ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com to Showcase Entire NCAA Div. I Men's Ice Hockey Championships, Hobey Baker Award Show and Skills Challenge
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March 22, 2008
ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com will combine for complete coverage of all 15 games from the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship March 23-April 12. For the first time ever, ESPNU will telecast eight regional games exclusively, while ESPN360.com, ESPN's signature broadband service, will supplement the TV network's coverage by offering seven games live, including the Frozen Four.
ESPN's coverage of the tournament begins Sunday, March 23, at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the NCAA Hockey Selection Show on ESPN2. The Selection Show, produced out of the ESPNU studios in Charlotte, will be hosted by ESPNU signature anchor Lowell Galindo, who will be joined by analyst Bob Norton.
ESPNU will provide extensive coverage of the tournament, from the regional semifinals Friday, March 28, through the regional finals Saturday, March 30. In addition, on Friday, April 11, the network will present the Hobey Baker Award live from the Pepsi Center in Denver at 7:30 p.m., followed by the NCAA Hockey Skills Challenge at 9 p.m. The presentation of the Hobey Baker Award, which honors college ice hockey's top men's player, will be hosted by Clay Matvick and Ben Holden.
The Skills Challenge includes competition in five categories in which men's and women's players will participate: Puck control relay; fastest skater; hardest (fastest) shot; rapid fire; and penalty shot. The show will be hosted by Matvick, who will be joined by Norton and Ray Ferraro.
The Frozen Four will be presented live from Denver on ESPN2, which will feature both national semifinal games Thursday, April 10, at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET. ESPN will televise the national championship Saturday, April 12, at 7 p.m. All three games will also be offered on ESPN360.com.
The Frozen Four telecasts will feature Gary Thorne (play-by-play), Ray Ferraro (analyst), Clay Matvick (ice-level analyst/reporter) and Bob Norton (intermission analyst) calling the action. At regional semifinals and finals, commentators include Dan Parkhurst (play-by-play) and Ken Hodge (analyst) and Cap Reader (reporter) in Albany, N.Y.; Matvick, Damion DiGuilian and Jim Paradise in Colorado Springs, Colo.; NCAA Selection Show
Sun., Mar 23 - 11:30 a.m. - ESPN2 - Produced by ESPNU Date - Time - Region - Site - Network
Fri., Mar 28 - 4 p.m. - East Regional Semifinal #1 - Albany, N.Y. - ESPNU Sat., Mar 29 - 7 p.m. - East Regional Final - Albany - ESPNU Sun., Mar 30 - 1 a.m. - * Northeast Regional Semifinal #2 - Worcester ESPNU /(live, ESPN360.com 3/29 at 7:30 p.m.) * Tape delay
Frozen Four, Pepsi Center, Denver
Date - Time - Event - Network Fri., Apr 11 - 7:30 p.m. - Hobey Baker Award - ESPNU Sat., Apr 12 - 7 p.m. - NCAA Championship Finals - ESPN / ESPN360.com
7:30 p.m. - East Regional Semifinal #2 - Albany - ESPNU
10 p.m. - West Regional Semifinal #2 - Colorado Springs, Colo. - ESPNU
1 a.m. - * West Regional Semifinal #1 - Colorado Springs - ESPNU / (live, ESPN360.com 3/28 at 6:30 p.m.)
10 p.m. - West Regional Final - Colorado Springs - ESPNU
4 p.m. - Northeast Regional Semifinal #1 - Worcester, Mass. - ESPNU
4:30 p.m. - Northeast Regional Final - Worcester - ESPNU
12:30 p.m. - * Midwest Regional Semifinal #1 - Madison, Wis. - ESPNU / (live, ESPN360.com 3/29 at 3 p.m.)
2:30 p.m. - * Midwest Regional Semifinal #2 - Madison - ESPNU / (live, ESPN360.com 3/29 at 6:30 p.m.)
7 p.m. - Midwest Regional Final - Madison - ESPNU
Thur., Apr 10 - 6 p.m. - National Semifinal #1 - ESPN2 / ESPN360.com
9:30 p.m. - National Semifinal #2 - ESPN2 / ESPN360.com
9 p.m. - NCAA Hockey Skills Competition - ESPNU
