Nobody can accuse the NHL of hiding from the competition.
NBC has announced its schedule for the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, which features two Friday night games and two games opposite the NBA Finals.
Games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals are set to air on the same nights as Games 5 and 6 of the NBA Finals. A potential Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals is scheduled for Sunday, June 14 at 5 PM ET on NBC. That night, ABC will air a potential Game 5 of the NBA Finals at 8 PM ET.
A more direct head-to-head showdown may take place two nights later. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16 at 8 PM on NBC. If there is a Game 7, it will air directly opposite a potential Game 6 of the NBA Finals on ABC (9 PM ET).
For the first time, there is the possibility that the two biggest championship events of the early summer could air head-to-head. This could be disastrous — what if the Celtics and Bruins, who share TD BankNorth Garden, both advance to their respective championship rounds?
The Stanley Cup Finals will begin on Friday, June 5 on NBC, a departure from previous years when the series began on a Saturday or Monday night. Surprisingly, Game 2 of the series will air the very next night, Saturday, June 6, also on NBC. Game 5, if necessary, will air on Friday, June 12.
The rather bizarre schedule can likely be attributed to NBC reshuffling its schedule around Conan O’Brien’s June 1 debut as the host of The Tonight Show. Because of O’Brien’s debut, NBC is pushing back the season finales of its prime time shows to the first week in June.
