Here’s a bio of our next writer, from his own blog:

Michael Russo has covered the NHL since 1995 and has more to say about it than generally fits into the newspaper. So he’s been handed a platform to share timely information, offer thoughts on the league and feed a wide-ranging hockey-centric discussion with readers. Jump over the boards or drop the gloves, if you dare.

So, what do you folks think of what Mr. Russo is doing?  And, for you New Yorkers, this is not a place for “Mike and the Mad Dog” jokes.

This took a while to do, so please check it out.  This is each team, in alphabetical order, and a listing of their American and Canadian Nationally televised games.  This will change as NBC, NHL Network, and (Possibly) HDNet enter the picture later on, and Hockey Night in Canada and VERSUS make adjustments. I’ll let you know when it is updated.

The following are a list of 27 games airing on the Versus network this season that, when they are airing, are the only game available to NHL viewers in the U.S.  No other network may broadcast within a certain window of time while this game is going on.  For any questions, leave a comment or E-Mail me.  Here’s the schedule.

Update 8:10 PM: For the interest of those scouting games to buy tickets to, I’ve posted a list of games that will likely be affected (i.e. Not on TV) by this scheduling.

CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA continues to be home to the biggest names, brightest stars and best match-ups, today announcing a 69-game broadcast schedule for the 2008-09 season headlined by 25 all-Canadian match-ups. CBC’s unprecedented 56th season kicks off with a bang on Oct. 4, featuring a week full of must-see hockey including three games from Europe, a Thursday night doubleheader kicking off the NHL season in North America on Oct. 9 and an all-Canadian traditional Saturday night doubleheader on Sat. Oct. 11.

Highlights from CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA 2008-09 broadcast schedule includes 25 all-Canadian matchups, five tripleheaders, 10 afternoon games, Saturday night doubleheaders all season long, the 2008 Hall of Fame Game, Original Six Saturday on Nov. 22, the 2009 NHL Winter Classic from Wrigley Field in Chicago (home of the Chicago Cubs), the ninth annual CBC’S HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA, and the 57th NHL All-Star Game in Montreal –all capped off with the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs and exclusive coverage of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. (CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA will also add more regional games to the regular season broadcast schedule, which will be announced in the coming months.)

Right here, at TSN.com:

With more coverage of Canadian teams than ever before, TSN today unveiled its 70-game NHL on TSN broadcast schedule for the 2008-09 regular season. For the first time in network history, all regular season games will feature at least one Canadian team and will be available nationally in High Definition on TSN HD.

More: 

Right here at VERSUS.com:

Update 2:40 PM ET: From Versus:

New York, NY (August 14, 2008)—VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition and the exclusive cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), today announced the television schedule for the 2008-09 NHL regular season.  The network will open its fourth year of NHL coverage with an international double-header on Oct. 5 when the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers face-off in Prague at 12 p.m. ET, followed by a match-up featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators in Stockholm at 2:30 p.m. ET.  Then, on Thurs., Oct. 9, VERSUS’ coverage returns to the U.S. with a double-header featuring the 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings’ home-opener as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at 8 p.m. ET followed by a 10:30 p.m. ET clash between the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins.

NEW YORK (August 14, 2008) – The National Hockey League (NHL) today announced the national television schedules of NBC, VERSUS, CBC, TSN and RDS for the 2008-09 regular season.

In the U.S., VERSUS and NBC return for a fourth season as the NHL’s national television partners. In Canada, CBC begins its 56th consecutive year of NHL broadcast coverage while TSN, which began covering the NHL in 1985, is once again the national English-language cable partner. RDS, the French-language telecast partner of the NHL, enters its sixth year of NHL coverage. This season, RDS will televise all 82 of the Montreal Canadiens’ games and 29 other NHL games to be announced at a later date. Sister network RIS will carry 45 NHL games. NHL Network begins its fourth season of televising live regular season games in Canada and its second season showing live games in the U.S.

