I've been watching quite a bit of playoff hockey these past three nights. My oldest and I toggled between three games last night, watching Tampa Bay, Florida and Chicago win.
Although Rogers broadcasts all playoff games, they've only sent their crew to broadcast four of the eight series. Bob Cole is covering Tampa Bay vs. Detroit, Paul Romanuk is covering Anaheim vs. Nashville and LA vs. San Jose and Jim Hughson is assigned to Washington vs. Philadelphia.
I understand why Rogers would want to save some cash by simulcasting four of the series, but I find their choice of which series to send a crew to be rather curious. When I look at the eight series, a few pop out as series that would lure in a hockey fan without a geographic rooting interest. One, without a doubt, is Chicago vs. St. Louis.
Chicago is as close to a dynasty as you can get in this era, and this first round match-up looks to be stellar. Shouldn't Hughson and the crew be all over this one?
Another series that is screaming for Bob Cole is Pittsburgh vs. New York. Plenty of big names in that one, including Golden Goal and current best-player-on-the-planet Sid "The Kid" Crosby. Oh baby, Cole would sound great calling Crosby's breakaway goal in game one.
Does anyone know how the Roger Hockey decision makers chose which series to cover and which to merely simulcast? Anaheim vs. Nashville seems like a particularly curious choice.
Leave your thoughts and/or facts in the comments.
