It’s officially hockey madness time, y’all! The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs just pulled up with a whole bag of chaos, and honestly? This bracket is STACKED. No clear-cut king of the hill here—just a pack of heavy hitters ready to brawl. From the East to the West, we’ve got contenders on every corner, and it’s anyone’s game. That Dallas-Colorado series? Straight-up spicy. Mikko Rantanen squaring off with his old crew? The drama writes itself. And over in the East, Ovi’s still cooking, the Canadian squads are out here trying to reclaim glory, and Carolina’s creeping in with top-tier odds right behind the Panthers.
But just as fans are gearing up for these fire matchups, here comes TNT with the oopsie of the year. Their playoff coverage plans? Yeah, let’s just say it’s got folks raising eyebrows harder than a missed high stick. The decision’s already being clowned as “unacceptable,” and people are legit worried about how this might mess with viewership.
Braylon Breeze, the go-to guy for hockey tea—whether it’s ratings, schedules, media chaos, or anything that makes the rink spin—just lit up the internet with a lil’ reality check. On April 19th, he hopped on X and didn’t hold back about TNT’s playoff broadcast blunder.
“A Saturday primetime opening game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is being called remotely from a studio in Atlanta — with odd camera shots and pretty abysmal crowd audio. It’s unacceptable and clearly a bad look for the league, to say the least.” Yup… that’s the quote, and honestly? The vibes were off.
A Saturday primetime opening game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is being called remotely from a studio in Atlanta — with odd camera shots and pretty abysmal crowd audio. It’s unacceptable and clearly a bad look for the league, to say the least.
— Braylon Breeze (@Braylon_Breeze) April 19, 2025
Okay so yeah, hockey viewership on TNT lately? Kinda mid. Like back in Feb, Ryan Hana from @WingedWheelPod jumped on X and basically said trying to watch hockey feels like a riddle wrapped in a blackout wrapped in a subscription mess. He posted, “You need about a half-dozen different services/subscriptions to watch NHL games, & even then you’re blacked out randomly or there’s some random switch to a different network that you can only access if you answer these riddles three.” Then dropped the line that had fans nodding like crazy—“Best sport in the world and nobody can watch.” Yup, pain.
But hey, TNT did have their moment. When Ovi broke the all-time goal record against the Islanders? Boom—1.3 million tuned in. It even became the most-watched non-Winter Classic regular season game ever on their network. Still, fans are side-eyeing the mess. But maybe, just maybe, some legendary names joining the broadcast team could save the vibe a bit.
Legendary hockey names set to join the broadcasting crew?
When someone says “Battle of Ontario, Battle of Florida, Battle of Rantanen, Battle of Oilers/Kings…” don’t panic, these ain’t history class terms from some dusty old war journal. Nah, we’re talking straight-up hockey warfare—fought on blades, not boots, and definitely not for land. April 19 is when it all kicks off again, and it’s that sacred time when generations of die-hard fans drop everything, paint their faces, and pledge allegiance to their squad. Whether they’re screaming from the nosebleeds or glued to the screen with snacks in hand, it’s a whole spiritual experience. And what makes it even better? When hockey royalty steps in to break things down like they’re giving out golden secrets.
Now, the NHLonTNT crew? Yeah, they knew exactly how to stir the pot. On April 16, they slid into X with the perfect teaser: “The Stanley Cup Playoffs start SATURDAY on TNT. The boys are ready.” And oh boy, when they say “the boys,” they really mean the boys. We’re talking Wayne Gretzky—‘The Great One’ himself—joining the party. This man’s stat sheet looks like a video game cheat code: 215 points in a season, 9-time Hart Trophy winner, and a legend so legendary that the NHL basically bows at his skates. He’s been on TNT before, but now he’s back, blessing us with wisdom and icy insights from Day 1 of the playoffs.
And he’s not rolling solo. The one and only Paul Bissonnette—aka ‘BizNasty’—is sliding back in too, ready to mix elite hockey IQ with vibes and chaos. Then comes Henrik Lundqvist, the goalie king whose jersey literally hangs from the rafters in Madison Square Garden. He’s back again, cool as ever, ready to dissect plays like a surgeon in goalie pads. And let’s not forget Anson Carter, the former winger turned seasoned analyst who’s got that full-circle knowledge after more than a decade on ice and in studios. All this magic’s getting stitched together by the one and only Liam McHugh, the guy who keeps the broadcast flowing smooth like a perfect power play. So yeah, from April 19 onward, this squad’s got us covered.
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