ESPN has edited a column by SportsCenter anchor and hockey writer John Buccigross to no longer include a reference to a potential reunion between the network and the National Hockey League.
Buccigross, writing the season debut of his weekly hockey column, speculated that ESPN would gain the rights to air National Hockey League games for the first time since 2004.
“NHL players want it, the NHL wants it and ESPN wants it,” Buccigross wrote, “NBC and Versus somewhat holds the cards however, so we will have to wait and see; but my guess is yes. ESPN will have a piece of the pie.”
That entire portion of the article has now been omitted. Earlier this summer, John Ourand and Tripp Mickle of The Sports Business Journal reported that NHL and ESPN officials were in preliminary discussions to air NHL games on ESPN2 “as soon as the 2008-09 season.”
Related: “Buccigross: “ESPN wants” return to NHL.“
Link to edited ESPN article found via USA Today Sports Scope.
