XM Canada has announced the signing of an all-star roster of on-air talent for Home Ice, XM’s all-hockey talk channel (XM Channel 204). The channel will provide XM subscribers with groundbreaking hockey talk as well as live, play-by-play coverage of more than 1,000 National Hockey League games per season and more than 40 games per week.

Expert analysis and commentary from well-known broadcasters and NHL legends will make this a “must-have” channel for hockey fans across North America. Broadcasters who have joined XM’s Home Ice channel include Hall-of-Famers Phil Esposito, Denis Potvin and Mike Bossy, NHL All-Star Bill Clement as well as respected sports broadcasters Jim Tatti, Scott Laughlin, Cameron Stewart and Todd Lewis.

“XM’s Home Ice programming will offer Canadian subscribers unparalleled quality and choice of hockey commentary and play-by-play broadcasts, delivered directly to listeners in the car, at home, and on-the-go, from Toronto to Yellowknife,” said Ross Davies, XM Canada’s vice president of programming. “There is nothing on the market today that can compare to XM’s line-up of hockey, commercial-free music, news, talk and entertainment programming that we are giving Canadians this holiday season.”

XM Canada is pleased to announce that the 1972 Summit Series’ Team Canada’s inspirational leader Phil Esposito will co-host “In the Slot,” a weekday afternoon hockey talk-show program on XM’s Home Ice channel. In the Slot will feature Esposito and co-host Todd Lewis delivering the goods on all aspects of the NHL and giving listeners a chance to call in and speak their minds, no matter where they are in North America.

Esposito and the legendary 1972 Summit Series’ Team Canada were recently inducted into Canada’s Hockey Hall of Fame. In the Slot airs weekdays from 4 pm to 6 pm EST.

“This is a new and exciting adventure for me and I am really looking forward to providing our North American listeners with some great hockey talk programming,” said Phil Esposito, hockey legend and Canada Sports Hall of Famer. “To be part of the Home Ice team is truly a fantastic opportunity.”

XM will broadcast the most comprehensive coverage of the NHL, including live play-by-play game coverage of more than 1,000 NHL games per season from every team, as well as the NHL All-Star Game, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final. NHL games are currently broadcast on XM Satellite Radio and beginning with the 2007-2008 season, XM will be the exclusive satellite radio network of the NHL.

XM Canada’s service will be available to Canadian consumers in time for this holiday season.