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Rogers Unveils Dream Team to Deliver Upcoming NHL Season: Stroumboulopoulos to Anchor NHL Coverage with Cherry, MacLean, Millard, and Marek

Mar 10, 2014 News Releases

– New era in hockey coverage to bring more games and programming to
hockey fans across all platforms –

TORONTO, March 10, 2014 /CNW/ – Rogers today announced a dream team of
broadcasters who will anchor NHL national coverage across all Rogers
properties, as well as Hockey Night in Canada. Together, George
Stroumboulopoulos, Don Cherry, Ron MacLean, Daren Millard and Jeff
Marek will be cornerstones of Rogers’s NHL coverage this coming fall.

The team will deliver more than 500 regular season games across 13
networks and 7 platforms, including up to 7 games every Saturday night,
plus “Hometown Hockey” every Sunday hosted from communities across
Canada, and every game of the NHL Playoffs and Stanley Cup Final.

The announcement was made today by Scott Moore, President of Sportsnet &
NHL Properties, Rogers.

“We know how passionate fans are about hockey, and so we’ve brought
together the best anchors to deliver the best hockey experience to
Canadians,” said Moore. “George is one of the smartest and most
versatile broadcasters in the business, and Ron and Don are icons in
the hockey world. Along with Daren and Jeff, our new broadcast team
brings a tremendous amount of talent, expertise and personality – and
most importantly, they all possess a supreme passion for hockey.”

The Lineup:

George Stroumboulopoulos, Host

  • Stroumboulopoulos is one of Canada’s most popular and respected
    broadcasters. He will be returning to his roots in sports, having spent
    the first four years of his career as a sports reporter at The Fan 590
    (now Sportsnet 590 The FAN)
  • Beginning October 2014, Stroumboulopoulos will host Hockey Night in
    Canada, and will be the studio anchor for Sunday night NHL Hometown
    Hockey broadcasts on City. He’ll also host other NHL broadcasts on
    Sportsnet and other Rogers platforms
  • Strombo on his new role: “Hockey is one of my deep-seated passions and
    I’m thrilled to be going full circle, returning to my roots in sports
    broadcasting. It’s a dream for me to work with Ron MacLean and Don
    Cherry    , as well as my old friend Jeff Marek who I started my career
    with. I’m also looking forward to working with Daren Millard and the
    entire team at Rogers.”

Don Cherry, Analyst, Coach’s Corner

  • The legendary Cherry has been captivating Canadian hockey audiences with
    his engaging opinions on Coach’s Corner since 1980. Cherry will
    continue to appear on Coach’s Corner every Saturday on Hockey Night in
    Canada with Ron MacLean
  • Grapes on continuing the Coach’s Corner tradition: “I knew that Rogers
    would never mess with the greatest segment on television. We’re going
    into our 29th season of Coach’s Corner, and we’re stronger than ever!”

Ron MacLean, Host

  • MacLean, with more than 30 years of award-winning experience under his
    belt, will host Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday
    nights, and will be front and centre on Sunday nights, the new night
    for hockey in Canada, hosting Hometown Hockey Community Celebration
  • MacLean will also host Hockey Day in Canada, an important Canadian
    tradition for 14 years
  • MacLean on Coach’s Corner and Hometown Hockey: “I’m thrilled about the
    way Rogers and Hockey Night in Canada intend to recognize the community
    in the new deal. Thirty-five million voices will play a part, and I’m
    simply honoured to be a part of the team. As for Grapes and me – year
    29 is coming up.  For 28 years, Don’s been wired but now he’s
    wireless. What a break.”

Daren Millard, Host

  • Millard has been a member of Sportsnet’s broadcast team since the
    network’s inception in 1998. He will host Wednesday Night Hockey on
    Sportsnet, starting this fall
  • In addition, Millard will continue to host Hockey Central @ Noon,
    Canada’s No. 1 hockey talk radio show on Sportsnet 590 The FAN and
    Sportsnet, as well as Toronto Maple Leafs regional hockey on Sportsnet
  • Millard on his new role: “I’ve been at Sportsnet since day one, and I
    couldn’t be happier to have this new challenge of hosting NHL hockey on
    the national stage. It’s a privilege to work at Rogers and it’s going
    to be a privilege working with the likes of Cherry, MacLean and
    Stroumboulopoulos.”

Jeff Marek, Host

  • Marek has been host of Hockey Central on Sportsnet since 2011, and was
    also the former host of Hockey Night in Canada Radio. He will host
    Thursday Night Hockey on Sportsnet 360, in addition to the weekend
    afternoon NHL pre-game shows on Sportsnet, starting this fall
  • In addition to his NHL responsibilities, Marek will host Friday Night
    Hockey and the Memorial Cup
  • Marek on his new role this October: “Twenty years ago, George and I used
    to sit in the producers’ room at The Fan 590 radio station in Toronto
    and talk about how we had to, one day, work in hockey together. So
    today’s a great day. To share a place in the presentation of the NHL
    with George, Daren, Ron and Don is both humbling and inspiring. And,
    I’m really excited to be part of my first hockey love – junior. The
    CHL, for anyone who knows me, holds a special place.”

In November 2013, Rogers Communications secured a 12-year deal with the
NHL for exclusive national broadcast and multimedia rights in Canada,
beginning with the 2014-15 season.

About Rogers

Rogers is a leading diversified Canadian communications and media
company. We are Canada’s largest provider of wireless voice and data
communications services and one of Canada’s leading providers of cable
television, high-speed Internet and telephony services. Through Rogers
Media we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised
shopping, magazines and trade publications, and sports
entertainment. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange
(TSX:  RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI).

SOURCE Rogers Media