seasons. He will be replaced by Dave Randorf, who had been the #2 play-by-play announcer for Sportsnet before Chris Cuthbert’s arrival.

• Edmonton Oilers radio announcer Jack Michaels will now call the team’s regionally-televised games, replacing longtime TV voice Kevin Quinn, although Michaels will slide to radio on national games. Cam Moon received the call-up from junior hockey to work radio when Michaels is on TV.

• Hall of Famer Mike Lange, in his 45th season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, will sit out the start of the season until he receives the COVID-19 vaccine. Josh Getzoff, the Pens’ radio announcer for road games, will fill in until he returns.

• Hall of Famer Rick Jeanneret has been with the Buffalo Sabres since their second season, but for the first time will not call the majority of the team’s games, instead working only on 20 home games on the TV/radio simulcast. His heir apparent, Dan Dunleavy, will call the other 36 games.

Analysts developments and changes:

• Former NHL player, coach, and GM Mike Milbury is no longer with NBC after making sexist comments on a playoff broadcast in August.

• Jamie Baker, who worked as an analyst both on TV and radio, elected to leave the Sharks’ broadcast team altogether in December. Former NHLer Bret Hedican will move exclusively to television, while ex-Sharks players Scott Hannan and Mark Smith will split the radio analyst job.

• 2014 US Olympic silver medalist Lyndsey Fry is the new radio analyst for her hometown Arizona Coyotes, one of just four women to serve as a team’s radio color commentator in NHL history. She replaces Coyotes fan favorite Paul Bissonnette, who will continue in his role as the team’s television studio analyst.

• The Winnipeg Jets switched radio affiliates from CFRW to CJOB. Jamie Thomas takes Brian Munz’s place as the color commentator, though Munz remains as Dennis Beyak’s play-by-play backup on regional telecasts.

• Hockey Night in Canada lead analyst Craig Simpson will now cover the Toronto Maple Leafs’ regional games on Sportsnet, replacing Greg Millen. No word on Millen’s status for national games.

• Former ESPN lead NHL analyst Bill Clement is retiring from broadcasting, having spent the last 13 years as the fill-in for Keith Jones when Jones is working for NBC. No replacement has been announced as of yet.

• Edmonton Oilers color commentator Drew Remenda, who filled in when primary analyst Louie DeBrusk was working nationally, was let go. No replacement has been named.

Special notes

• Sportsnet has not publicized their broadcast teams, but their announcers will be working on-site as much as possible. Not every team has been featured nationally yet, but the network has used Chris Cuthbert and Craig Simpson in Toronto, Hockey Night Punjabi lead announcer Harnarayan Singh and Louie DeBrusk in Edmonton, and Rick Ball and Cassie Campbell-Pascall in Calgary. HNIC lead announcer Jim Hughson will reportedly only call games this season in Vancouver, where he lives.

• NBC will utilize both on-site and remote broadcasting during the season. The list below is likely not exhaustive.

• Announcers will not be traveling with their teams this season. Road broadcasts will be done either from the visiting arena or a studio.

• Buffalo, Carolina, and Dallas will continue to simulcast TV and radio play-by-play.

• San Jose joins Los Angeles and New Jersey as teams whose radio calls will only be heard online, though the Devils will air select games on WFAN.

NBC:

Play-by-Play: Kenny Albert, John Forslund, Brendan Burke, Mike Tirico, Gord Miller, John Walton, Randy Hahn. Albert and Forslund will carry the load during the regular season.

Analysts: Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Pierre McGuire, AJ Mleczko, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Keith Jones, Anson Carter, Joe Micheletti

Teams:

Anaheim

TV: John Ahlers, Brian Hayward

Radio: Steve Carroll, Dan Wood

Arizona

TV: Matt McConnell, Tyson Nash

Radio: Bob Heethuis, Lyndsey Fry

Boston

TV: Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley

Radio: Judd Sirott, Bob Beers

Buffalo

Simulcast: Dan Dunleavy or Rick Jeanneret, Rob Ray

Calgary

TV: Rick Ball, Kelly Hrudey or Cassie Campbell-Pascall

Radio: Derek Wills, Peter Loubardias

Carolina

Simulcast: Mike Maniscalco, Tripp Tracy

Chicago

TV: Pat Foley, Eddie Olczyk or Steve Konroyd

Radio: John Wiedeman, Troy Murray

Colorado

TV: Marc Moser or Conor McGahey, Peter McNab

Radio: Conor McGahey or Marc Moser

Columbus

TV: Jeff Rimer, Jody Shelley

Radio: Bob McElligott

Dallas

TV/Radio Simulcast: Josh Bogorad, Daryl Reaugh

Detroit

TV: Ken Daniels, Mickey Redmond or Chris Osgood

Radio: Ken Kal, Paul Woods

Edmonton

TV: Jack Michaels, Louie DeBrusk

Radio: Cam Moon or Jack Michaels, Bob Stauffer

Florida

TV: Steve Goldstein, Randy Moller

Radio: Doug Plagens, Bill Lindsay

Los Angeles

TV: Alex Faust, Jim Fox

Radio: Nick Nickson, Daryl Evans

Minnesota

TV: Anthony LaPanta, Wes Walz or Ryan Carter

Radio: Bob Kurtz or Kevin Falness, Tom Reid

Montreal

TV: Bryan Mudryk or Dan Robertson, Dave Poulin or Mike Johnson

Radio: Dan Robertson or Sean Campbell, Sergio Momesso

Nashville

TV: Willy Daunic, Chris Mason

Radio: Pete Weber, Hal Gill

New Jersey

TV: Steve Cangialosi, Ken Daneyko

Radio: Matt Loughlin, Chico Resch

NY Islanders

TV: Brendan Burke, Butch Goring

Radio: Chris King, Greg Picker

NY Rangers

TV: Sam Rosen or John Giannone, Joe Micheletti

Radio: Kenny Albert or Don La Greca, Dave Maloney

Ottawa

TV: Gord Miller or Bryan Mudryk, Jamie McLennan or Mike Johnson

Radio: Dean Brown, Gord Wilson

Philadelphia

TV: Jim Jackson, Keith Jones

Radio: Tim Saunders, Steve Coates

Pittsburgh

TV: Steve Mears, Bob Errey

Radio: Josh Getzoff or Mike Lange, Phil Bourque

San Jose

TV: Randy Hahn, Bret Hedican

Radio: Dan Rusanowsky, Scott Hannan or Mark Smith

St. Louis

TV: John Kelly, Darren Pang

Radio: Chris Kerber, Joe Vitale

Tampa Bay

TV: Dave Randorf, Brian Engblom

Radio: Dave Mishkin, Phil Esposito or Caley Chelios

Toronto

TV: Chris Cuthbert, Craig Simpson (Sportsnet) or Gord Miller, Ray Ferraro (TSN)

Radio: Joe Bowen, Jim Ralph

Vancouver

TV: John Shorthouse, John Garrett

Radio: Brendan Batchelor, Corey Hirsch

Vegas

TV: Dave Goucher, Shane Hnidy

Radio: Dan D’Uva, Gary Lawless

Washington

TV: Joe Beninati, Craig Laughlin

Radio: John Walton or Grady Whittenburg, Ken Sabourin

Winnipeg

TV: Dennis Beyak or Brian Munz, Kevin Sawyer

Radio: Paul Edmonds or Dennis Beyak, Jamie Thomas