BRIAN BOUCHER JOINS NBC SPORTS GROUP’S NHL COVERAGE AS FULL-TIME INSIDE-THE-GLASS AND STUDIO ANALYST; KENNY ALBERT TO HANDLE INCREASED PLAY-BY-PLAY ROLE FOR 2015-16 SEASON

Former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher joins NBC Sports Group this season as a full-time Inside-the-Glass and NHL Live studio analyst for the upcoming 2015-16 season. Boucher made his debut with NBCSN as an analyst during the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Boucher split 13 NHL seasons with seven teams, playing the majority of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, highlighted by 42 playoff games and two Stanley Cup Final games with the team. In addition to McGuire and Boucher, Joe Micheletti, Brian Engblom and Ray Ferraro will also serve as ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analysts throughout the season.

Veteran play-by-play commentator Kenny Albert will see an increased role with NBC Sports Group’s NHL coverage this season. Albert has previously served as a play-by-play commentator for NBC Sports Group during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In addition to Emrick and Albert, Gord Miller, John Forslund, Dave Strader and Chris Cuthbert will also handle play-by-play duties for NHL games on NBCSN throughout the season.

NBC Sports Group’s NHL studio team returns for the 2015-16 season, with Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury and Keith Jones. Studio coverage will also feature hosts Kathryn Tappen and Dave Briggs, as well as analysts Jeremy Roenick and Anson Carter. Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger return for their second seasons with NBC Sports Group, providing team reports and league news throughout the season.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY: RANGERS AT BLACKHAWKS – WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7, AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The 2015-16 NHL regular season kicks off on NBCSN with an Original Six Wednesday Night Rivalry clash between the Rangers and Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are coming off of their third Stanley Cup title in six seasons after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final in six games. The Rangers came within one win of the Stanley Cup Final last season, dropping Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final at home to Tampa Bay.

Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, analyst and U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call from the United Center in Chicago, Ill.

SHARKS AT KINGS – WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7 AT 10:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Sharks and Kings renew their rivalry in their opening night matchup on NBCSN Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET. Both teams are coming off of disappointing 2014-15 seasons, as Los Angeles and San Jose failed to qualify for the postseason. The Kings’ offseason additions include former Bruin Milan Lucic, while Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer, who led the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, begins his first season as bench boss in San Jose.

John Forslund (play-by-play) and Joe Micheletti (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst) will provide live commentary from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

WILD AT AVALANCHE – THURSDAY, OCT. 8 AT 9 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN continues its opening week NHL coverage Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET, when Zach Parise and the Minnesota Wild visit Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche. The Wild look to continue the momentum of the past two seasons, which included the first playoff appearances in team history. Following a disappointing 2014-15 season in which the Avalanche missed the postseason, Colorado hopes to return to the form of two seasons ago, when the team won the Central Division.

Chris Cuthbert (play-by-play) and Pierre McGuire (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst) will have the call from Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.

Following is this week’s NHL coverage on NBCSN:

*immediately following game coverage

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA INTRODUCES BROADCAST-QUALITY ENHANCED DATA GRAPHICS FOR 2015-16 REGULAR SEASON

NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile, devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will provide streaming coverage of all 105 regular-season games on NBC and NBCSN this season. For the first time in the regular season, Live Extra will feature new broadcast-quality enhanced data graphics that provide an improved streaming experience for NHL fans.

The new functionality and visualizations include real-time player and game statistics, roster listings, and live rink maps which highlight shot locations, blocked shots, goals, face offs, hits, giveaways and takeaways. In addition, every goal, every penalty and every key moment is quickly available to viewers via the redesigned Key Events bar.

2015-16 REGULAR SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN

NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of 105 NHL regular-season games during the 2015-16 season, featuring 12 games on NBC and 93 games on NBCSN. All games will be streamed live via NBC Sports Live Extra. This year’s coverage includes 24 Wednesday Night Rivalry games, 6 Wednesday Nightcaps, 12 Sunday Night Hockey contests, and NHL All-Star coverage.

Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive NHL coverage this season.

NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS

NBC Sports Regional Networks, which serve top NHL markets such as Boston (Bruins), Philadelphia (Flyers), Washington D.C. (Capitals), Chicago (Blackhawks) and the Bay Area (Sharks), will air more than 300 live NHL games and surround the 2015-16 NHL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most.