NBC Sports Presents Blackhawks-Blues 2017 NHL Winter Classic From Busch Stadium

NBC Sports presents a classic rivalry in one of the most iconic events in all of sports on Monday, January 2, 2017, when Alex Pietrangelo and the St. Louis Blues host Patrick Kane and the rival Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo., in the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

In addition to the NHL Winter Classic, NBC presents a clash of young American NHL stars on New Year's Day at 3 p.m. ET in the NHL Centennial Classic, when rookie sensation Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs host Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings at BMO Field in Toronto. The NHL Centennial Classic represents the start of the league's year-long Centennial celebration.

This week's NHL coverage begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, when the Blues host Claude Giroux and the Flyers, and continues tomorrow in Washington D.C., when Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals host Taylor Hall and the New Jersey Devils at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Four-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike 'Doc' Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member, analyst and former Blackhawk Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning 'Inside-the-Glass' analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call of the Blackhawks-Blues Winter Classic showdown from Busch Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. Analyst and former Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick will also serve as a roving reporter during game coverage.

NHL Live host Liam McHugh will be on-site at Busch Stadium alongside former players and analysts Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Roenick to provide pre-game and post-game analysis, as well as commentary during intermissions. In addition, Bob Costas, a 27-time Emmy Award-winner who began his professional broadcasting career in St. Louis, will join NBC Sports' coverage of the 2017 NHL Winter Classic.

John Forslund (play-by-play), Brian Boucher (analyst), and McGuire ('Inside-the-Glass') will call Red Wings-Maple Leafs from BMO Field, home of Major League Soccer's Toronto FC. Host Kathryn Tappen will anchor coverage from Toronto with Roenick.

NBC Sports will surround the NHL Centennial and Winter Classics with numerous interviews and features, highlighted by Kathryn Tappen's live interview with "The Great One" - Wayne Gretzky - at the Centennial Classic. Coverage will also include a feature on the young stars of the NHL, including Auston Matthews and Dylan Larkin, a feature on Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo, a look back at the Chicago-St. Louis rivalry by Bob Costas, as well as player and executive interviews throughout the broadcasts.

For the first time, NBC Sports will utilize "Ref Cam" during the 2017 NHL Winter Classic on NBC to bring fans closer to the action than ever before. "Ref Cam" will be used during replays and stoppages to bring fans onto the ice, showcasing the speed, sights, and sounds of the game from the view of the referee.

BOB COSTAS JOINS NBC SPORTS' 2017 NHL WINTER CLASSIC COVERAGE IN ST. LOUIS

It was announced last week that Bob Costas will join NBC Sports' coverage of the 2017 NHL Winter Classic. Costas has strong ties to St. Louis. He was the radio play-by-play announcer for the American Basketball Association's Spirits of St. Louis from 1974 to 1976 on KMOX Radio, hosted "Sports Open Line" on KMOX, and served as the University of Missouri men's basketball play-by-play voice, prior to joining NBC Sports in 1980. Costas also called a number of Blues games during his time in St. Louis, occasionally substituting for legendary commentator Dan Kelly on KMOX.

This marks the sixth occasion that Costas will be a part of NBC Sports' NHL Winter Classic broadcast team, having previously served as a host for the first five iterations of the event from 2008-2012. Click here for more information.

COSTAS, MCGUIRE AND ROENICK PREVIEW NHL CENTENNIAL AND WINTER CLASSICS

McGuire on Matthews and Larkin, and the growth of hockey in America: "Auston Matthews is a generational player - he's been on the NHL landscape since he was 15 years old. Dylan Larkin is a dynamic goal-scoring forward. There are so many great young American players on the landscape right now. The vision of Commissioner Bettman to have non-traditional hockey markets in expansion has paid dividends."

Roenick on Matthews and Larkin: "Auston Matthews has come on like a bolt of lightning and is living up to the potential. Dylan Larkin has become the new leader of the Detroit Red Wings. These kids are wise and talented beyond their years."

McGuire on the St. Louis market: "The St. Louis market produced three or four first-round picks last season - it's a phenomenal hockey market. Every time you go to St. Louis to for a game, you know you won't be disappointed."

Roenick on the Blackhawks-Blues rivalry: "The Blackhawks and Blues will always be oil and water, fire and ice. St. Louis found a way to beat them in the playoffs last year, which they haven't done much in the last 25 years. There aren't many rivalries in the NHL that are bigger than Chicago-St. Louis. A lot is expected of both teams, and high expectations always breed high animosity"

McGuire on the Blackhawks franchise: "They are a preeminent franchise in the league. Every franchise should try and emulate the way they play, the way they conduct themselves, and how they are run."

