The Bridgestone Winter Classic may be a distant memory for the fans who went to Yankee Stadium last year, but the run-up to this year’s game at Nationals Park, “The Road to The Winter Classic,” looks like it has a strong amount of ties to New York hockey fans. The show began Tuesday on EPIX (and is available for free on sites like NHL.com and EPIX.com) and will run every Tuesday at 10 p.m. until after the historic game between the Capitals and the Blackhawks takes place on New Year’s Day on NBC at 1 p.m.
Westchester resident Ross Greenburg is back at the helm of the series he helped create at HBO, now producing the show for EPIX and the NHL. Rangers fans will also get plenty of Brad Richards, as the recent father and senior leader of the Blackhawks is a prominent face in several of the upcoming episodes. Original New Jersey Devil, now legendary Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville, is another key figure in the series as well.
Also as part of the added value for the shows this year, EPIX has worked with another New York TV production icon, former head of MSG Networks Mike McCarthy, to create some extensive added value pieces for fans online. McCarthy, now at The Legacy Agency, has built pieces around the uberfans of Washington and Chicago and has two which will appeal to Devils and New York area hockey fans, profiling longtime Devils now NHL on NBC announcer Mike “Doc” Emrick, who will call the New Year’s Day game once again.
As for the series itself, episode one delivered a host of topics, from Jonathan Toews concussion story to Caps’ coach Barry Trotz taking his family on an unexpected trip to the Washington Zoo. It all had the look, the feel and the grittiness that Greenburg created, with much more to come as the shows play out.
“The all access and the personalities are really going to make this show special for any sports fan, and when you have guys like Brad willing to participate, it makes it even more impressive,” Greenburg added. “We think we are going back to the core of what the show was originally about, amazing storytelling, and whether you follow the Rangers, the Devils, or the Caps, we think you will enjoy what we are doing.”
For all the details and the free access, visit epixhd.com.