NHL® hockey, the World Juniors, the PGA TOUR, curling’s new Continental Cup, the CFL, SportsCentre and a new look for Off The Record set the pace for an eventful 2002/03 season on TSN, Canada’s Sports Leader.
Hockey
TSN offers fans the most comprehensive NHL® national package ever assembled by a specialty network as the NHL® returns to TSN this fall and continues for the next five years through the 2006/07 season. TSN will televise upwards of 90 NHL® games during the 2002/03 season, including an unprecedented 60 regular season games and the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup® Playoffs – the first time that these three rounds will be broadcast on specialty television in Canada! TSN will also televise 29 regional Toronto Maple Leafs games over the hockey season and the NHL® Entry Draft for the next five years.
Hockey expert Pierre McGuire brings intensity, knowledge, credibility and a deep passion for the game to his new role as TSN’s colour commentator. A former NHL® head coach, McGuire will be joined in the broadcast booth by play-by-play announcer Gord Miller. Hockey host Linda Freeman will work alongside TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie and veteran hockey commentator Dave Hodge during the first and second intermissions. Dave Randorf joins the TSN hockey broadcast team as play-by-play announcer for the second crew, while veteran broadcaster Gino Reda rounds out the team as the new host of Molson That’s Hockey.
IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship
Look out – it’s back in Canada! The 2003 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship will take place in Halifax in late December and early January, and TSN will have live coverage of all the action. The last time the tournament was played in Canada was in 1999 from Winnipeg, and it set record audience numbers on TSN as the Canada-Russia gold-medal game attracted an audience of 1.8 million viewers, becoming the most-watched program in TSN history.
Golf
TSN and CTV cover the green with exclusive new PGA TOUR deal
TSN has inked a new four-year deal with the PGA TOUR effective January 2003, securing exclusive broadcast rights to every Thursday and Friday round for all PGA TOUR tournaments, including the Bell Canadian Open and all four World Golf Championships. As part of the PGA TOUR deal, CTV has also secured exclusive rights to the final rounds of the Bell Canadian Open, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, PGA Tour Championship, PGA Players Championship and all four World Golf Championships. TSN also gained exclusive rights to the Williams World Challenge and Presidents Cup.
With a comprehensive schedule that includes PGA, LPGA and SPGA, TSN will broadcast more than 670 hours of golf this season, including such popular events as The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup and the TELUS Skins Game.
Curling
TSN‘s curling coverage gets underway in November with the first-ever Continental Cup – nicknamed the Ryder Cup of curling – as twelve of the finest men’s and women’s teams from North America and the rest of the world take to the ice for this innovative new competition.
TSN will televise more than 250 hours of curling action in 2002/03 with comprehensive coverage of the McCain/TSN Skins Game and JVC/TSN Skins Game in late November and early December, and live coverage of the Season of Champions featuring the Nokia Brier, the Scott Tournament of Hearts, Canadian Seniors and Mixed Championships, the Ford World Championship and World Junior Curling Championship.
Football
TSN has the most comprehensive CFL broadcast schedule in network history with 50 regular season games this year. TSN’s coverage kicks off with a doubleheader on Friday, June 28 at 7 p.m. (all times Eastern, unless otherwise noted) with the much-anticipated season opener, featuring the Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Ottawa Renegades as Ottawa makes its return to the league, followed by the battle of Alberta as Calgary plays host to Edmonton at 10 p.m. TSN‘s schedule includes Wendy’s Friday Night Football every Friday throughout the season, 25 pre-game shows and four doubleheaders.
TSN veteran John Wells has all the play-by-play action and will be joined in the broadcast booth by analyst Glen Suitor. Host Dave Randorf and studio panelists Matt Dunigan, Chris Schultz and Jock Climie will handle the Wendy’s CFL Live pre-game and halftime shows.
In addition to the CFL, TSN kicks off the NFL season as the New York Giants host the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 8:30 p.m. TSN will televise 24 live NFL games this season, as well as the American Bowl on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 10 p.m., with the San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Redskins. TSN’s football season also includes coverage of NCAA Football Bowl games, including the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl.
SportsCentre
SportsCentre continues to lead the way as Canada’s most-watched sports news program, bringing fans the most comprehensive news, highlights, scores and exclusive interviews – all from a state-of-the-art broadcast and production facility.
TSN’s Rod Smith sets up the evening’s action on SportsCentre at 6:30 p.m. ET. At 10 p.m. ET, Darren Dutchyshen and James Duthie take to the air with complete highlights and updated scores from the big leagues. And at 11 p.m. PT, Blake Price gives viewers a complete summary of the day‘s events, including highlights and post-game reports from the West Coast.
Off The Record celebrates five-year anniversary with sizzling special
Off The Record celebrates five years on TSN with a one-hour Five Year Anniversary Special on Monday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. Off The Record will have a hot new look, including a designer studio – all from its new location at CTV’s Masonic Temple at Yonge Street and Davenport Avenue in Toronto.
2002 FIFA World Cup
TSN has comprehensive coverage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup from Korea and Japan from June 1 – July 1 with 59 live games and more than 200 hours of total coverage. TSN will broadcast live games in the early morning hours and will repeat the games in the afternoon and evening hours.
TSN veteran Vic Rauter will anchor TSN’s World Cup control show from Toronto alongside returning analysts Craig Forrest and Dick Howard. The trio will bring viewers in-depth analysis, commentary, features and profiles on players and teams during TSN’s pre-game, halftime and post-game shows.
Racing
TSN’s strong auto racing schedule continues through the 2002/03 season with the top Formula One, CART, NASCAR, NHRA Drag Racing and IRL races. TSN also televises the Canadian Superbike Championship Series, Subaru Rally Championships and the EA Sports Supercross.
Figure Skating
TSN sharpens its blades for the 2002/03 figure skating season with coverage of Mastercard Skate Canada on October 31 (continuing coverage of the event airs on CTV in early November). TSN will also televise a two-hour ISU Grand Prix highlights package each Monday from November 11 – December 9. The action includes Skate America from Spokane, WA, on November 11, the Bofrost Cup on Ice on November 18, the Trophee Lalique from Paris on November 25, the Cup of Russia on December 2 and the NHK Trophy from Japan on December 9.
Tennis
TSN once again serves up the Grand Slam of tennis this season with comprehensive live coverage of the French Open (which wraps up in early June), Wimbledon in late June and early July, the U.S. Open in late August and early September and the Australian Open in January 2003. TSN will also televise the Tennis Masters Series – including Tennis Masters Series Canada – and coverage from the ATP Tour, as well as the women’s Rogers AT&T Cup from Montreal.
Canadian Amateur Sports
TSN’s commitment to amateur sports includes comprehensive coverage of the 10th Canada Winter Games from Bathurst-Campbellton, NB, in late February and early March 2003. TSN also continues its coverage of major CIS championships, including men’s and women’s championship hockey, basketball and volleyball as well as football’s Atlantic Bowl, Churchill Bowl and Vanier Cup.
