TV info (update)

(Not sure why it's not in my channel guide -- something must have happened that has now been agreed to.   The conflict in Canada is due to a Blue Jays telecast)
 
 
UNIONDALE, NY - The New York Islanders announced today that MSG Plus will broadcast the New York Islanders vs. Vancouver Canucks pre-season game on Monday, September 14. The game, which is part of the NHL's Kraft Hockeyville 2009 festivities, will be on a 30 minute delayed broadcast beginning at 10:30 pm. (Eastern Time).

"Hockeyville is an opportunity for the Islanders to be showcased on an international stage in a very unique setting", said Chris Dey, President, New York Islanders. "We are honored that the NHL chose us to be a part of the event, which should be a very memorable time for the fans in Terrace. We've definitely had increased interest from the media and excitement from the fan base as we approach the home opener on October 3rd."

Kraft Hockeyville 2009 started out as a national search for Canada's most spirited hockey town. Communities across Canada were invited to submit a short essay with supporting photos that depicted their hometown pride and passion for hockey.

The 30 minute delay is to accommodate Canadian Broadcasting programming conflicts. 
 Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Isles TV info

The telecast schedule is on the MSG website.

Once again, all 82 Islander games will be telecast -- 62 on MSG+, 18 on MSG+2, and 2 games on Versus.  There will be a pre-game show before 77 of the 80 local telecasts, skipping only the three games out west next March.

Also, it appears that we will also televise the Isles-Devils game from the Coliseum on September 23rd.  It's the only home pre-season game.

It also appears that MSG+ will not have the Hockeyville game Monday-- not sure why.  NHL Network will televise.  I'll try to confirm this.

 Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Isles-Canucks

A hockey historian named Joe Pelletier asked me for some Isles-Canucks info for his preview of Hockeyville.

You can find it here: http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2009/09/canucks-vs-islanders-history.html

He also has a piece on Ken Morrow
http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2009/09/shoebox-memories-ken-morrow.html

and on Terrace BC's own Wade Flaherty:

http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2009/09/shoebox-memories-wade-flaherty.html

 Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Broadcasters for Isles-Canucks

While you will be able to see the game on MSG+ Monday night from Hockeyville, you won't see Howie and Billy.

It's an NHL Network production, with the announcers coming from Western Canada.  The game will also air on NHL Network throughout the US and on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada.

John Shorthouse and John Garrett will call the action.  Shorthouse is the voice of the Canucks (on both TV and radio) while Garrett has worked on both Canucks and Flames games in recent years.

If the name John Garrett sounds familiar to Islander fans, it may be because he was involved in one of the oddest moments in Coliseum and All Star history.  Garrett played in the 1983 All-Star Game, and played well.  So well that during the third period he was voted the game's MVP; however Wayne Gretzky then went on to have a 4-goal game and they re-voted the MVP Award to give it to the Great One.

Here's how Garrett tells the story (from the Canucks website):

<<My opportunity to play in the NHL game came back in 1983 when Richard Brodeur was injured three days before the actual All-Star game. There was no other representative from the Canucks that year. Since Richard couldn't make it to Long Island for the game, the powers at the time decided they would simply send the other Canuck goalie. That was me.

The Oilers were just coming into their own and had a mess of players on the Campbell Conference squad including Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and Glen Anderson. Along with Denis Savard, Brian Sutter and Lanny MacDonald, it was a pretty solid group.

The Wales Conference was represented by Mike Bossy, Brian Trottier, Denis Potvin, Peter Stastny and Larry Robinson. Talk about a thrill – especially for a kid from a small Air Force town in rural Ontario.

Call-it divine inspiration, blind luck, or whatever suits you, but I managed to shine in that game (a 9-3 Campbell Conference victory).

The Wales Conference had hammered us in the second period. I had managed to hold the fort and thought I was a lock for MVP honours - and the brand new car that came with it.

As my Campbell teammate Lanny McDonald famously put it: "I think John was up to the glove compartment, a horn and two tires when Wayne Gretzky took over."

Gretzky potted a record-setting four goals in the final ten minutes of the third period to steal the keys out of my pocket. Though I can think of worse fates than getting upstaged by Wayne Gretzky and a record-setting performance.
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 Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Steve Mears to host Penguins Live

Congrats to former Islander voice Steve Mears, who's landed a role with the Pittsburgh Penguins, his hometown team.
First show debuts on Sunday.

<<Pittsburgh Penguins to Launch HD Radio Channel Oct. 1
Friday, 09.11.2009 / 12:16 PM
The Pittsburgh Penguins will break new ground on Thursday, Oct. 1, becoming the first team in the National Hockey League to launch an exclusive HD radio channel.

"Pittsburgh Penguins Radio on 105.9 HD2" will feature unique Penguins content on a daily basis and also offer special NHL programming.  It will be streamed here on www.pittsburghpenguins.com.

The new venture is a joint effort between the Penguins and 105.9 The X (WXDX-FM), the team's radio flagship station.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for the Penguins and our partners at The X to take advantage of new technology and deliver fresh programming to the greatest fans in hockey," said Dave Soltesz, the Penguins' senior vice president of corporate sales. "We've already got an exceptional radio broadcast, with Mike Lange and Phil Bourque calling all of our regular season and playoff games on The X. The new HD channel will enable us to provide additional unique content about the Penguins and the NHL during the day."

The HD channel will feature Pittsburgh area native Steve Mears as host of a daily show, "Penguins Live," from 9:30 a.m.- 12 noon each weekday during the season. Mears, 29, spent the last three seasons as the radio play-by-play voice for the New York Islanders. A native of Murrysville and a graduate of Franklin Regional High School, Mears grew up as a Penguins fan, idolizing Mario Lemieux and Mike Lange.

"As a lifelong Penguins fan, the opportunity to come home, work for the organization and help create this new HD channel is a dream come true," Mears said.

Mears will be joined by Pittsburgh radio personality Tom Grimm, who also will produce "Penguins Live."

In addition to "Penguins Live," the new HD channel also carry "NHL Live" from New York each weekday from 12 noon-2 p.m. Pittsburgh radio sports personality Mark Madden will then do one hour of exclusive Penguins and NHL-themed content from 2-3 p.m.

The daily programming will begin with the "Daily Players' Playlist," from 9-9:30 a.m., featuring Penguins' players favorite songs.

The six-hour block (9 a.m-3 p.m.) will then be repeated during the day and evening.

Although the full lineup won't launch until Oct. 1, fans will be able to hear special limited broadcasts during training camp. Mears and Grimm will debut a preview edition of "Penguins Live" from Mellon Arena on Sunday, Sept. 13 from 10.a.m.-12 noon.
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 Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982.

A laugh from our favorite foe...

I giggled a bit this afternoon, when I found out that a local team was following my "tweets".

Official NY
Rangers (thenyrangers) is now following your tweets on Twitter.
A little information about Official NY Rangers:
5340 followers
607 tweets
following 1950 people
(You can too, they're listed under ehornick, but I have no idea how many of these that I will do...)

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982.