NHL & HDNet Announce 2005-06 HDTV Schedule

Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky to make their National TV debut on HDNet

NEW YORK and DALLAS (Sept. 19, 2005) - The National Hockey League (NHL) and HDNet have announced the first two months of their live, high-definition television (HDTV) schedule for the 2005-06 regular season. The 52-game NHL on HDNet schedule begins Opening Night on Wednesday, Oct. 5th at 10 p.m. (ET) featuring Wayne Gretzky’s debut behind the bench as his Phoenix Coyotes take on the Vancouver Canucks.

The first week of the NHL on HDNet also features the intense Central Division rivalry between the St. Louis Blues and the Detroit Red Wings (Thursday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m., ET). The NHL on HDNet will then showcase the much-anticipated national television debut of Pittsburgh's teenage hockey phenomenon, Sidney Crosby, as the Penguins battle the Boston Bruins (Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m., ET).

The NHL adopted new rules this season to create more offensive flow, which will provide more excitement for fans and will further enhance the television viewing experience. In particular, the newly adopted shootout will make certain that every game has a winner.

HDNet, a national high definition telecast partner of the NHL, begins its fourth year of NHL coverage with a Thursday and Saturday schedule. HDNet will update its broadcast schedule bi-monthly so that it will be able to feature the hottest players, teams and match ups.

All NHL on HDNet broadcasts will be original HDNet productions. HDNet NHL game broadcasts are shot exclusively for presentation in the highest-quality 1080i high-definition format, giving viewers all the benefits of a 16:9 aspect ratio and high resolution picture without compromising the image to serve a standard-definition, 4:3 broadcast audience.

“More and more viewers are discovering that hockey in HDTV is an incredible television experience,” said Doug Perlman, Senior Vice President of Television and New Media. “The League's new rules and compelling storylines promise to make the NHL on HDNet can’t-miss programming for hockey fans.” “The NHL is back and we are excited to be part of what is sure to be an incredibly exciting season," said Mark Cuban, co-founder and president of HDNet. "No sport benefits as much from HDTV as hockey, and no one does HD better than HDNet.”

The live broadcast schedule through November 26th, 2005 is listed below (all times are Eastern). A complete schedule of programming, including encore presentations and additional games, as scheduled, is available at www.hd.net or at www.nhl.com.

About the NHL
The National Hockey League, founded November 22, 1917, is the second oldest of the four major team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs based in the United States and Canada, entertaining more than 100 million fans each season through attendance and broadcasting. Research indicates that NHL fans are some of the most tech savvy, educated and affluent in professional sports. The NHL has one of the most diverse player demographics with more than 33 percent of NHL players hailing from outside North America from 22 different countries. Through the NHL Foundation, the League's charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer, Hockey's All-Star Kids and NHL Diversity, and supports the charitable efforts of all NHL players. NHL and Stanley Cup are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. For more information on the NHL, fans may log on to NHL.com.

About HDNet
HDNet provides viewers with exciting and topical news, sports, music and entertainment programming. The network features up to 20 hours of original programming each week, all produced in the highest quality 1080i HDTV format - more original high-definition programming than any other network. HDNet news and entertainment includes original series "HDNet World Report," "Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone," "Art Mann Presents," "HDNet Concert Series," and "True Music," as well as every episode of the acclaimed Warner Bros. series "Smallville." Live sports productions include National Hockey League and Major League Soccer games and NASCAR auto racing. HDNet Movies, the company's second network, features a wide selection of major studios' theatrical releases - all uncut, unedited, and appearing in their original aspect ratio Ð as well as features produced and finished in true 1080i high-definition. Co-founded by Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on Adelphia, Charter, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit www.hd.net.

Contacts:
Colette Carey, HDNet (303) 542-5576 - ccarey@hd.net
Jamey Horan, NHL (212) 789-2785 - jhoran@nhl.com