STAMFORD, Conn. – – Hockey heads north to the upper peninsula of Michigan tomorrow night on NBCSN at 7 p.m. ET for the second iteration of Kraft Hockeyville USA, when the Buffalo Sabres face off against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lakeview Arena in Marquette, Mich.
NBCSN’s comprehensive Kraft Hockeyville USA coverage will celebrate hockey’s rich history in Marquette and the upper peninsula of Michigan. Marquette was one of more than 1,000 communities which submitted stories about the passion of hockey in their towns and finished ahead of runner-up Rapid City, S.D. (Rushmore Thunderdome), in an online vote.
Lakeview Arena received $150,000 dollars in arena upgrades for being named Kraft Hockeyville USA. The arena opened in 1973 and was home to the Marquette Iron Rangers of the United States Hockey League. The Iron Rangers were the first North American professional team to sign a female player, Karen Koch, in 1969. Marquette is also home to Northern Michigan University, which won the NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Championship in 1991.
Many current and former NHL players have ties to Marquette and the upper peninsula of Michigan, including Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis, who grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, about 165 miles east of Marquette.
Four-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick will call the action from Lakeview Arena, alongside Emmy Award-winning Inside-the-Glass analyst Pierre McGuire and analyst Jeremy Roenick. Host Liam McHugh and Roenick will anchor studio and intermission coverage on-site.
Immediately following Kraft Hockeyville USA from Marquette, NBCSN will air a special NHL season preview show at 9:30 p.m. ET, hosted by Kathryn Tappen alongside analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones. The program will examine will include a comprehensive breakdown of the Eastern and Western Conferences and dive into key topics heading into the 2016-17 campaign, including:
Do Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins have what it takes to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions?
Who came out ahead on the blockbuster trade between the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators of star defensemen P.K. Subban and Shea Weber?
Do veteran forwards Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have enough left to make one more Stanley Cup run in San Jose?
Did the Edmonton Oilers get enough in return for their trade of Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils?
ABOUT KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE USA
This is the second year of Kraft Hockeyville USA. Johnstown, Pa., won the inaugural title in 2015 and Cambria County War Memorial Arena hosted a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning. This is the second season of the Kraft Hockeyville USA campaign, whose mission is to help build better hockey communities across the country.
