NBC Sports debuts "Star Sunday" this weekend, as Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter and Anaheim forward Ryan Kesler will be featured during NBCSN's coverage of Wild-Ducks, beginning at 7 p.m. ET with NHL Live.
Airing most Sundays through the end of the regular season in April,
NBC Sports' "Star Sunday" games will shine a spotlight on a star from each team. The stars selected for each "Star Sunday" will be the focus of pre-game player arrivals and interviews, and will be highlighted in pre-game features and "get-to-know" segments. This week's "Star Sunday" pre-game coverage on
NHL LIVE will also feature an interview with Ryan Suter and NHL on
NBC analyst Jeremy Roenick.
NBC Sports' "Star Sunday" game telecasts will include an iso cam on the stars to be utilized for game analysis during intermissions, and scoreboard graphics will let viewers know when these stars are on the ice.
NBCSports.com and the
NBC Sports app -
NBC Sports Group's live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs - will provide live streaming coverage of Wild-Ducks.
Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Pierre McGuire ('Inside-the-Glass' analyst) will call this week's "Star Sunday" matchup from Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Pre-game coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh, alongside analysts and former players Keith Jones and Brian Boucher.
Following are quotes from McGuire previewing this week's "Star Sunday" clash featuring Minnesota's Ryan Suter and Anaheim's Ryan Kesler.
On their playing careers: "They have been part of Olympic teams in 2010 and 2014, and both are from the best draft in NHL history in 2003. As they get older, they get wiser and they get better. The potential is there for them to play against each other quite often in Sunday night's game."
On Ryan Suter: "He has been the key guy for Minnesota - he's been their most consistent player this year, and leads the league with a plus-26 rating. The influence that new assistant coach Scott Stevens has had on him has been tremendous."
On Ryan Kesler: "Ryan Kesler is one of the best two-way players in the NHL. He's the engine that drives the Anaheim Ducks. He's a tremendous shut-down guy, leads Anaheim in scoring, and plays on a really underrated line with Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano. Every time he plays, you know he's in the game."
On the matchup: "Ryan Kesler is smart in identifying matchups, and getting opponents off their game by being physical and nasty. Ryan Suter is sneaky strong - not terribly large, but very tough to move, and doesn't get beat very often in the corners. I'll be watching for that when they're on the ice in together, to see how Suter and Kesler respond to the physical challenge from one another."
Veteran defenseman Ryan Suter is in the midst of another impressive season. Currently in his 12th NHL season, he leads the NHL with a plus-26 rating and consistently logs the most minutes on the back end for Minnesota, ranking third in the NHL in time on ice (27:11 per game). Suter leads the Minnesota defense or is tied in all offensive categories with five goals and 16 assists, and is tied for the team lead with seven power play points.
He was the seventh overall selection in the 2003 NHL Draft, hails from Madison, Wis., played
COLLEGE HOCKEY at the University of Wisconsin, and is the son of Bob Suter, who was a member of the Team
USA "Miracle on Ice" Olympic team in 1980.
Minnesota (23-9-4. 50 pts) is second in the Western Conference behind Chicago, and had its 12-game winning streak
SNAPPED by Columbus on Dec. 31. They begin a three-game road trip in California tonight against San Jose, before a
CONTEST in Los Angeles on Saturday and Sunday's matchup in Anaheim.
13-year NHL veteran Ryan Kesler has been a dominant force this season for Anaheim, and is having his best year with the Ducks since joining the club in 2014. Kesler leads the club in points (34) and has already scored 15 goals in 40 games this season, following a 21-goal output in 79 games last season. Kesler has been one of the most consistent players in the league for nearly a decade, and has recorded at least 40 points in seven of the last eight seasons.
He was the 23rd overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft, played one season of
COLLEGE HOCKEY for Ohio State University, and played for Team
USA at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games, along with Suter.
Anaheim (20-12-8, 48 pts) is tied with San Jose for the lead in the Pacific Division. The Ducks have won two straight games, including a 2-0 shutout win over Detroit last night. The Ducks host Arizona tomorrow before their Sunday night clash with the Wild.
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