Why the CBC Matters to Hockey

It's called production, and the CBC does the best job around, even when it has more that a few goofs working as talking heads between periods on Hockey Night in Canada.

The level of production is high, and you are amazed when you see what the CBC does when you put it alongside the work of NBC and NBC Sports Channel. And I am a firm believer that the NBC/NBC Sports Channel arrangement is far better place for the NHL than ESPN, SportsChannel America or Fox.

But when the little things matter, the CBC gets the job right. The Stanley Cup finals end, and the CBC stays until the first blood alcohol tests from the winning locker room signal a need for designated drivers.

With NBC, Doc Emrick has barely moved the final vowel from "OH NOOOOOOOOOOOH!" before he turns quiet and says with some note of apology that we can get the rest of the story by switching from NBC to NBC Sports Channel. And on the NBC Sports Channel, we get 30 minutes before it's time to switch to the NHL Network.

Weak.

Strong? The CBC. And here is just a small sampling. It's called setting the stage, and HNIC crew has done a fine job (we've agreed to forget about Ron MacLean's first responder poetry slam).

Here, in a string of six, are the opening segments to the six games of the Stanley Cup Finals, along with the salute to the playoffs.

Do you remember what NBC/NBC Sports Channel did for each game? Neither do I anymore.

Enjoy.

GAME 1



GAME 2



GAME 3



GAME 4



GAME 5



GAME 6



CLOSING SALUTE TO PLAYOFFS



CLOSING CREDITS