Prime Video, Amazon’s subscription video service, had a busy day of announcements, previewing their upcoming coverage of the NHL.
The NHL, in partnership with production company Box To Box Films, announced “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL,” a series promising “unprecedented access” to star players around the league. The series, premiering globally October 4 on Prime Video, revealed its first trailer in an announcement on Monday.
Trailer
The trailer, narrated by former NHL defenseman PK Subban, gives us a glimpse at some of the mic’d-up, on-the-ice, and off-the-ice moments the series touts. Clips from a sit-down interview with one of the series’ main stars, William Nylander, are also dispersed throughout the nearly two-minute teaser.
One of the more memorable and intriguing clips features an enraged Edmonton Oilers captain, Connor McDavid, in his team’s locker room during a Stanley Cup Final game.
“That’s not good enough,” McDavid screams. “It’s the Finals. Dig in. Right now.”
Other star names in the series include David Pastrnak, Leon Draisaitl, Filip Forsberg, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, and Jack Eichel.
Here’s the full press release announcement:
Prime Video Releases Trailer and Launch Date of Highly Anticipated Docuseries “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL”
All Six Episodes Premiere October 4 Worldwide
TORONTO (Sept. 23, 2024) – FACEOFF: Inside the NHL, the docuseries produced by Box To Box and NHL Productions, will launch globally on Friday, Oct. 4 on Prime Video. The series will give unprecedented access to the National Hockey League’s biggest teams and most compelling characters, all at different stages of their careers. All six episodes will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide, and is the latest addition to the Prime membership. Prime members enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership.
FACEOFF: Inside the NHL will feature insight from the key players, their rivals and those in their closest inner circle – teammates, coaches, and family. The series will also reveal what life on-and-off the ice is really like for the league’s top players. From the quiet reflective moments to the speed and intensity of being on hockey’s biggest stage – revealing the talent, grit, and sacrifice it takes to make it in the NHL. Superstar players followed in the series include Boston Bruins teammates David Pastrnak and Jeremy Swayman; Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog; Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and forwards Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk; Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg; New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba; Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander; Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes; and Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel, among others.
Crews were embedded with each player and their families and friends to capture their journey through the postseason, including the Oilers’ and Panthers’ 2024 Stanley Cup Final run.
EPISODE 1: Best of Rivals featuring William Nylander and David Pastrnak
EPISODE 2: As Tough As It Gets featuring Jack Eichel and Filip Forsberg
EPISODE 3: Learning to Win featuring Jeremy Swayman and Matthew Tkachuk
EPISODE 4: The Captains featuring Quinn Hughes, Gabriel Landeskog and Jacob Trouba
EPISODE 5: Cup or Bust Part I featuring Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman
EPISODE 6: Cup or Bust Part II featuring Connor McDavid and Matthew Tkachuk
The series is executive produced by James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin, co-founders of Box To Box, Steve Mayer and Ross Bernard for NHL Productions, and Daniel Amigone.
FACEOFF: Inside the NHL is a continuation of an expanding relationship between Amazon and the NHL. Since 2021, the NHL has worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) on their cloud-based content delivery system to facilitate the delivery of new in-game analytics and video highlights to enhance fan experiences. This work includes the development of the NHL Edge IQ powered by AWS stats portfolio, including advanced analytics such as Ice Tilt, Opportunity Analysis, Face-Off Probability, and Shot and Save Analytics, to give fans a better understanding of the action on the ice.
FACEOFF: Inside the NHL marks the fourth original hockey program Amazon has produced with NHL Productions for Prime Video. In 2021, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs multi-episode docuseries chronicled the iconic team’s 2020-21 season. Last season, original hockey documentaries Chosen One: Alexandre Daigle and Saving Sakic premiered on Prime Video to critical and fan acclaim.
Prime Video is the home of Prime Monday Night Hockey, which will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English throughout the 2024-25 season, and NHL Coast to Coast, the weekly whiparound show on Thursday nights. Prime Monday Night Hockey and NHL Coast to Coast will be available exclusively for Prime Members in Canada.
Prime Video will also produce two live shows, “Prime Monday Night Hockey” and “NHL Coast to Coast,” for Prime Members in Canada throughout the 2024-25 season.
Prime Monday Night Hockey will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English for the 2024-25 NHL season in Canada, at no extra cost to Prime members. The on-air talent for games includes play-by-play man John Forslund and analysts Jody Shelley, Thomas Hickey, and Shane Hnidy.
