The Washington Capitals are covered by some of the most talented broadcasters in the game and NBC Sports Washington’s Alan May is the latest to be honored.
The longtime Caps analyst will be the color commentator of the 2019 AHL All-Star Game held in Springfield, Massachusetts.
It’s the third year in a row and fifth time total that May will work the minor league’s big game.
“I’ve always been proud of my time playing in the AHL and I always look forward to being a part of the AHL All-Star Game and its broadcast, showcasing its talented players. This year is even more special being able to go back to Springfield where I played in my first AHL game with the Springfield Indians, which ultimately lead to my first NHL contract with the Boston Bruins.”
In three seasons in the AHL from 1986-1989, the former Capital scored 67 points and had 635 penalty minutes. During his four-game stint with Springfield in 1986, May had two assists and 11 PIMs.
May will be joined in the broadcast booth by the Islanders’ Brendan Burke (play-by-play) and the Toronto Marlies’ Todd Crocker (rinkside reporter). The game will be aired live nationally on the NHL Network and Sportsnet on Monday, January 28. Puck drop is just after 7 pm.
Hershey Bears goaltender Vitek Vanecek will be the Capitals’ lone representative in the game.
More from the AHL:
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The American Hockey League has announced that the telecast of the 2019 Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield will air live to national audiences on NHL Network in the United States and on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet NOW in Canada.
Produced in high definition by Concom Inc., live broadcasts of the event from the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., will air Sunday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. ET for the AHL All-Star Skills Competition, and Monday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. ET for the AHL All-Star Challenge.
Former award-winning AHL broadcaster Brendan Burke, now the TV voice of the New York Islanders on MSG Networks, will handle play-by-play duties for the broadcasts. Alan May, a former AHL and NHL forward who is now an analyst for Washington Capitals games on NBC Sports Washington, will provide color commentary, and Todd Crocker, the voice of the Toronto Marlies on Leafs Nation Network, will work rinkside.
The 2019 Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield is part of packages of American Hockey League action airing on NHL Network and Sportsnet this season.
In addition, the two-day event can be seen worldwide on the AHL’s new streaming platform, AHLTV (theahl.com/AHLTV).
A limited number of tickets for the 2019 Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield are still available at springfieldthunderbirds.com/allstar. Priced at $39, $49, $59 and $99, tickets include admission to both the Skills Competition on Jan. 27 and the All-Star Challenge on Jan. 28.
The 2019 Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League: since 1995, more than 95 percent of All-Star Classic participants have gone on to compete in the National Hockey League, including Jake Allen, Cam Atkinson, Patrice Bergeron, Ben Bishop, John Carlson, Zdeno Chara, Logan Couture, Connor Hellebuyck, Braden Holtby, Tyler Johnson, Martin Jones, Jonathan Marchessault, Brandon Montour, William Nylander, Zach Parise, Kyle Palmieri, Mikko Rantanen, Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Jason Spezza, P.K. Subban and Mats Zuccarello.
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and staff of all 31 National Hockey League teams. More than 87 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers. In 2017-18, over 6 million fans attended AHL regular-season and playoff games across North America for the 17th year in a row.
