• 10-Plus Hours of Game Coverage Every Day August 1-5 Beginning at Noon ET
• Saturday NHL Doubleheader on August 1 on NBC – Blackhawks-Oilers at 3 p.m. ET, Followed by Canadiens-Penguins at 8 p.m. ET
• Coverage of More Than 25 NHL Games on NBCSN in Seven-Day Span
• Coverage of Four Exhibition Games Begins July 28 on NBCSN
NBC Sports will present up to 120 hours of coverage from the NHL’s 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers on NBC, NBCSN and USA Network beginning August 1.
Beginning Saturday, August 1, through Wednesday, August 5, NBC Sports will present coverage from at least four games each day across NBC, NBCSN and USA Network, including some games that will be joined in progress.
Coverage on Saturday, August 1, will feature a doubleheader on NBC beginning at 3 p.m. ET, when Connor McDavid and the Oilers face Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks. Primetime coverage at 8 p.m. ET on NBC will feature Sidney Crosby and the Penguins against Carey Price and the Canadiens.
The 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers begin August 1 at Noon ET on NBCSN, when Artemi Panarin and the Rangers face Sebastian Aho and the Hurricanes. In total, more than 25 NHL games will be shown on NBCSN in a seven-day span.
Qualifying Round series are best-of-five and will be contested between the teams seeded 5th through 12th in each conference. The winners of those series will join the top four teams from each conference, who will play round robin games to determine seeding, in the traditional 16-team Stanley Cup Playoffs format.
Games airing on NBC are exclusive. All games on NBCSN and USA Network will be blacked out in the local markets as they will be available on viewers’ local RSNs. Blackout rules apply to streaming coverage on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Some games will be joined in progress.
Following is NBC Sports’ telecast schedule for the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers through August 5:
Sat., August 1 Game 1 – Carolina vs. N.Y. Rangers – NBCSN – 12 p.m. ET Game 1 – Chicago vs. Edmonton – NBC – 3 p.m ET Game 1 – Florida vs. N.Y. Islanders – NBCSN – 4 pm. ET Game 1 – Montreal vs. Pittsburgh – NBC – 8 p.m. ET Game 1 – Winnipeg vs. Calgary – NBCSN – 10:30 p.m. ET
Sun., August 2 Game 1 – Arizona vs. Nashville – USA Network – 2 p.m. ET Round Robin – Boston vs. Philadelphia – NBC – 3 p.m. ET Round Robin – St. Louis vs. Colorado – NBCSN – 6:30 p.m. ET Game 1 – Columbus vs. Toronto – NBCSN – 8 p.m. ET Game 1 – Minnesota vs. Vancouver – NBCSN – 10:30 p.m. ET
Mon., August 3 Game 2 – Carolina vs. N.Y. Rangers – NBCSN – 12 p.m. ET Game 2 – Winnipeg vs. Calgary – NBCSN – 2:30 p.m. ET Round Robin – Washington vs. Tampa Bay – NBCSN – 4 p.m. ET Round Robin – Dallas vs. Vegas – NBCSN – 6:30 p.m. ET Game 2 – Montreal vs. Pittsburgh – NBCSN – 8 p.m. ET Game 2 – Chicago vs. Edmonton – NBCSN – 10:30 p.m. ET
Tues., August 4 Game 2 – Florida vs. N.Y. Islanders – NBCSN – 12 p.m. ET Game 2 – Arizona vs. Nashville – NBCSN – 2:30 p.m. ET Game 2 – Columbus vs. Toronto – NBCSN – 4 p.m. ET Game 3 – Winnipeg vs. Calgary – NBCSN – 6:30 p.m. ET Game 3 – Carolina vs. N.Y. Rangers – NBCSN – 8 p.m. ET Game 2 – Minnesota vs. Vancouver – USA Network – 10:30 p.m. ET
Wed., August 5 Game 3 – Florida vs. N.Y. Islanders – NBCSN – 12 p.m. ET Game 3 – Arizona vs. Nashville – NBCSN – 2:30 p.m. ET Round Robin – Tampa Bay vs. Boston – NBCSN – 4 p.m. ET Round Robin – Colorado vs. Dallas – NBCSN – 6:30 p.m. ET Game 3 – Montreal vs. Pittsburgh – NBCSN – 8 p.m. ET Game 3 – Chicago vs. Edmonton – NBCSN – 10:30 p.m. ET
In addition, NBC Sports will present coverage of the following exhibition games on NBCSN on July 28 and 29:
Tues., July 28 Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia – NBCSN – 4 p.m. ET
Wed., July 29 Carolina vs. Washington – NBCSN – 4 p.m. ET Chicago vs. St. Louis – NBCSN – 6:30 p.m. ET N.Y. Rangers vs. N.Y. Islanders – NBCSN – 8 p.m. ET
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
