Sportsnet, NBC make history with all-female broadcast crews
The national NHL rights holders in both Canada and the United States celebrated International Women's Day on Sunday by featuring broadcast teams comprised entirely of female talent.
Play-by-play voice Leah Hextall, color commentator Cassie Campbell-Pascall, and reporter Christine Simpson worked the Vegas Golden Knights-Calgary Flames game for Sportsnet. They were members of the first all-female lineup - including the broadcast team and the production crew - to present an NHL game, according to Hextall.
Hextall emphatically called Tomas Nosek's opening goal.
On NBC, play-by-play voice Kate Scott called the St. Louis Blues-Chicago Blackhawks game alongside color commentators Kendall Coyne Schofield and AJ Mleczko, marking the first NHL game to be broadcast and produced solely by women in the U.S.
Here's Scott's call of Robert Bortuzzo's opening marker for the Blues:
Both broadcasts were produced by all-female teams. A total of 28 women worked Sportsnet's coverage, either on camera or behind the scenes, while a similar number served as members of NBC's crew.
NBC's telecast also featured studio coverage from Kathryn Tappen and Jennifer Botterill.
HEADLINES
- Penguins send Eller back to Capitals for draft picks
- 2025 HHOF preview: Examining loaded list of 1st-year eligible players
- Draisaitl marvels at McDavid's 'mind-blowing' chase for 1,000 points
- The NCAA is lifting its longtime ban on major-junior players - now what?
- NHL deputy commissioner reminds GMs of tampering rules