CBC Sports is broadcasting for the first time in High Definition Television on Saturday, November 22 as a historic day at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton unfolds, celebrating the Oilers’ 25th anniversary, and the return of a legend, on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

CBC Sports is broadcasting for the first time in High Definition Television on Saturday, November 22 as a historic day at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton unfolds, celebrating the Oilers’ 25th anniversary, and the return of a legend, on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

To mark the inaugural foray into the future of broadcasting on CBC Television, Bell Express Vu, Shaw Cablesystems, Starchoice, Rogers Cable and Videotron provides the feed of the broadcast in HDTV for their subscribers.

Ron MacLean hosts HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA’s coverage when a National Hockey League record crowd, in excess of 55,000 fans, will be on hand to witness the return of Wayne Greztky, and Edmonton Oilers’ alumni, taking on Guy Lafleur and some former Montreal Canadiens legends in The Mega Stars Game.

#99 will be joined by the likes of Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr, Jari Kurri and other former Oilers’ stars taking on ‘The Flower’, Larry Robinson, Steve Shutt, Guy Carbonneau and some former members of the famed Bleu Blanc Rouge.

For the occasion Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Irvin returns to the booth call the game alongside Chris Cuthbert and Greg Millen.

CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA will use this opportunity for their first venture into High Definition Television and the use of new technological experiments. Executive producer Joel Darling says robotic cameras and cameras on cranes will be used, and an Omni-cam will be mounted above the glass and moved from one end of the rink to the other.

“The size of the venue allows us to try innovative things,” Darling says. “The Omni-cam has been used in other sports, such as track and field. By utilizing it for hockey we’re hoping to show the speed of the game.”

At 6:30 p.m. ET, MacLean returns to host Saturday Night to recap the afternoon’s events from around the NHL and previews the night ahead.

At 7 p.m. ET, Live from Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada presents The Heritage Classic featuring the current-day Oilers led by Ryan Smith and Ales Hemsky battling Saku Koivu, Jose Theodore and the Habs.

Chris Cuthbert, Greg Millen and Glenn Healy provide the commentary, when CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada experiments with the ‘three man in the booth’ concept.

Don Cherry is in Edmonton for this week’s segment of Coach’s Corner alongside MacLean in the first intermission. The Satellite Hot Stove in the second intermission features MacLean, and NHL insiders chatting about news and rumours from around the NHL.

At 10 p.m. ET, Game Two sees the Toronto Maple Leafs heading to Vancouver to battle with Todd Bertuzzi, Brendan Morrison and the Canucks. Scott Oake and Kelly Hrudey co-host the broadcast, Bob Cole provides the play-by-play, Harry Neale is the analyst, and Brenda Irving is the rinkside reporter.

HNIC: After Hours follows game two from Vancouver with co-hosts Hrudey and Oake.

Following After Hours (except in B.C. where it will be seen at 11:30 p.m.), HNIC: Replay rebroadcasts the historic Habs vs. Oilers’ game and the Leafs vs. Canucks game in “game-time”.

Source: CDTV.ca