Hall of Famer Mark Messier headlines Amazon's NHL broadcast team

Former hockey player Mark Messier laughs on the red carpet during an interview before the NHL Awards, Monday, June 26, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (George Walker IV / The Associated Press)

Hall of Fame hockey player Mark Messier will be among the on-air talent for Amazon's new NHL broadcast.

Amazon has unveiled its plans for "Prime Monday Night Hockey," which include Messier working as an analyst for select games.

The broadcast team will also include hosts Andi Petrillo, formerly of CBC Sports, and Adnan Virk, who's worked for TSN, ESPN and the MLB Network.

Analysis will come from Blake Bolden, Thomas Hickey, Shane Hnidy and Jody Shelley, while play-by-play will be done by former NHL on NBC talent John Forslund.

Shows will be broadcast live from the home team's arena, starting Oct. 14 when the Montreal Canadiens host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Bell Centre.

Alongside traditional pre-game, intermission and post-game segments, "Prime Monday Night Hockey" will include an interactive feature where viewers who missed part of the game can catch up by watching a two-minute highlight package compiled by machine learning.

On Thursdays, Petrillo will host a studio show called "NHL Coast to Coast" featuring highlights, expert analysis and interviews with players, coaches and commentators.

Amazon also announced Monday that its six-part documentary "FACEOFF: Inside the NHL" will begin streaming on Oct. 4.

The series features both on-ice and behind-the-scenes moments with some of the league's biggest stars, including Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander, and Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes.

Amazon and Rogers Communications announced back in April that the companies had reached a deal that will see all national regular-season Monday NHL games in Canada streamed in English on Prime Video for the next two seasons.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2024.