BOSTON, Mass. — NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, will deliver exclusive and enhanced local coverage of 71 Boston Bruins games during the 2013-14 season beginning with the season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Oct. 3. The network will enhance its Bruins pregame, game, and post-game coverage, expand the role of analyst Billy Jaffe, add new rink-side reporter Jamie Erdahl, and feature the launch of NESN’s new mobile broadcast truck.
“Nothing is quite like the excitement of Bruins hockey and the passion of Bruins fans. We plan to feed that enthusiasm this season by aggressively expanding and enhancing our coverage, which will be the most comprehensive in the network’s history,” said Sean McGrail, NESN’s President and CEO.
“We are excited to bring Bruins fans unprecedented coverage of the team utilizing a custom-built, television production truck, top-level HD cameras, a super slo-mo unit, additional replay angles, interactive components for viewers, and several NESN talent expanding their roles covering the team,” said Joseph Maar, NESN’s vice president of programming & production/executive producer.
NESN’s Play-by-Play TeamÂ
The popular broadcast duo of Jack Edwards (@RealJackEdwards) and Andy Brickley (@AndyBrickley) will be back in the NESN booth for their 9th season together. Both Edwards and Brickley will also continue as regular panelists on The Instigators, NESN’s weekly NHL issues and debate show, and as regular contributors to NESN Sports Today. Brickley will add on-ice demonstrations of Bruins techniques and NHL strategies.
New Rink-Side Reporter Named    Â
NESN Sports Today anchor/reporter and sideline reporter Jamie Erdahl (@JamieErdahl) will be the network’s new Bruins rink-side reporter. She will join Edwards and Brickley as part of NESN’s Bruins broadcast team providing in-game updates and pre-game, intermission and post-game interviews. Erdahl will continue to contribute year-round as an anchor/reporter for NESN Sports Today and as a fill-in sideline reporter on Red Sox game telecasts.
“Jamie has proven to be a great addition to our team of reporters at NESN. She displays a great work ethic, employs strong research skills and has demonstrated her ability to connect with viewers and players alike. Having grown up in a region passionate about hockey, we’re certain Jamie will connect with Bruins fans as well,” said Joseph Maar.
Erdahl, a Minnesota native, joined NESN last November as an anchor and reporter. In addition to anchoring NESN Sports Today, she has reported on the Bruins, Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots for NESN Sports Today and has filled in for Jenny Dell as the Red Sox sideline reporter numerous times this season. Erdahl came to NESN after working as a freelance reporter at FOX Sports North where she served as a sideline reporter on WNBA telecasts.
NESN’s Bruins Pre and Post-game Team
Dale Arnold (@DaleEArnold) will return for his third season as host of NESN’s Bruins pre-game, intermission and post-game programs. Arnold will also contribute to expanded Bruins coverage on NESN Sports Today.
Billy Jaffe (@BJaffe) will join Arnold on pre-game, intermission and post-game for at least fifty (50) games this season. His significantly increased role also includes hosting two dozen episodes of The Instigators, working on the network’s Hockey East coverage, and serving as a regular contributor on Big Bad Bruins LIVE and NESN Sports Today. Jaffe will be moving to the Boston area to expand his Bruins on-air work and will continue to serve as a studio analyst for Rogers Sportsnet in Toronto.
For the past few seasons, in addition to working at NESN, Jaffe had served as a hockey analyst/reporter for The NHL Network and MSG Network’s Hockey Night Live Show. His NHL portfolio also includes four years as a game analyst for MSG Network’s New York Islanders broadcasts and as a rink-side reporter and game analyst for national telecasts on Versus.
Long-time studio analysts Barry Pederson and Gord Kluzak will also return to NESN’s pre-game, intermission and post-game coverage this season.
NESN’s Back in Black and Gold Tour
To kick off the 2013-14 season, NESN’s Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley and Jamie Erdahl will take a 4-day, 5-city tour of New England beginning next Monday, September 16. The tour will be highlighted by free public events in Providence, RI; Hartford, CT; Portland, ME; and Portsmouth, NH.
