Bruins Legends Explain Why They Signed On For Alternate Telecast

WATERTOWN, Mass. — There’s a simple reason why Boston Bruins legends Patrice Bergeron and Tuukka Rask signed on to host NESN’s “Unobstructed Views” with Andrew Raycroft — they get to watch and talk about hockey together.

Bergeron, Rask and Raycroft sat down with NESN.com Thursday ahead of their first show to discuss their opportunity to build something great outside the rink.

“Truthfully, it’s because of these two guys,” Bergeron said. “We have a relationship and a friendship, and I thought it would be fun to do that with them, and it’s also an experience. I think you can’t say you don’t like something if you don’t try it, right? So, that’s kind of the way that I approach it. I’m here to have some fun.”

“Yeah, definitely, same for me,” Rask added. “We know each other, we can feed off each other pretty easily in the studio and then it’s so local, so it’s a no-brainer for me. I can drive here (to the NESN studio) in five minutes.”

Raycroft joined NESN in 2018 as an in-studio analyst for Bruins broadcasts. He said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share the couch with Bergeron and Rask.

“It’s an easy one for me. To be able to sit on the couch and do something different, it’s going to be fun,” Raycroft said. “I think we can offer a lot that you can’t do in a normal game, in a normal structure of play-by-play and intermission. … Now we get time to kind of chat and bring a different insight. For me, to hang out with these guys, it’s a no-brainer.”

The ability to have a conversation about Bruins games they are watching is also unique to the alternate telecast because they are not on a time crunch to move quickly to the next play during their discussions.

“It’s that free-flowing, being able to share your ideas and what you’re seeing,” Bergeron said. “But, you also don’t have to be stuck with what’s happening. You can share stories and it could be teaching moments. I think that’s kind of cool to have that broad repertoire where you can actually dig into and find and have fun with. That’s what’s appealing to me, and I think it could be appealing to people watching.”

“We’ve watched some games together here and there, and it’s like you see things that are happening on the ice and you would like to share that insight with a bigger audience,” Rask added. “Now, we have that platform. Whether it’s a face-off play or it’s some kind of save or play that the goalie makes, and we see it differently than a regular viewer would see, we can kind of share that insight and it’s appealing to me. And this is the perfect platform to do that.”

Raycroft splits his time at NESN between being a Bruins in-studio analyst and a rinkside reporter. When he is doing the latter, his thoughts on the game are often unheard because he has no one to share them with.

“There’s a lot of times in games where I’m watching on the glass by myself and you can’t really talk about it,” Raycroft explained. “Even if I do explain it, it’s just my viewer opinion. Where, with this, I’ll have that opinion and view still, but I also know these two guys are going to be on a similar page and maybe explain it just a little bit better, a little bit differently, than I would. We’ll be in the same ballpark where we can get even more information to people, viewers watching.”

This innovative Bruins telecast is part of NESN’s ongoing efforts to redefine the live viewing experience. The show will also integrate fan engagement through social media interaction, with live comments displayed on a digital social media wall inside the studio.