SPORTSNET INVITES YOU TO SPEND CANADA DAY WITH HOCKEYCENTRAL FOR THE NHL FREE AGENT BONANZA ON JULY 1ST

Hockeycentral at Noon: Free Agent Special is followed by wrap-up shows later in the afternoon and evening

TORONTO (June 28, 2011) – As NHL teams get set to empty their wallets on Canada Day, Hockeycentral at Noon: Free Agent Special is the destination for all the latest NHL free agent signings on Friday, July 1 at 12 p.m. (ET)/9 a.m. (PT) on the Rogers Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific channels.

Hockeycentral analysts Nick Kypreos, Doug MacLean and host Daren Millard will bring viewers and sportsnet.ca users up-to-date on all the signings during the 30-min special.

The panel will also appear later in the afternoon with an hour edition of the Hockeycentral Free Agent Special at 4 p.m. (ET)/1 p.m. (PT) to re-cap and debate all the day’s signings and possible destinations for the remaining unrestricted free agents.

Hockeycentral analysts John Shannon and Mike Brophy with host RJ Broadhead will break any late day signings during the early edition of Connected at 6 p.m. (ET) on Sportsnet East and Ontario and report on any late evening signings on the Sportsnet Connected prime edition on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific at 10 p.m. (ET)/8 p.m. (MT)/6:30 p.m. (PT).

Kypreos, MacLean and Millard will return at the end of the night at 11:30 p.m. (ET)/9:30 p.m. (MT) to wrap-up all the day’s signings and discuss the activity of all seven Canadian NHL teams.

Also on Friday, sportsnet.ca will host a live all-day chat on Canada Day starting at 8 a.m. (ET). In addition, sportsnet.ca will conduct a live stream of the Hockeycentral at Noon: Free Agent Special and both Hockeycentral Free Agent Specials in the afternoon and evening. Brophy will post his top-10 free agent players to watch on Thursday, June 30, while Mark Spector will offer his analysis on all the day’s signings later on Friday evening. The website currently has its NHL free agency, trade trackers and news alerts for fans to follow all the latest transactions.

Sportsnet Radio The FAN 590 will present a full morning of free agency coverage on Friday starting at 6 a.m. (ET) and continuing to 12:30 p.m. (ET), offering guests from around the NHL to report on all the breaking signings.

For all the scores, highlights, breaking news and inside stories from the NHL tune in to Hockeycentral, Sportsnet Connected, Sportsnet Radio The FAN 590 and visit www.sportsnet.ca and www.fan590.com

-END-