Your End of Hockey Playoff Montages: Love These Videos

((ht: cbssports.com))

For whatever reason, one of the things that separates hockey coverage from other sports seems to be the video montages. And they separate even further with the American and the Canadian versions of said montages.

The reason we bring this up is because this is a snapshot of what we do for a living. We've done countless video highlight montages like this and to get them right is not nearly as easy as you'd think.

With that in mind we offer you montages done by both NBC Sports and the CBC (Canadian Broadcast Company) after last nights Stanley Cup Finals ended with a Los Angeles Kings win.

In this corner, NBC. NBC does a great job with their Hockey coverage and their lead announcer, Mike "Doc" Emrick is the best play-by-play guy in Sports today.

NBC put together their playoff wrap video using an excerpt from a Queen/David Bowie collaboration from the 1980's. "Under Pressure". And they mixed it with game highlights, cutaways and a ton of natural sound/broadcast sound.

It's very well produced and edited:



Now check out what the CBC did. Mind you, this is the end of their 60-plus year run televising the game.

Their montages have always been stellar, a mix of the current with an homage to hockey's past and history.

This is what you should consider a sendoff as much as a look back. We will miss the CBC and we will miss their production of this style video. Consider it a step above what NBC did and does, you know, next level stuff.

As a Video Producer by trade, we admire the editing, the research, the pacing and storytelling. And the music "Superstar", not as well known, but totally fits the story being told.

Enjoy the video and tell us what you think. Do you agree with our assessment? Or disagree....

Hockey Night Montage for Game 5 Gives Us The Who

((HT: Tim Thompson))

If this is the last "Hockey Night in Canada" montage in the history of CBC's coverage, Tim Thompson was all over it for the four-billionth time. His work is top-notch and lends itself to the story-telling that the game itself gives us night in and night out.

This time, it was The Who and it made us a little dusty.
When you see a particular edit, you'll know why...


The HQ only hopes that Sportsnet finds a place for Thompson in their next decade of coverage...

ICYMI: The CBC Does Amazing Opens for Hockey

Okay, we've worked in the TV business for a long, long time and we've seen some amazingly well produced videos. Heck, we've won awards for some of our own well produced videos.

But we can't compete with things like this.

Check out the open produced by the folks at the Canadian Broadcast Corporation to kick off Wednesday nights Game 7 Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage of the Montreal Canadiens/Boston Bruins series.

The song, "Experience the Jewel" by the group Wintersleep. The video, historical and current set up the game, won by the Canadiens, perfectly.

Yep, Strombo Will Be Running Point For HNIC

((HT: Sportsnet))

The announcement was made today in Toronto and the landscape will be markedly different when "Hockey Night" moves its way from CBC to Rogers and the new generation of hockey broadcasting will be led by George Stroumboulopoulous...

Strombo, Ron MacLean, Don Cherry, Daren Millard, and Jeff Marek will be on the front lines...

Here's Scott Moore with the announcement

The short version:

Cherry and MacLean will still do "Coach's Corner" on Saturdays
MacLean will also host Hockey Day in Canada and Sunday’s new "Hometown Hockey Community Celebration"
Millard will host programming on Wednesday nights
Marek will host action on Thursdays, Friday Night Hockey and the Memorial Cup

And that's what C$5.3-billion will do...

Is Strombo The New Hockey Night Host...???

According to TSN's Bob McKenzie... yes...

His series of tweets...

If I'm not mistaken, I believe congrats may soon be in order for @strombo and @CoachesCornerCBC.

Lots of talk @strombo will this week be named primary face/host of the other guys' nat'l package.

And @CoachesCornerCBC is reportedly getting a new 2-yr deal. Sounds like Ron MacLean still involved but not as main man.

George Stroumboulopolous has been a host for MuchMusic, CBC, and CNN with some very stellar guests and conversations. So, if the big-time Habs fan gets the gig when Rogers takes the "Hockey Night" franchise next year for the next 12 years, it would be a huge coup for the network and the debut presentation.

An example:
((HT: CBC))


And this one...


According to The Score up north, the set-up is this...

"Hockey Night in Canada" will continue to air Saturday nights on CBC through a sub-licensing agreement Rogers made with the public broadcaster, although Rogers will retain editorial control.

Rogers Gets The Next 12 Years Of The NHL Up North...

((HT: Sportsnet))

And this is huge in a few ways...

1) The dollar figure- C$5.2-billion over 12 years... the largest deal in league history...

2) Sportsnet gets the "Hockey Night in Canada" brand, but can sub-lease it back to the CBC for four years...

3) It completely boxes out TSN nationally- the top-ranked cable network in the country and puts CBC under the thumb of Sportsnet- as it barely hangs on to any kind of sports branding...

Any kind...

Which means that the future of Don Cherry is in flux right now... and he can't even tell you what his future is...

4) CBC, run through public funding, can't flip the profits they make from hockey and turn them into other shows...