Lights, camera, Prime. 🎬
Introducing the broadcast talent squad for Prime Monday Night Hockey. pic.twitter.com/hlbtygMc85
— Sports on Prime Canada (@SportsOnPrimeCA) September 23, 2024
Adnan Virk, Andi Petrillo, Blake Bolden, and a mix of guests, including Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier, will anchor the Prime Monday Night, on-site desk throughout the season. Petrillo will also host NHL Coast to Coast, a “weekly whiparound studio show” that will feature live look-ins, highlights, and analysis of every Thursday night NHL game.
Here’s the full press release announcement for the two shows:
Prime Video Announces On-Air Talent for “Prime Monday Night Hockey” and Live Thursday Night NHL Whiparound Series, “NHL Coast to Coast”
The First “Prime Monday Night Hockey” Game Features the Pittsburgh Penguins v. Montreal Canadiens on Monday, October 14, with On-Air Talent Including NHL Legend Mark Messier
TORONTO (Sept. 23, 2024) – Prime Video and the NHL today announced the roster of hosts, play-by-play announcers, analysts and reporters for its inaugural season of Prime Monday Night Hockey and NHL Coast to Coast. Prime Monday Night Hockey, which will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English throughout the 2024-25 season for Prime Members in Canada, begins on Thanksgiving (Monday, Oct. 14) with the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins, at 7 p.m. ET. NHL Coast to Coast, a live, weekly whiparound studio show airing on Thursday nights in Canada, premieres on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. ET and will feature live look-ins, highlights and expert analysis of every NHL game that night. Exclusive NHL content in Canada is among the growing lineup of live sports offerings that come with Prime, which delivers savings, convenience and entertainment, all in a single membership.
Prime Monday Night Hockey will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English for the 2024-25 NHL season in Canada, at no extra cost to Prime members. Prime Monday Night Hockey will feature an all-star cast lead by veteran play-by-play announcer John Forslund, alongside analysts Jody Shelley, Thomas Hickey, and Shane Hnidy. Anchoring the Prime Monday Night sports desk all from on-site will be Adnan Virk, Andi Petrillo, analyst Blake Bolden, and a mix of local guests throughout the season. Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier will be a contributor throughout the season both on the desk and with vignettes.
Prime Video’s star-studded team of on-air talent will offer unparalleled expertise and insights as they helm the Prime Monday Night Hockey livestream. The rotating team will be onsite at each game bringing the excitement and fan reactions in each arena to each live stream:
- Mark Messier: The Hockey Hall of Famer’s illustrious NHL career includes six Stanley Cup championships, five of which were won with his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers. He is the only player to captain multiple franchises to a Stanley Cup Championship. Messier joins Prime Monday Night Hockey as an analyst, and the Hall of Famer will share ten captivating segments featuring stories from his legendary career to air throughout the season.
- Andi Petrillo: Serving as co-host of Prime Monday Night Hockey, Petrillo’s extensive broadcast experience includes working as a hockey host, reporter, and analyst for NHL Network and Hockey Night in Canada, as well as a primetime studio host for the 2024 Paris Olympics on CBC.
- Adnan Virk: Virk will co-host Prime Monday Night Hockey, bringing the skill and expertise he’s honed at ESPN, MLB Network, DAZN, and WWE to the desk on Monday nights.
- John Forslund: The respected broadcasting veteran joins Prime Monday Night Hockey as play-by-play announcer. Forslund’s impressive and expansive resume includes calling games for the Seattle Kraken’s broadcasts for the past three seasons, as well as calling national games for TNT Sports and Sports USA National Radio. He has also served as the play-by-play announcer for ESPN National Hockey Night, NHL on Versus, NBCSN and NBC Sports. Forslund joined the Kraken for its inaugural season in 2021 after spending 25 years as the voice of the Carolina Hurricanes and Hartford Whalers.
- Blake Bolden: A former NCAA, CWHL and NWHL player and Pro Scout for the Los Angeles Kings, Bolden joins Prime Monday Night Hockey as an analyst. Bolden is the first Black player drafted in the first round of the CWHL and the first ever to compete in the NWHL, and also serves as Growth and Inclusion Specialist with the Kings.
