The NHL on ESPN Gives Me Nostalgic Goosebumps

The NHL returns to ESPN next week for coverage of the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft and the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. League coverage will return to ESPN for the 2021-22 season after being limited to ESPN+ in recent years.

Hearing the old ESPN hockey theme music gives me the chills. It’s a reminder for me, and for any fans born in the 1990s, of early memories watching the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s reminiscent of the Legion of Doom era when Eric Lindros and John LeClair were the good guys in orange and black against their arch-rival Scott Stevens and the New Jersey Devils.

The days of Western Conference rivalry games between the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings race through the minds of hockey fans whenever they hear that music. Memories of heroes like Mike Modano, Paul Kariya, and Joe Sakic are reignited as highlights of the golden era of hockey on ESPN during the late 1990s.

ESPN announced the majority of its new broadcast team during the Stanley Cup Final. They chose an interesting mix of former NHL talent, blossoming hockey media personalities from other outlets, and stalwarts from their older days of hockey coverage.

Hall of Famers Chris Chelios and Mark Messier were the most recognizable names in the lineup, and they will be joined by prominent former players Ryan Callahan, Kevin Weekes, Brian Boucher, and Ray Ferraro. Previous ESPN personalities Sean McDonough, Steve Levy, and John Buccigross are expected to handle the bulk of play-by-play duties.

Boucher played parts of six seasons with the Flyers during his 13-year NHL career. He manned the crease during their run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2000, making one of the most spectacular saves in league history in the process. He has already proven himself as a capable analyst on NBC, especially in simplifying the complexities of the goaltending position.

Former play-by-play announcer Gary Thorne was a notable omission from the team, but ESPN did not close the door on a possible reunion. Hockey fans should be lucky enough to hear the iconic “kick save and a beauty” call once again.

The recent partnership between the NHL and NBC began following the cancellation of the 2004-05 season. NBC broadcasted games on Outdoor Life Network (remember that?), Versus, and eventually NBC Sports Network.

Former Flyers broadcaster Mike “Doc” Emrick narrated a tremendous tribute to the NHL on NBC that aired prior to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Flyers appeared in one Stanley Cup Final and five outdoor games during the 16-year partnership.