ESPN Announces Broadcast Schedule for 2016 World Cup of Hockey

ESPN announced the broadcast schedule for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey Tournament from September 17 through October 1 on Wednesday.

Group play will begin with Team USA taking on Team Europe on ESPN2 at 3:30 PM, on September 17.  Later that night ESPNEWS will broadcast the Team Canada and Team Czech Republic matchup at 8:00 PM. All times for the games during the tournament, will be Eastern Time as they will be televised live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

Following two matchups, in pre-tournament action, USA will faceoff with Canada in group play action in a primetime battle on September 20 at 8:00 PM on ESPN. The USA squad will closeout group the play action two nights later on September 22, as they battle the Czech Republic, at 8:00 PM on ESPN2.

Team North America, which consists of players from the United States and Canada all under the age of 23, will open their World Cup action as they take on Team Finland on Sunday September 18. The following night they will square off with Team Russia. Both contests will be on ESPN2 at 8:00 PM. 

The North American squad will closeout group play against Team Sweden, with a matinee matchup at 3:00 PM, on ESPN. 

The semi-finals will begin on September 24, on ESPN2 at 7:00 PM with the second semifinal game on Sunday September 25, at 1:00 PM on ESPN.  Game one of the best of three finals, is slated for September 27 at 8:00 PM on ESPN. 

Game two and if-necessary game three will see the puck drop on Thursday September 29 and Saturday October 1, respectively. Both of those contest will be televised on ESPN2.   

All of the coverage of the action on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS will also be available for streaming over all platforms, computer, smartphone and tablets, via an authorized cable or satellite provider, on WatchESPN. 

Group A will consist of Canada, USA, Czech Republic and Europe. Group B includes; North America, Finland, Sweden and Russia. 

ESPN commentator Steve Levy will provide the play-by-play for all of Team USA’s action, with Barry Melrose providing the color commentary. John Buccigross will call the rest of the action alongside Kevin Weekes. Brett Hull and Chris Chelios will provide some studio analysis along with John Saunders, Adnan Virk and Buccigross. 

The World Cup of Hockey is a joint venture of the National Hockey League, NHL Players Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation. The top two finishers from each group will faceoff in the semi-finals, with the two winners playing in the best of three finals.  

Date, Time (ET), Telecast, Network
 
Sep 17, 3:30 p.m., Group Play: USA vs. Europe, ESPN2
Sep 17, 8 p.m., Group Play: Czech Republic vs. Canada, ESPNEWS

Sep 18, 3 p.m., Group Play: Sweden vs. Russia, ESPN
Sep 18, 8 p.m., Group Play: North America vs. Finland, ESPN2

Sep 19, 3 p.m., Group Play: Europe vs. Czech Republic, ESPN2
Sep 19, 8 p.m., Group Play: Russia vs. North America, ESPN2

Sep 20, 3 p.m., Group Play: Finland vs. Sweden, ESPN
Sep 20, 8 p.m., Group Play: Canada vs. USA, ESPN
 
Sep 21, 3 p.m., Group Play: North America vs. Sweden, ESPN
Sep 21, 8 p.m., Group Play: Europe vs Canada, ESPN2

Sep 22, 3 p.m., Group Play: Finland vs. Russia, ESPN
Sep 22, 8 p.m., Group Play: USA vs. Czech Republic, ESPN2

Sep 24, 7 p.m., Semifinal one, ESPN2

Sep 25, 1 p.m., Semifinal two, ESPN

Sep 27, 8 p.m., Final: Game one, ESPN

Sep 29, 8 p.m., Final: Game two, ESPN2

Oct 1, 7 p.m., Final: Game three (if necessary), ESPN2