Home Ice
Encyclopedia
NHL Home Ice is XM Satellite Radio
's talk channel dedicated to the sport of hockey
, and more so the National Hockey League
. It features hockey talk during the day and play-by-play at night. It is currently the only Canadian produced satellite radio channel that is available to both subscribers of XM and Sirius Radio in the United States. The Director of Programming
on NHL Home Ice is Joe Thistel, while daily on-air contributors includes Phil Esposito, Scott Laughlin, Mike Ross, Boomer Gordon, Jamie Shalley, Peter Berce and Gary Green.
Home Ice began in November 2005 as XM Radio Canada
launched its line of channels on the XM platform. Home Ice actually began on the XM Satellite Radio United States platform before the official launch of XM Radio Canada. It was the first full-time channel launched by XM Radio Canada. Due to a licensing agreement with Sirius, XM was not permitted to use the NHL logo yet, and instead created their own logo for the NHL package. Home Ice was a part of XM's NHL hockey package, as they dedicated 5 other channels for game play-by-play. This enabled XM to air the large majority of NHL games. It is believed that no Canadian team missed a broadcast ever. In addition, French language
channel Radio Parallèle is also the home for French play-by-play of the Montreal Canadiens
and Ottawa Senators
.
Home Ice concluded its first season on the air on the morning of June 20, 2006 when the Carolina Hurricanes
won the Stanley Cup
. Gametime aftermath show Ice Cap had an extended show to take calls from fans.
Home Ice continued on Channel 204 through the 2006-2007 season.
As of 2008-07-15 NHL Home Ice is now offered as part of XM Radio Online.
Following the Sirius / XM merger, NHL Home Ice was added to Sirius on 2008-09-30 as part of its "Best of XM" package and broadcasts on channel 208. Despite the channel being programmed by XM Canada, and counting towards CanCon regulations on satellite radio, the channel is not available to Canadians as their satellite counterparts are still two separate entities.
On 2009-11-16 Home Ice's afternoon show, Power Play, began simulcasting video live on the NHL Network, joining NHL Live, which on 2008-3-17 became the first satellite radio program to be simulcast in high definition
.
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
's talk channel dedicated to the sport of hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, and more so the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. It features hockey talk during the day and play-by-play at night. It is currently the only Canadian produced satellite radio channel that is available to both subscribers of XM and Sirius Radio in the United States. The Director of Programming
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
on NHL Home Ice is Joe Thistel, while daily on-air contributors includes Phil Esposito, Scott Laughlin, Mike Ross, Boomer Gordon, Jamie Shalley, Peter Berce and Gary Green.
Home Ice (2005-2007)
XM Radio Canada
XM Radio Canada was the operating name of Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. , a Canadian communications and media company, which was incorporated in 2002 to broadcast satellite radio in Canada...
launched its line of channels on the XM platform. Home Ice actually began on the XM Satellite Radio United States platform before the official launch of XM Radio Canada. It was the first full-time channel launched by XM Radio Canada. Due to a licensing agreement with Sirius, XM was not permitted to use the NHL logo yet, and instead created their own logo for the NHL package. Home Ice was a part of XM's NHL hockey package, as they dedicated 5 other channels for game play-by-play. This enabled XM to air the large majority of NHL games. It is believed that no Canadian team missed a broadcast ever. In addition, French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
channel Radio Parallèle is also the home for French play-by-play of the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
and Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Home Ice concluded its first season on the air on the morning of June 20, 2006 when the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. Gametime aftermath show Ice Cap had an extended show to take calls from fans.
Home Ice continued on Channel 204 through the 2006-2007 season.
NHL Home Ice (2007-)
On 2007-07-01, XM became the exclusive satellite radio home of the NHL. As the exclusive satellite radio partner of the NHL, XM officially rebranded the Home Ice channel to NHL Home Ice. In addition to that, beginning with the 2007-08 NHL season, XM now carries the play-by-play of every regular season and playoff game.As of 2008-07-15 NHL Home Ice is now offered as part of XM Radio Online.
Following the Sirius / XM merger, NHL Home Ice was added to Sirius on 2008-09-30 as part of its "Best of XM" package and broadcasts on channel 208. Despite the channel being programmed by XM Canada, and counting towards CanCon regulations on satellite radio, the channel is not available to Canadians as their satellite counterparts are still two separate entities.
On 2009-11-16 Home Ice's afternoon show, Power Play, began simulcasting video live on the NHL Network, joining NHL Live, which on 2008-3-17 became the first satellite radio program to be simulcast in high definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
.
External links
- XM Home Ice
- NHL Home Ice (Sirius Page)
- NHL Home Ice
- NHL Home Ice Lineup - Printable PDF grid featuring the complete NHL Home Ice lineup.