So, Sportsnet outspent everyone and CBC continues to fall behind in sports programming, but one of the first things the commissioner had to do was survive "Prime Time Sports" with Bob McCown....

Here's The Bettman with Bobcat...

Dave Bolland Is No Andrew Shaw

((HT: CBC/NHL))

While the HQ knows that Andrew Shaw, probably, set the modern day record for post-game celebratory cussing while Doc Emrick was trying to cover it over with monologue and the audio guy for NBC let it ride last night...

Not to be outdone, Dave Bolland got excited while talking to Scott Oake...


Carry on... and congrats to the Blackhawks... even if they did beat the Kings to get there...

Said the Kings fan on staff...

If someone posts the Shaw outburst while he was bleeding the blood of elation onto the sweater of celebration, you'll see it...

Why The Stanley Cup Is A Big Deal

((ht: puckdaddy))

This is pure awesomeness.

If you ever want to know why you should watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you should watch this video.

If you ever want to know what Canada does better than the U.S, you should watch this video. (It was produced by the CBC)

For most of us here in the states, we don't pay a lot of attention to Hockey most of the year. Much like the NBA, the regular season goes on forever. But unlike the NBA, when it comes to the playoffs, there are few things more intense or amazing to watch.

Hockey's playoff's, they, at least in our opinion (OSG Sports), every bit as exciting and fun to watch as March Madness.

((**--Note-- We don't include the NBA Playoff's as exciting, because much like the regular season, they drone on...........forever))

Check out the Canadian Broadcast Company's (CBC) Hockey Night in Canada open to kick off their Stanley Cup Coverage--yeah, the song is used too much for commercials in the states, but it's perfect for this.

Duncan Keith Fails At Punking Female Reporter (UPDATE: Don Cherry Apparently Agrees)

((HT: Team 1040/Sportsnet))

Okay... the set-up...

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith is one of the better players at his position in the National Hockey League...
Last night, he got burned on a Sedin goal, and tried to chop him down after the fact...

Paul Bunyan woulda been proud...
Karen Thompson of Team 1040 was asking questions in the visitor's locker room after the game- specifically, on that play... Let's just say that he went all ass-jacket on Thompson... The transcription: “Oh no, I don’t think there was (a penalty),” Keith said. “I think he scored a nice goal. The ref was right there. That’s what the ref saw. We should get you as ref, maybe, hey? First female referee… can’t play probably either, right? But you’re thinking the game like you know it? OK, see ya.” Thompson held her own and Keith showed his true colors... Genius at work... SUNDAY UPDATE: Don Cherry, on his "Coach's Corner" segment, took Keith's side in the argument... Here's the response by Grapes, at the 2:25 mark... ((HT: CBC/NHL/Fred Murtz))
Look...

The HQ gets that Cherry is a cartoon character, and may or may not believe half of what comes out of his mouth because of his brand and what it consists of these days. He's passionate, nationalistic, and a joy to watch when he gets riled up- especially on topics that concern growth of the game and safety of the game.

But, we've been in more locker rooms than he has... and players today are not players in the era in which he coached. They actually will dress in separate areas, and will even wear towels, shield themselves, and make sure that decorum exists.

The ages aren't really that Dark, Don... some people just don't turn the light on...

Grapes Has Wrath For Brian Burke

((HT: CBC Sports/youtube))

Don Cherry was not pleased with Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke and the way he handled the firing of former head coach Ron Wilson...

Evidence below...


Cherry thinks Burke is some kind of Ontario-phobe...
And "Some kind" of Ontario-phobe...

And the HQ doesn't think he is done roasting him- there's still some regular season left... especially, since they may circle the drain with the playoffs...

Again...

Brian Williams Gets Order of Canada

((HT: CBC/CFL/youtube))

No, not that Brian Williams...

This is the guy who has been the main anchor for CBC Sports coverage forever, has called everything in the country, anchored five-ringed circuses ((including the Ross Rebagliati fiasco from Nagano- which was some of the best live, breaking news television the HQ has ever seen)), and called baseball games...

He's a pro's pro and a down-to-earth guy who has hosted "Grape Line" with Don Cherry forever, too, and has learned how to get the best out of Cherry and his interviews...

Here's a segment from his CBC days when he anchored Grey Cup coverage...


One story...

The HQ was covering a Braves-Blue Jays game in 2002... Williams was there with the late John Cerutti and during their pre-game taping from the broadcast booth at Turner Field. One of the studio lights was too close to the fire alarms and it set off the sprinkler system.

The same sprinkler system which hadn't been tested since the 1996 five-ringed circus. That meant that the water that came out of the sprinklers was black and filled with dirt- not normal clear water spray.

The water went all over their equipment, notes, and clothing.

Williams came out of the booth soaked, and I asked him if he needed to borrow a blazer for air. But the HQ will give the CBC and their local crew credit. They got three cameras to work and called the game...

Class act... congrats...