Hockey

NHL opening game: ESPN analyst misses it
Pablo Herrera-Vergara
NHL opening game: ESPN analyst misses it
Credit: NHLMedia

The NHL season kicks off in just one week! After a long summer of waiting, it's impossible not to be excited, isn't it? Especially if you're an employee of the firm that will be broadcasting a lot of games as well as the Stanley Cup, right? That's the message ESPN analyst Ben McDonald probably didn't get. The MLB analyst who was working on the Cubs playoff game earlier today was called out by the host on the Chicago Blackhawks opening game. ESPN will be showing that game next Tuesday, and let's just say the analyst dropped it.

–

“There's zero chance I'll be watching this, I'm just gonna be honest with you. I don't know what I'm going to do, but there's no way I'm listening.”

–

Ben McDonald

This isn't the first time ESPN has dropped it. The channel, which recently signed a deal to broadcast the WWE, seems more interested in other sports than NHL hockey.

That's the conclusion of Full Press Media reporter Jim Biringer. He cites the 2025 series, where we had to wait until the final game to hear about Connor McDavid and his possible Conn Symthe

He's not wrong. ESPN is really more focused on the NBA and NFL, and McDonald's situation is hard to understand. He could simply have kept his mouth shut or given a positive message about the game. We often see this on RDS or TVA Sports when the hosts announce the presentation of another sporting event unrelated to the one being broadcast at the time. Both the commentator and the analysis don't comment, unless it serves to promote the event in question. We'll see if there are consequences, but let's just say it wasn't the best of ideas.

'Overtime'

– New York fights back.

– Pretty interesting.

– Another case to follow.

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