NBC Sports will make history next month as they present an NHL game featuring an all-female crew to broadcast and produce the telecast.
The matchup between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks on NBCSN will take place Mar. 8, marking the first NHL game to be broadcast and produced by women only. Sunday, Mar. 8 is also International Women’s Day which coincides with the historic broadcast.
“We aren’t just bringing women together for the sake of bringing women together,” said Producer Kaitlin Urka, who came up with the idea for an all women crew. “These are professionals who are some of the best at what they do and do these jobs on a regular basis. International Women’s Day just gives us a unique platform to celebrate their great work.”
NBC Sports and Pac-12 Networks play-by-play voice Kate Scott will call the action alongside U.S. Olympic gold medalists Kendall Coyne-Schofield and AJ Mleczko who will provide game analysis. For NBC, Scott regularly contributes play-by-play for Atlantic 10 women’s basketball. Studio coverage of the Blues-Blackhawks game will be hosted by longtime NHL broadcaster Kathryn Tappen, along with three-time Olympic gold medalist Jen Botterill.
“I’ve been broadcasting for 17 years, and yet, the very first broadcast I did with a female producer was just two years ago,” Tappen said in the press release. “The fact that we are celebrating International Women’s Day with an all-female broadcast and production team tells me how far we have come in a very short time. We hope our broadcast will help inspire young women watching to follow their dreams, because we’ve proven that anything is possible, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Rene Hatlelid will produce the broadcast, with Lisa Seltzer working as the director.
“We are proud to recognize International Women’s Day,” Hatlelid added. “These strong, accomplished women do this work day in and day out and I’m honored to be a part of this historic broadcast.”
Studio coverage begins Sunday, Mar. 8 at 7pm ET on NHL Live and will continue with NHL Overtime following the game. NBC also announced their female-empowerment brand On Her Turf will provide additional content featuring women in hockey. The brand will also offer fans behind-the-scenes content through their Instagram handle @OnHerTurf.