The NHL season opens 51 days from today in Europe when four teams venture overseas for NHL PremiereTM 2008.  On Oct. 4-5 the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning will play two regular-season games against each other in Prague, Czech Republic, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators will start the regular-season by playing two games against each other in Stockholm, Sweden. It is the second consecutive year the NHL will open regular-season play in Europe. In 2007, the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings faced each other in two games at London’s O2 Arena.

From William Houston of The Globe & Mail:

He said TSN2 will air about two NBA and two NHL games a week. TSN acquired the NBA package that was discontinued by Sportsnet at the end of the 2007-08 season.

As well, TSN2 will air replays of big events carried on TSN, such as European soccer games and games at world hockey tournaments.

TSN previously received approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to start a secondary digital sports service

More, as TSN2 launches August 29

I’ve got it on good word that you’ll be seeing both the American and Canadian television schedules very, very soon.  Of course, things could change, but keep an eye on Eye on the Media in the next couple days.  For now, I’ll give you my final predictions for the two networks TV schedules.

There is really no other way to preface this than the title I just gave you.  For Portfolio.com, former New York Rangers GM Neil Smith on what new E.M.I. (As he describes it, quite aptly actually, “the storied [recording] label that has been home to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.") chairman of the board Guy Hands (you still with me?) can take from Neil’s experiences as a GM in the NHL:

Despite the backlash, the question is whether Hands actually has the answer to turning around a record company in an industry that is desperately trying to reinvent itself. Music, after all, is a talent-driven business not unlike sports, movies, and publishing.

Many times in the National Hockey League, where I worked for 28 years, new owners, especially those that made their bones in other industries, have sought radically different approaches to running their hockey franchises. Most of the time they end up having to go back to the traditional model, but there have been exceptions. In late 2007, Dallas Stars owner and private-equity billionaire Tom Hicks fired his general manager and replaced him with two inexperienced “co-G.M.’s”. In the short run, at least, the move paid off—Dallas had a tremendous finish to their season and made it all the way to the conference finals.

I’ll tell you what, Neil gives some decent advice.  At least I think, I’m not actually quite sure what he’s talking about here.

From Neil Everett at SportsCenter.com:

Tough decision of the week: What to do on Thursday night – go to Neil Diamond or go to Barry Melrose’s going-away party in Boston?

If the two were touring together, Neil would open for Barry…Melrose is that much of a dude. And if you think Neil Diamond is a putz, then you need to brush up on cool cuz Neil Diamond is cool…just not as cool as Barry Melrose.

Melrose party is in Boston, Diamond plays down the block here…that would seem to be advantage Neil…but the party in Boston is at Steve Levy’s bar, “The Greatest Bar”...advantage Barry.

One night in Boston…another night in the greater Hartford area…big advantage Barry.

My tickets for Neil Diamond are on the floor but near the back of the arena…with Barry, I’m standing right next to him sharing a beverage…advantage Barry.

Am going to Melrose party alone…have a hot date for Diamond show…big advantage Neil.

Have to buy a hotel room if Levy won’t let me sleep in his bar…or can sleep in my own bed if I see the concert…advantage Neil.

By the time you read this, I will have made my bed…

Well Neil, I have a few more advantages and disadvantages for you.

Every so often, Eye on the Media writer Steve Lepore will post news that concerns the VERSUS network, that channel no one can find, yet 2.1 million did during this year’s Stanley Cup.  Anyway, once in awhile, he’ll post news that doesn’t really have anything to do with hockey, but because we as fans are all so invested in Versus’ growth, are posted anyway.

As we reported here last week, VERSUS and IndyCar have reached a 10-year (!) agreement worth about $60 Million to televise races through the 2018 season.  One of the more reputable places for Open-Wheel Racing discussion I could find on the internet was Speed Channel’s IndyCar Forum.  With a 23-page thread devoted to the contract, some folks were… how should I say, not too excited about joining the NHL at Versus.