Photo: Change.org
NBC Sports announced their broadcast team for the 2020-21 NHL season on Monday morning and that analyst Mike Milbury has been fired.
While serving as the color analyst for Game 5 of the first-round series between the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs for NBCSN, Milbury said “Not even any woman here to disrupt your concentration,” when discussing the bubble environment in Toronto.
NBC said in a statement Monday that Milbury, its longtime NHL studio and game analyst, will not be returning this season: “We are grateful to Mike for all of his contributions to our coverage for 14 years, but he will not be returning to our NHL announce team. We wish him well.”
Former NHL head coach Mike Babcock and forwards Ryan Callahan and Dominic Moore will serve as studio analysts for NBC sports this season.
As we reported last week, NBC will not announce a formal replacement for Mike “Doc” Emrick until later in the season.
The 2020-21 season is set to kick off on Wednesday. NBCSN will broadcast the Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers (5:30 PM ET), Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning (8 PM ET), and St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche (10:30 PM ET) games that night.
For the full 2020-21 NHL on NBC schedule, click here.
From NBC Sports (Full press release here)
NBC Sports has announced its team of more than 20 game and studio commentators for its coverage of the 2020-21 NHL regular season, which begins Wednesday on NBCSN with a tripleheader headlined by the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning against the Chicago Blackhawks. As a result of approximately 100 regular-season games in four months combined with COVID protocols, NBC Sports will use a deep roster of game and studio commentators in a variety of different combinations, with some occasionally calling games from remote locations.
GAME COMMENTATORS
NBC Sports will utilize nearly 15 play-by-play commentators and analysts throughout the 2020-21 season. Kenny Albert, Brendan Burke and John Forslund will headline the group of play-by-play commentators. Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Pierre McGuire and AJ Mleczko will lead NBC Sports’ game analyst team, all appearing on the season’s opening night Wednesday Night Hockey tripleheader. U.S. Olympic gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield, who has appeared numerous times on NBC Sports’ NHL coverage, will take on a recurring role as a game analyst this season.
In addition, many analysts, such as Olczyk, Anson Carter and Keith Jones, will contribute to both game and studio coverage during the year. In some instances, game commentary will originate from remote locations, including NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.
| NBC SPORTS’ 2020-21 NHL GAME COMMENTATORS | |
| Play-by-Play* | Analysts* |
| Kenny Albert | Eddie Olczyk |
| John Forslund | Brian Boucher |
| Brendan Burke | Pierre McGuire |
| Mike Tirico | AJ Mleczko |
| Gord Miller | Kendall Coyne Schofield |
| John Walton | Keith Jones |
| Randy Hahn | Anson Carter |
*These are not paired commentary teams.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT HOCKEY TRIPLEHEADER SEASON OPENING NIGHT DETAILS
The 2020-21 NHL season begins on NBC Sports’ Wednesday Night Hockey tripleheader on Jan. 13 on NBCSN. Broadcast information is below:
| Date | Coverage | Commentators | Time (ET) |
| Wed., January 13 | NHL Live | Kathryn Tappen, Keith Jones, Patrick Sharp, Bob McKenzie | 5:15 p.m. |
| Pittsburgh at Philadelphia | Kenny Albert, Pierre McGuire | 5:30 p.m. | |
| Chicago at Tampa Bay | John Forslund, Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher | 8 p.m. | |
| St. Louis at Colorado | Brendan Burke, AJ Mleczko | 10:30 p.m. | |
| NHL Overtime | Kathryn Tappen, Keith Jones, Patrick Sharp | 1 a.m.* |
*Immediately following game coverage
STUDIO COMMENTATORS
Kathryn Tappen and Liam McHugh return as the hosts for NBC Sports’ NHL studio coverage alongside analysts Jones, Carter and three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Sharp. In addition, Stanley Cup-winning head coach Mike Babcock and 13-year NHL veterans Ryan Callahan and Dominic Moore will contribute to studio coverage during the season.
NHL insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger also reprise their roles for the 2020-21 season, appearing during studio coverage on Wednesday Night Hockey.
| NBC SPORTS’ 2020-21 NHL STUDIO COMMENTATORS | ||
| Hosts | Analysts | Insiders |
| Kathryn Tappen | Keith Jones | Bob McKenzie |
| Liam McHugh | Anson Carter | Darren Dreger |
| Patrick Sharp | ||
| Mike Babcock | ||
| Ryan Callahan | ||
| Dominic Moore | ||
By Harrison Brown
So they fire Milbury and hire an abusive ex coach in Babcock?
Yep, interesting swap. Maybe the network feels they need a villain on the set.
Babcock is gonna draw some heat.
It’s clear NHL(Nazi Hockey League),doesn’t want anybody with opinion or personality in association with broadcasts! Don Cherry,Jeremy Roenick & now Mike Milbury! Either tow main belief system or your cast aside! NHL will become what boxing has to MMA,irrelevant !!
“Nazi Hockey League” is a bit overboard.
Genius-level comment.
I’m glad he’s finally gone. His very obvious anti Caps view got old 10 years ago. But to use the comment he made about women being distracting as an excuse is just efing stupid.
It was likely more “the last straw”.
It just goes with the times, mike was too honest for these bullshit P.C. fakers! sorry to see him go.
Why is there never a close up of Kathryn Tappan when she is talking. They do close ups with the 2 guys?
Too bad they fired Mike for his comical honest opinion remark. They should have fired McGuire long ago for his boring drivel and constant interrupting of the play by play announcers.
Its a darn shame that Mike is fired by NBC. He was never afraid to give an honest opinion. Too much PC correct commentary nowadays. As for me, I say have male announcers on men’s games and females on female games. Maybe then the female announcers will cover their cleavage and behave like professionals.