Perhaps we now know what the NHL’s major press announcement in Philadelphia was really about. It was the debut of Barry Melrose as an analyst on NHL Network. During the worst kept secret in hockey, the formal announcement of the 2012 Winter Classic, Melrose made his first appearance on the network with Kathryn Tappen as the host and Kevin Weekes as an analyst during NHLN’s coverage of the Winter Classic announcement. While Melrose will become an analyst for the network during major league events, he will continue to work for ESPN.
In another TV tidbit from the Winter Classic announcement, HBO’s Winter Classic 24/7 will return on December 14, with episodes premiering on the next four Wednesday nights after that.
The Paranoid Puck 