Hockey Central
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Hockey Central is a brand of NHL hockey-related programming on Rogers Sportsnet and The Fan 590. The current Hockey Central products are Hockey Central, a recurring segment during broadcasts of Sportsnet Connected, Hockey Central Saturday, an hour long program appearing on Sportsnet highlighting top stories of the week with a major focus on Canadian teams, and Hockey Central at Noon, an hour long program simulcast on Sportsnet and The Fan 590.
The typical format of Hockey Central's segments during Sportsnet Connected and the Saturday show is a four-person panel of former NHL players, coaches, and GMs alongside hockey reporters and broadcasters. The members of the panel vary from day to day, but are usually from the same small pool of regulars. The show is known for (and often promotes) its sometimes fiery debates between Bill Watters and Nick Kypreos.
In the summer of 2006, host Darren Dreger left Rogers Sportsnet to join TSN. Daren Millard is the current host of both the Hockey Central at Noon edition and most of the Hockey Central segments appearing on Rogers Sportsnet. Those segments not hosted by Millard are hosted by Rob Faulds.
[edit] Hockey Central at Noon
Hockey Central at Noon is hosted by Daren Millard and features either Nick Kypreos or Bill Berg as co-host. It broadcasts on The Fan 590 and simulcasts on Rogers Sportsnet Ontario each weekday, the television broadcast simply being multiple angle shots of the hosts in the radio studio, similar to Prime Time Sports. Daren Millard's personality is noticeably more casual in the Hockey Central at Noon show in comparison to the TV-only shows, as he often makes jabs at his co-hosts' NHL careers. When Millard is unable to host Hockey Central at Noon, Doug Farraway serves as fill-in host. During the summer (from mid-June until September), Farraway takes over the hosting duties from Millard, with Howard Berger serving as fill-in for Farraway. It is also during this time period that Hockey Central at Noon is broadcast on the Fan 590 without a Rogers Sportsnet Ontario simulcast.
[edit] Personalities
- Nick Kypreos
- Gord Stellick
- Bill Watters
- Christine Simpson
- Daren Millard
- John Garrett
- Mike Brophy
- Rob Faulds
- Bill Berg (Hockey Central at Noon only)
- Doug Farraway (Hockey Central at Noon only)
- Howard Berger (Hockey Central at Noon only)
- Pierre LeBrun