Costas on St. Louis and the Blues: "I lived in St. Louis for more than 30 years and I still think of it as my hometown. I hope I'll be able to complement our always excellent hockey coverage by adding a bit of hometown perspective about the Blues. The game of course is at Busch Stadium, and all sports fans know what a terrific baseball town St. Louis is. But there is a strong fan attachment to the Blues as well, maybe even more so now because St. Louis has only two major professional sports teams. In that sense, the Blues are pretty much the center of attention for sports fans in St. Louis from November until the start of the baseball season."

NBC SPORTS RADIO TO PROVIDE NATIONAL RADIO BROADCAST OF 2017 NHL WINTER CLASSIC

NBC Sports Radio, distributed by Westwood One, will provide broadcast coverage of the 2017 NHL Winter Classic to affiliated and other terrestrial radio stations. The broadcasts will also be available via NBCSportsRadio.com, the NBC Sports Radio App and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and the TuneIn digital radio platform.

Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Joe Micheletti (analyst), and Steve Goldstein (ice-level reporter) will serve as NBC Sports Radio's broadcast team for the 2017 NHL Winter Classic. Albert calls regular-season and post-season NHL games on NBC and NBCSN and has served as a hockey play-by-play commentator for NBC Sports at four Winter Olympics. Micheletti serves as an analyst for NBC Sports Group's NHL regular-season and post-season coverage, and began his broadcasting career in 1985 as part of the St. Louis Blues radio team.

NHL WINTER CLASSIC - BLACKHAWKS-BLUES - MONDAY, JAN. 2, AT 1 P.M. ET ON NBC

The Blues (18-12-5, 41 pts) are led offensively by Vladimir Tarasenko, who ranks fourth in the NHL in points (38) and is tied for third in the league in goals (16). Alex Pietrangelo has taken over the captaincy of the Blues following the departure of David Backes during free agency in the offeseason. Jake Allen has taken over the reins in net for St. Louis this season, and is seventh in the NHL in wins (16).

Chicago (22-10-5, 49 pts) leads the Western Conference and trails only Columbus and Pittsburgh for best record in the NHL. The Blackhawks boast two players in the NHL's Top 10 in points (Artemi Panarin; 37, Kane; 35). The last time these two teams met on Dec. 17, both Kane and Panarin scored in a 6-4 Blackhawks win in St. Louis.

NHL CENTENNIAL CLASSIC - RED WINGS-MAPLE LEAFS - SUNDAY, JAN. 1, AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBC

Detroit (15-16-4, 34 pts) is led offensively by second-year star Dylan Larkin, whose 10 goals are tops on the team. Sunday's game marks the first of four meetings between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs this season, and also serves as a rematch of the 2014 NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which Toronto won in a shootout by a score of 3-2.

The Maple Leafs (14-12-7, 35 pts) boast a number of young, talented rookies, headlined by Matthews, who was the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. Matthews (26 pts), Mitch Marner (26 pts), and William Nylander (22 pts) are ranked second, third, and fourth among all NHL rookies in points this season. Matthews burst onto the scene by making NHL history with four goals in his NHL debut against Ottawa on opening night, and has posted six points in his last six games heading into this week's action.

FLYERS-BLUES - TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Flyers (20-12-4, 44 pts) have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, but are coming off a 4-0 loss to New Jersey prior to the Christmas break. Jakub Voracek is in the Top 10 in the NHL in points (35) and assists (24), while Wayne Simmonds leads the club with 16 goals. St. Louis boasts a 13-2-4 record at home, and is tied with Pittsburgh for the fewest regulation losses at home this season.

Chris Cuthbert (play-by-play) and Pierre McGuire ('Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the action from Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. McHugh anchors studio coverage tonight alongside, Milbury, Jones, and NHL insider Darren Dreger.

DEVILS-CAPITALS - TOMORROW AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Caps (20-9-4, 44 pts) find themselves tied with Philadelphia in fourth place in the highly-competitive Metropolitan Division. Washington lost last night to the Islanders by a score of 4-3, but is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games. Alex Ovechkin scored for the Capitals in last night's loss to give him goals in back-to-back games.

The Devils (13-15-7, 33 pts) are coming off a 5-2 loss at home to Pittsburgh last night. Adam Henrique, Mike Cammalleri, and P.A. Parenteau are tied for the team lead in goals (9), while newcomer Taylor Hall is second on the team in points (23).

Joe Beninati (play-by-play) and Craig Laughlin (analyst) will call the game from Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Tappen anchors tomorrow's studio coverage with Roenick and Jones.

Following is this week's NHL schedule on NBC and NBCSN:

Image courtesy of NBC.

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