The NHL will throw fans one last bone this season as they’ve produced a rescue dog competition that will first air on June 7th — a day before the Stanley Cup Final is set to begin between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.
The program, entitled “Stanley Pup”, features a rescue dog representing each of the NHL’s 16 playoff teams, including the Washington Capitals. The event, filmed in May (but will be treated in our brains as airing live), will show the doggos mercilessly fighting for the same trophy our favorite players do, the Stanley Cup, just toy sized, and yes …maybe it’s stuffed.
To make things even more adorable, the pups have been given pun-tastic names like “Alex Ofetchkin” (our obvious favorite), “David Pupstrnak”, “Sergei Bobruffsky”, “Connor McDoodle” (the second best Connor McDoodle in the league), and “Auston Mattchews.” Someone deserves a bonus on that last one.
Ofetchkin’s bio reads that he is a heeler mix, 9 weeks old, and 14 pounds of adorable. He hails from Wolf Trap Animal Rescue in the DC area.
The lineup was put together by Petco Love with the help of partner animal shelters and rescues around the nation. And as if hockey and puppies wasn’t a good enough deal, most of the puppies seen throughout the event are available for adoption and more information can be found on the sweet dogs here.
The event includes celebrity appearances from Kristin Chenoweth, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Heather McMahan, Lisa Vanderpump and Trisha Yearwood. It’ll feature play-by-play announcing from Akbar Gbajabiamila (American Ninja Warrior/The Talk) and Mark Shunock (Top Rank Boxing) with the Capitals very own Alexa Landestoy reporting rinkside.
“For the record, Alex Ofetchkin & Connor McDoodle may have been my hardest interviews to date,” Landestoy joked on Instagram.
While not all of the dogs got to participate in the Stanley Cup portion, all 32 NHL teams have a puppy representative, and some are even sending humans! Tom Wilson and Trevor van Riemsdyk of the Capitals will present dogs as well as other players around the league including Kyle Burroughs (San Jose Sharks), Anton Forsberg (Ottawa Senators), Anze Kopitar (LA Kings), Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens), and MacKenzie Weegar (Calgary Flames). Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella will also be in attendance perhaps attemping to out-howl the competition.
Wilson’s involvement comes as he is an ambassador and volunteer for Wolf Trap Animal Rescue, which specializes in the rescue of animals, dogs and puppies in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland. He and his wife, Taylor, are frequently seen volunteering to help on-board rescue animals at Wolf Trap, and the couple adopted their own rescue from the non-profit in 2020. Wilson was one of 10 individuals to be named a “Washingtonian of the Year” in December for his involvement in the community. There is no surprise that the new father is assisting with this event, and maybe he will go home with another furry friend. Tom Woofson, anyone?
The ‘Stanley Pup’ is produced by Michael Levitt, NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer and NHL Vice President of Production and Creative Development Matt Nicholson, with executive producers Aimee Brillhart (Monumental Sports and Entertainment) and Mark Shunock.
“I’ll tell you, I’m really touched by the organic love and affection that hockey players have for dogs and helping rescue animals,” Levitt told the NHL. “So it just felt like a really good marriage because the players are already invested in helping these animals.”
The event will premiere on NHL Network and ESPN+ on Friday, June 7, at 8 pm EST in America and on Sportsnet on Saturday, June 8, at 6 pm EST in Canada. The Stanley Pup will re-air on Friday, June 14, at 7 pm EST on Monumental Sports Network.
While the Capitals were the only playoff team not to win on the ice, maybe their furry counterpart brought home the bacon in chewable form!
Here’s the full press release from the NHL:
‘Stanley Pup’ Rescue Dog Competition To Debut June 7 On NHL Network And ESPN+; June 8 On Sportsnet
Adoptable Pups from Petco Love Partners to Star in Broadcast Featuring Appearances from Celebrities Including Heather McMahan, Lisa Vanderpump and Trisha Yearwood
NEW YORK (June 4, 2024) – The first-ever Stanley Pup, a 90-minute program created by NHL Productions and Michael Levitt Productions featuring friendly canine competition, will premiere on NHL Network and ESPN+ on Friday, June 7, at 8 p.m. ET for fans in the U.S. and on Sportsnet on Saturday, June 8, at 6 p.m. ET for fans in Canada. Stanley Pup will re-air on Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. ET on Monumental Sports Network.
National nonprofit organization Petco Love offered the all-star lineup of adoptable dogs from their partner animal shelters and rescues nationwide. The adorable pets representing the 16 teams that qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs – including Sergei Bobruffsky and Connor McDoodle – will face off in celebration of the highly anticipated matchup between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers in the first game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on June 8. See the full roster of “Stanley Pup” dogs here.
Stanley Pup will feature special appearances by celebrity dog lovers including Kristin Chenoweth, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Heather McMahan, Lisa Vanderpump and Trisha Yearwood. In addition, color and play-by-play commentary will be provided by Akbar Gbajabiamila (American Ninja Warrior/The Talk) and Mark Shunock (Top Rank Boxing) with Alexa Landestoy (NHL Network/Monumental Sports Network) reporting rinkside.
NHL Players appear throughout the show to introduce dogs available for adoption and support local pet adoption, including Kyle Burroughs (San Jose Sharks), Anton Forsberg (Ottawa Senators), Anze Kopitar (LA Kings), Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens), MacKenzie Weegar (Calgary Flames), and Trevor van Riemsdyk and Tom Wilson (Washington Capitals). Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella also makes an appearance.
All 32 NHL teams will be represented by a four-legged friend, many of whom will be available for adoption from a shelter or rescue group in partnership with Petco Love. Visit PetcoLove.org/StanleyPup for more information on the all-star pups featured in the show and at your local shelter. Additional highlights from Stanley Pup, including behind-the-scenes content, will be available on NHL.com/StanleyPup.
Coverage of the Stanley Cup Final begins June 8, on ABC and ESPN+ in the U.S., and on SN, CBC, and TVA Sports in Canada. Outside of North America, NHL international media partners deliver games to fans around the world.
The ‘Stanley Pup’ is produced by Michael Levitt, NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer and NHL Vice President of Production and Creative Development Matt Nicholson, with executive producers Aimee Brillhart (Monumental Sports and Entertainment) and Mark Shunock. Sponsors of the ‘Stanley Pup’ include Petco Love, Honda – the Official Vehicle and Automotive Partner of the NHL® in the U.S., BOBS from Skechers and BISSELL.
