Before the fireworks fly on Canada Day, TSN2 celebrates the NHL’s free agency period with the fifth annual FREE AGENT FRENZY special. Coverage on TSN2 begins Friday, July 1 at 12 noon ET. Fans can also follow all the moves and rumors from one of the league’s most exciting days live on TSN.ca.
FREE AGENT FRENZY debuted on TSN in 2006 and has since become a Canada Day tradition for hockey fans across the country. For U.S. fans below the border, TSN2’s FREE AGENT FRENZY coverage will be carried live on the NHL Network.
Hosted by James Duthie, FREE AGENT FRENZY features two panels comprised of TSN’s team of hockey experts as well as correspondents filing reports on the day’s activities from each Canadian NHL city.
FREE AGENT FRENZY will integrate social media into its coverage with active involvement from NHL players and fans featured during the live broadcast. Viewers can share their thoughts through the TSN Facebook fan page and join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #TSN.
TSN Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger are joined by Gord Miller at the ‘Free Agent Signing Desk’ to bring viewers breaking news on NHL deals. Duthie is joined by TSN hockey analysts Pierre McGuire, Darren Pang and Mike Johnson on the ‘Instant Analysis Panel’ while Steve Kouleas hosts a panel with former NHL GM Craig Button and former player Michael Peca delivering opinions on all the day’s developments. Duthie will also conduct live interviews with players and GMs from around the league, providing viewers with instant reaction from the deal-makers and players involved.
Dave Hodge will be joined in-studio by a panel from his Sunday morning show, TSN THE REPORTERS WITH DAVE HODGE, featuring Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons, TSN’s Dave Naylor and Globe and Mail columnist Eric Duhatschek providing additional opinions and analysis on the day’s activities.
TSN.ca augments the live television coverage with live streaming of FREE AGENT FRENZY. Canada’s industry-leading sports website will also feature a live blog that allows fans to watch and interact with each other, a comprehensive list of all available free agents and a Free Agent Tracker that will follow all of the signings.
TSN Radio 1050 will be providing live radio coverage of FREE AGENT FRENZY with breaking news and expert analysis throughout the day to listeners in the GTA and across the country via online streaming.
On TSN, viewers will be kept up-to-date on the latest NHL free agency activity with regular SPORTSCENTRE updates throughout a busy day of broadcasting that includes live coverage of the men’s semifinals from WIMBLEDON at 7 a.m. ET and the CFL ON TSN doubleheader featuring Winnipeg @ Hamilton at 6 p.m. ET followed by Toronto @ Calgary at 9 p.m. ET.
Holly Horton anchors TSN’s special one-hour edition of SPORTSCENTRE at 5 p.m. ET, re-capping all of the day’s events with extensive reports and reaction from around the NHL. During the July 1 edition of SPORTSCENTRE, TSN will announce the 20 communities in the Kraft Celebration Tour who will go head-to-head in an intense 10-days of online voting in which Canada will decide the 10 winning tour stops.
