NHL Radio is the official national radio broadcaster of the National Hockey League, covering the Stanley Cup Final, both Conference Finals, selected early round playoff action, the All-Star Game, the NHL Winter Classic and a selected number of regular-season games. The package was distributed by Westwood OneNHL Radio no longer on Westwood One and premiered in the 1993-94 season. This arrangement lasted through the end of the 2007-08 seasonIf you're looking for the Stanley Cup finals on radio, you can stop hitting the buttons. Unless you have the XM satellite service, you aren't finding the games. Unlike years past, no national radio network is carrying the event. Thus in the St. Louis market - where listeners can hear indoor football, women's soccer, Frontier League baseball and high school sports - the championship series in one of the supposed "major" sports is a no-show. "In the past, the Stanley Cup finals were carried by Westwood One, but they don't have it this year and nobody offered it to us", said Jason Barrett, programming director at sports-talk station WXOS (101.1 FM). until it was relaunched for the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, through the network's NBC Sports Radio service. The contract was continued for the 2016-17 season with a playoff game of the week, both conference finals, the Stanley Cup Final, the Winter Classic and select regular season games being added. The NBC Sports Radio brand was dropped in 2020; Westwood One will syndicate the broadcasts directly. In 2021, Sports USA Radio Network took over the national radio rights to the NHL.
NHL Radio's blackout rules Within 75 miles of a team's home arena, only stations the team or its flagship station contracts with can carry those games, regardless if the team is home or away. Thus, any competing station that carries national broadcasts cannot air those games.
Unlike Westwood One's NFL coverage and other leagues' radio coverage, there have never been any blackout restrictions on internet streaming of NHL games. Also, during the Stanley Cup Final, there is also no requirement that only the 2 participating teams' flagship stations are allowed to carry coverage, as is the case with the NFL during the Super Bowl and Major League Baseball during the World Series; local network affiliates may continue to carry the local broadcast and are not forced to carry the Sports USA feed.
Commentators Current John Ahlers Pat Foley John Forslund Jack Michaels Judd Sirott Nick Olczyk Jim Fox Joe Micheletti Brian Hayward Billy Jaffe Former Kenny Albert Bob Beers Brian Boucher Roxy Bernstein Doug Brown Bill Clement Greg Dickerson Darren Eliot Jim Fox Ray Ferraro Dave Goucher Sean Grande Steve Goldstein Gary Green Matt McConnell Eddie Olczyk Darren Pang Howie RoseHe also called the 1993 and 1994 NHL All-Star Games and the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals for the NHL Radio Network. Sam Rosen Sherry Ross Dan Rusanowsky Dave Strader Ralph StrangisOver the last five seasons, Ralph has also done play-by-play and ice-level reporting for NHL Radio for World Cup and NHL regular season and playoff games, including the last two Western Conference Final series’. Joe Tolleson John Vanbiesbrouck
Stanley Cup Finals commentating crews
YearPlay-by-playColor commentator(s)Ice level reporter2026John ForslundEddie OlczykBilly Jaffe2025John AhlersBrian HaywardBilly Jaffe2024John AhlersBrian BoucherBilly Jaffe2023John AhlersBrian BoucherBilly Jaffe2022John AhlersJoe MichelettiBilly Jaffe2021John AhlersJoe Micheletti2020Kenny Albert (Games 1–4, 6–7)Sam Rosen (Game 5)Joe Micheletti2019Kenny AlbertJoe Micheletti (Games 1–4, 6–7)Darren Pang (Game 5)Brian Boucher2018Kenny AlbertJoe Micheletti (Games 1–4)Jim Fox (Gm 5)Ray Ferraro2017Kenny AlbertJoe MichelettiRay Ferraro2016Kenny AlbertJoe MichelettiDarren Eliot2008Sam RosenBill Clement2007Sam RosenDarren Pang2006Sam RosenDarren Eliot2005Canceled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout.2004Sam RosenEddie Olczyk2003Sam RosenEddie Olczyk2002Sam RosenGary Green and Darren Eliot2001Sam RosenGary Green2000Sam RosenGary Green1999Sam RosenGary Green1998Sam RosenGary GreenSean Grande1997Sam RosenGary GreenDoug Brown and Sean Grande1996Sam RosenGary GreenDoug Brown and Sean Grande1995Kenny AlbertGary GreenDoug Brown1994Kenny AlbertSherry RossDoug Brown
See also National Hockey League on the radio
References
External links NHL on NBC Sports Radio/Westwood One | Free Internet ... NHL on NBC Sports Radio Fang's Bites: Westwood One Radio's Announcing Assignments for the NHL Conference Finals Fang's Bites: Westwood One Radio's Announcing Assignments for the NHL Stanley Cup Finals