- Sean McDonough, Mike Monaco and Bob Wischusen headline ESPN’s play-by-play group for 2026-27
- Steve Levy, Mark Messier and P.K. Subban return as the studio crew for a sixth season
- Read below for the full 18-name lineup and the opening night assignments
ESPN locked in its broadcast crew for the 2026-27 NHL season on Tuesday, a week out from opening night.
Sean McDonough, Mike Monaco and Bob Wischusen headline the play-by-play group and will handle the network’s marquee windows. Ray Ferraro stays on as the analyst next to them, with Emily Kaplan back as NHL insider and reporter for the biggest matchups and the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Here’s the full 18-name group ESPN put out:
The studio show does not change. Steve Levy hosts a sixth season alongside Mark Messier and P.K. Subban, and Levy is now in his 34th year at the company.
Two more names signed new deals. Erik Johnson and T.J. Oshie both made their ESPN debuts last season and are back in expanded analyst roles across the regular season and the playoffs.
Oshie joined the network last October, a few months after back problems ended his 16-season, 1,010-game career. Check out ESPN’s announcement from then:
Every name and role, according to the network’s release:
- Play-by-play: Roxy Bernstein, John Buccigross, Steve Levy, Sean McDonough, Mike Monaco, Bob Wischusen
- Analysts: Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Ray Ferraro, Erik Johnson, Mark Messier, A.J. Mleczko, T.J. Oshie, P.K. Subban, Kevin Weekes
- Reporters: Stormy Buonantony, Leah Hextall, Emily Kaplan
- Rules analyst: Dave Jackson
Those crews get to work Sept. 29 with an opening night tripleheader. Wischusen, Johnson and Hextall have the Panthers in Carolina at 5 p.m. ET, right after the Hurricanes raise their banner.
McDonough, Ferraro and Kaplan take the Rangers and Bruins at 8. Monaco, Weekes and Buonantony close the night with Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks in Vegas at 10:30.
One hundred exclusive games run on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu this season. That’s the bulk of the 172 national games split between ESPN and TNT.
