NBC Sports to Present 2016 BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC

NBC Sports presents an NHL Original Six matchup on New Year's Day in one of the most iconic events in all of sports, when P.K. Subban and the Montreal Canadiens battlePatrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins in the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® from Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots, on Jan. 1, 2016 at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

Three-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike 'Doc' Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member and analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning 'Inside-the-Glass' analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call of the Canadiens-Bruins Winter Classic showdown. On Dec. 15, Emrick, Olczyk, McGuire, Mike Milbury, and executive producer Sam Flood previewed the 2016 Winter Classic on a media conference call. Click here for the full transcript.

NHL LIVE host Liam McHugh will be on-site at Gillette Stadium alongside former players and analysts Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick to provide pre-game and post-game analysis, as well as commentary during intermissions. In addition, NBC's intermission coverage will include a feature on P.K. Subban, and a look back at the history of the Canadiens-Bruins rivalry.

NBC Sports will provide comprehensive digital and social media coverage in the days leading into the NHL Winter Classic and throughout the game, promoting behind-the-scenes and interactive content across its social media platforms.

Montreal (20-14-3, 43 pts) and Boston (19-12-4, 42 pts) sit in third and fourth place, respectively, in the Atlantic Division, in which first-place Florida (44) and sixth-place Tampa Bay (39) are separated by only five points. The Winter Classic marks the fourth of five meetings between the rivals this season. The Canadiens have won two of three meetings, but Boston earned a 3-1 come-from-behind win in their last matchup on Dec. 9, courtesy of three third-period goals.

This week's NHL coverage also features a rematch of the 2015 Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday Night Rivalry, when Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning host Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage continues with the Wednesday Nightcap at 10:30 p.m. ET, when Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers visit Joe Pavelski and the San Jose Sharks. This week's NHL slate on NBCSN begins tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, when David Backes and the St. Louis Blues host Pekka Rinne and the NASHVILLE Predators.

Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Brian Boucher ('Inside-the-Glass' analyst) will have the call of Predators-Blues, John Forslund (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom will call Rangers-Lightning, and Jim Jackson (play-by-play) and Chris Therien ("Inside-the-Glass" analyst) will provide commentary for Flyers-Sharks. Tomorrow night's coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with NHL Live, hosted by Kathryn Tappen alongside Roenick and Jones. Liam McHugh anchors Wednesday's studio coverage with Boucher and Jones.

MIKE MILBURY SERVES AS COACH FOR CANADIENS-BRUINS ALUMNI GAME - NEW YEAR'S EVE AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBC Sports Group NHL studio analyst and former Boston Bruins head coach and defenseman Mike Milbury will serve as a coach for the Bruins in the 2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game, which will take place Thursday, Dec. 31, at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Milbury will be joined behind the bench by former Bruins head coach and long-time NHL commentator Don Cherry. More than 40 former players and coaches are scheduled to participate in the renewal of this legendary rivalry in this unique outdoor setting. Those returning for the Bruins include Ray Bourque, Cam Neely, Terry O'Reilly and more. Yvan Cournoyer, Jacques Demers and Guy Lafleur lead the Canadiens alumni with a roster that includes Larry Robinson, Guy Carbonneau, Jose Theodore and Mats Naslund, among many other notable names.