NBC SPORTS GROUP ANNOUNCES GAME AND STUDIO COMMENTATORS FOR 2015 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF COVERAGE

Team of Mike "Doc" Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire to Call Ninth Consecutive Stanley Cup Playoffs

Lead Studio Team of Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury and Keith Jones Returns for Fifth Straight NHL Postseason

STAMFORD, Conn. - April 8, 2015 - NBC Sports Group has announced its game and studio commentators for the upcoming 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, featuring more than 20 play-by-play broadcasters, game analysts, studio hosts and studio analysts.

NBC Sports Group's comprehensive Stanley Cup Playoff coverage begins one week from today - Wednesday, April 15 - and will continue through the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final in June.

GAME COVERAGE

Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator and Sports Illustrated 2014 Media Person of the Year Mike 'Doc' Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Eddie Olczyk, and Inside-the-Glass analyst and Emmy Award-winner Pierre McGuire, will be teamed together for most games during the playoffs, and will call their ninth consecutive Stanley Cup Final together. In addition, play-by-play voice Dave Strader will be paired with Inside-the-Glass analyst Brian Engblom for most telecasts.

NBC Sports Group will utilize six broadcast teams during its first-round coverage, with up to four or five games airing on any given night.* In addition to Emrick and Strader, Kenny Albert, John Forslund, Gord Miller and Chris Cuthbert will handle play-by-play duties during the first round. Bret Hedican and Joe Micheletti will serve as Inside-the-Glass analysts during first-round coverage.

A combination of four game crews will provide NBC Sports Group's second-round Stanley Cup Playoff coverage. In addition to the teams of Emrick-Olczyk-McGuire and Strader-Engblom, Kenny Albert and John Forslund will contribute as play-by-play commentators, and Joe Micheletti will be an Inside-the-Glass analyst.

Coverage of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will feature two game crews: Emrick, Olczyk and McGuire; Kenny Albert, Joe Micheletti (booth analyst) and Brian Engblom (Inside-the-Glass analyst).

STUDIO COVERAGE

NBC Sports Group's lead NHL studio team, comprised of host Liam McHugh and analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones, will return to cover its fifth consecutive postseason.

With as many as four or five games on any night during the first and second rounds, NBC Sports Group will utilize two studios from its International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. In addition to Milbury and Jones, analysts and former players Jeremy Roenick and Anson Carter will be featured throughout NBC Sports Group's Stanley Cup Playoff coverage. NHL insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger will make their NBC Sports Group postseason debuts, providing the latest news and information during the playoffs. Kathryn Tappen, Dave Briggs and Russ Thaler will serve as studio hosts.

Studio coverage will originate from NBC Sports Group's International Broadcast Center throughout the Conference Finals, and will move on-site for the Stanley Cup Final.

THE PLAYOFFS START WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

For the fourth consecutive year, every NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game will be presented nationally across the platforms of NBC Sports Group and select NBCUniversal networks. During April, May and June, NBC Sports Group will televise as many as 105 playoff games and possibly more than 260 hours of programming. It all begins one week from today on Wednesday, April 15.

Coverage will be presented on NBC, NBCSN and NHL Network, as well as NBCUniversal's USA Network, the No. 1 cable entertainment network, and CNBC, NBCUniversal's business channel. This marks the first time USA Network will present NHL Stanley Cup Playoff coverage since 1985. CNBC has provided Stanley Cup Playoff coverage since 2012.

*All broadcast and studio teams are subject to change.