True North, Jets, & TSN Enter 10-Year Broadcast Deal

According to the National Post, True North Sports & Entertainment, the Winnipeg Jets hockey club, and TSN have agreed upon a 10-year broadcast deal.

TSN will have the regional TV broadcast rights for the Jets while Sports Radio 1290 will have the regional radio broadcast rights.

In addition, TSN plans to launch a specialty channel called TSN Jets, set to launch on September 20th.

With TSN Jets, sixty regional regular season games will be broadcast to viewers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwestern Ontario, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories.

As well, the Jets announced that former Moose play-by-play announcer Brian Munz, formerly of CJOB, will be the voice of the Moose on Sports Radio 1290 while Dennis Beyak, former play-by-play voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will do the play-by-play for TSN.

In addition to Munz and Beyak, two former NHLers, Stanley Cup champions, and Manitoba natives Shane Hnidy and Brian Engblom will join the TSN play-by-play staff as colour commentators.

Talking in a press release, President & CEO of True North Jim Ludlow expressed his feelings of the newly minted deal. “True North Sports & Entertainment and the Winnipeg Jets are ecstatic to have entered into this agreement with Bell Media. It is a landmark agreement for broadcasting and professional hockey in Winnipeg.”

“The 10-year term demonstrates TSN’s long-term commitment to Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Jets. We are also excited about the prospects for the future of Sports Radio 1290 and we are confident they will carry forward what has been a tradition of outstanding radio coverage of hockey here in Winnipeg.” (National Post, 8/31/11)

Jets Get Short End of Stick With TSN National Broadcasting; Getting More National Coverage on CBC

After signing in on an agreement that would have TSN be the broadcaster of Jets back in Winnipeg, TSN has announced their TV schedule and have alot of Canadian content.

However, TSN is only going to be broadcasting five Jets games this season.

Compare that to seven Toronto games, 15 Montreal games, and 10 Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver games.

In those five games on TSN, the Jets face the Chicago Blackhawks on October 13th, the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 19th, the Montreal Canadiens on January 4th, the Boston Bruins on February 17th, and the New York Rangers on March 28th.

Though local Winnipeg radio station SportsRadio 1290 will be carrying all the Jets games via radio (with a play-by-play announcer still in the works), TSN did not deliver through with Jets games as possibly figured.

However, CBC picked up the tab and are broadcasting 21 Jets games, mostly on Saturday night's Hockey Night In Canada, including the home opener between the Montreal Canadiens and Jets and their Sunday, February 5th meeting in Montreal.

The Jets will also make an appearance on Versus Monday, February 5th when they host the Buffalo Sabres and on the US NHL Network for their home opener and again on Saturday, February 11th when they visit Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins as part of Hockey Day In Canada.

No Zherdev After All

A quiet week so far until TSN.ca reported Nikolai Zherdev will be playing in the KHL next season.

According to TSN.ca Russian sports website Sport Express reported that Zherdev signed with Atlant Mytischi of the KHL.

Curt Keilback Rumoured To Make Move Back To Broadcast Booth

Former Winnipeg Jets play-by-play man Curt Keilback may be back on the air this season as the Jets commentator.

Keilback followed the former Jets to Phoenix in 1996 and was their play-by-play commentator through to the 2007-08 season.

This past season he called 25 Manitoba Junior Hockey League games for NCI-FM.

"I would like to be involved," Keilback told the Winnipeg Free Press.

"Given my druthers, I'd certainly rather do play-by-play, but if it meant being involved in a different capacity, that would certainly be of interest to me."

Keilback did play-by-play and colour commentary for Jets' radio and television broadcasts for 17 years.

He also was a fill-in doing Buffalo Sabres games from Calgary and Edmonton when the regular announcer was unable to make it.

According to the Free Press, Keilback has been in contact with Sports Radio 1290, which will broadcast the games this season, as well as True North Sports & Entertainment, the team's owner.

Jets and TSN reach broadcasting agreement

Jets ownership and TSN have reached, in principle, a broadcast agreement that would see local station SportsRadio 1290 broadcast games via radio instead of CJOB 680.

CJOB had been broadcasting Manitoba Moose games for the past 15 years and the Jets before they left for Phoenix. According to the Winnipeg Free Press' Ed Tait, CJOB had set a very lucrative deal on the table but it was turned down.

However, True North's decision to break ties with CJOB came down to TSN, which is owned by Bell Media, being able to broadcast games both on the radio and on television.

TSN reporting Jets divisional move in 2012

TSN.ca is reporting that the Jets may move to the Western Conference's Central Division versus the very popular Northwest Division.

According to the Grand Rapids Press, the Jets would be playing in the Central with the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, and possibly the Columbus Blue Jackets.

GM Cheveldayoff on TSN

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will be on TSN1050 radio this morning at 10 am with Bryan Hayes.