- Shane Hnidy: Hnidy brings extensive broadcast experience to his new analyst role with Prime Monday Night Hockey. The former NHLer played in 550 NHL regular season games from 2000-2011 as well as an additional 40 playoff games, with his playing career culminating as a member of the 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. The current colour analyst for the Vegas Golden Knights regional broadcasts, Hnidy also served as TSN’s Winnipeg Jets colour analyst from 2011-17 and is also a contributor to NHL on TNT national broadcasts.
- Thomas Hickey: The former New York Islanders defenceman and two-time World Junior gold medalist for Team Canada will serve as an analyst for Prime Monday Night Hockey’s coverage. Hickey has also been working as part of MSG Network’s New York Islanders broadcast team since 2022.
- Jody Shelley: Originally from Manitoba, former NHL player Shelley joins Prime Monday Night Hockey as an analyst. Shelley played more than 620 NHL games throughout his career (Columbus, San Jose, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers), and transitioned to broadcasting following his NHL career, working with NHL Network, NBC and TNT.
The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, Oct. 21, followed by the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, Oct. 28 to round out the Prime Monday Night Hockey schedule for October. For the 2024-25 NHL regular season, Prime Monday Night Hockey will feature 21 games hosted by Canadian teams and will also include a 2024 Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers on Monday, Dec. 16. All games will be produced by Amazon and stream live as part of a Prime membership. The full Prime Monday Night Hockey schedule can be found here.
Prime Monday Night Hockey presentations will include pre-game, intermission, and post-game segments, and will also include the following interactive feature:
- Rapid Recap: The launch of Rapid Recap in Canada will curate a new viewing experience for Canadian live sports. Rapid Recap assists those who join the game in-progress to catch up on the action they missed using machine learning to compile big plays and exciting moments into a short two-minute highlights package for Prime Video customers. While viewing the rundown, viewers can either skip or rewatch big plays within the queue and jump to live action at any time.
NHL Coast to Coast is the ultimate destination for Canadians for all live action across the NHL on Thursday nights with host Andi Petrillo and rotating analysts. The weekly whiparound studio show will debut on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. ET and features live look-ins, highlights, and expert analysis of every NHL game that night, featuring interviews with top players, coaches and commentators. The new series will be produced live by NHL Productions in collaboration with Prime Video from the NHL Productions hub in Secaucus, New Jersey and various locations across Canada.
Today’s announcement is a continuation of an expanding relationship between Amazon and the NHL. Since 2021, the NHL has worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) on their cloud-based content delivery system to facilitate the delivery of new in-game analytics and video highlights to enhance fan experiences. This includes the development of the NHL Edge IQ powered by AWS stats portfolio, including advanced analytics such as Ice Tilt, Opportunity Analysis, Face-Off Probability, and Shot and Save Analytics, to give fans a better understanding of the action on the ice.
Prime Monday Night Hockey and NHL Coast to Coast join the slate of sports content available on Prime Video including the upcoming FACEOFF: Inside the NHL from Box To Box – the producers of Drive to Survive – that will give unprecedented access to some of the NHL’s most compelling players, all at different stages of their careers, as they embark on the ultimate pursuit of glory – winning the coveted Stanley Cup. FACEOFF joins Game 7, a new five-part anthology series offering first-hand accounts from athletes that participated in high-stakes Game 7 showdowns across sports and unpacks what it takes to compete on sports’ biggest stage. Additional NHL Productions titles on Prime Video include All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, a multi-episode docuseries that chronicled the iconic team’s 2020-21 season, Chosen One: Alexandre Daigle and Saving Sakic; other live events including WNBA, ONE Championship and the NWSL. Additionally, Canadian customers can subscribe to Sportsnet, TSN, DAZN, Fubo Sports Network and more via Prime Video Channels, offering the best in sports entertainment in one app.
The NHL on Prime announcements expand the offering of Canadian Amazon Original series and films available to Prime customers, including The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Documentary Award and Canadian Screen Award-winner Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, Elisabeth Rioux: sans filtre , Luxe Listings: Toronto, LOL: Qui rira le dernier?, Pour un Soir Seulement, Nuit Blanche, L’ultime gala, Three Pines, The Kids in the Hall, The Lake, LOL: Last One Laughing Canada, The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith and the upcoming series The Sticky, and joins the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and around the world in the Prime Video catalogue, including award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, and I Am: Celine Dion. Prime members in Canada enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership, for just $9.99/month or the best value of $99/year.
