BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — NBC Sports and the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) announced Tuesday the 2021 Isobel Cup Semifinals and Final will air live on NBC Sports Network.
The games will be played February 4 and 5 at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y.
"The agreement between NBC Sports and the NWHL is a historic chapter for women’s professional hockey in the United States, marking the first-ever women’s professional hockey games to be shown live on a major national cable network in the United States," a release from the NWHL says.
The semifinals will air live Thursday, February 4 at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The final will air Friday, February 5 at 7 p.m.
The live coverage will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
“Our partnership with NBC Sports is monumental for the visibility of the NWHL,” said Commissioner Tyler Tumminia. “Never before has women’s professional hockey had the opportunity to reach so many people on American television in the United States. As we have seen with the WNBA and NWSL this year, when women’s major league sports leagues are given a strong showcase, viewership is increased and countless new fans connect with the teams and players. NBC Sports provides the NWHL’s biggest games in our upcoming season in Lake Placid with best-in-class production and award-winning announcers. The NWHL will deliver intense, memorable hockey for the viewers on NBCSN as an Isobel Cup champion is crowned.”
The NWHL is playing its 2021 season and the 2021 Isobel Cup Playoffs in a centralized location at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y. from January 23 to February 5 due to COVID-19.
The league is made up of six teams - Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, and the Toronto Six.
