With so many hockey games playing in one day, fans can find it challenging to catch all their favorite games, especially those played outside local listings. ESPN is invoking the fast coverage style of the NFL’s Redzone with Frozen Frenzy featuring quick highlights from NHL games.
Frozen Frenzy will stream on ESPN+ starting at 7:00 p.m. ET and broadcast on ESPN2 at 8:00 p.m. Much like Redzone, the NHL whip-around show will feature the top moments as 32 teams face off on October 24, as posted by Front Office Sports on X. ESPN will air the Maple Leafs vs. Caps game as well as the Bruins vs. the Blackhawks and the Flyers vs. the Knights.
NHL commentator John Buccigross is hosting the event, switching between games so audiences can catch every goal, every “power play,” and every hit. Watching 16 games in one day is no easy feat, and Buccigross aims to give hockey fans a look at all the must-see moments condensed into an hour-long show.
During the 2023-24 NHL Opening Night Preview media conference call last Tuesday, executives said putting this show together took a lot of preparation and planning across the league and the network.
“We worked all summer long to figure this out with our programming team and with the league,” said Linda Schulz, coordinating producer at ESPN. “All 32 teams will play that night. They will play on a staggered puck drop every 15 minutes, so at some point during the night, there will be upwards of 11 games going on.”
ESPN was not available for comment on whether Frozen Frenzy will be a one-off experiment or a continued series offering hockey fans a condensed version of a day’s worth of games. If it scores well with audiences, ESPN could consider making it a regular fixture on the network.