'Quest For The Stanley Cup' returns for seventh season
Seven-part, behind-the-scenes documentary series on playoffs debuts May 27
Watch Quest for the Cup on ESPN+
But for the first time, the documentary series will open with "The Quest Begins," a special episode dedicated to the first round. The series will have more exposure than ever before thanks to one of the NHL's new TV partners in the United States, ESPN.
"The Quest Begins" will premiere on ESPN+, NHL Network, NHL.com and the NHL's YouTube and Facebook channels on Friday (6 p.m. ET).
Seven episodes of "Quest For The Stanley Cup" will be on ESPN+ in the United States and at YouTube.com/NHL in Canada, each Friday, beginning May 27.
ESPN will use clips on shows like "SportsCenter" and "The Point."
"It is unique and pretty cool that for the first time ever in doing 'Quest For The Stanley Cup,' we're doing it with our partner," said NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer, an executive producer of the series.
"Quest For The Stanley Cup" premiered in 2016, making the NHL the first North American professional sports league to provide unfettered access to its postseason. The series was nominated for two Sports Emmys.
Showtime aired the first two seasons, which featured the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final. ESPN+ carried the next four, which featured the second round, conference finals and Cup Final, even though NBC was the NHL's U.S. TV partner at the time.
ESPN became a U.S. TV partner this season along with Turner.
"They always felt like this was a compelling program," Mayer said. "They always said, 'Wow, it's unbelievable. No other league gives us the access to their biggest championship moment like the NHL -- all access, in the locker rooms, in the middle of play, off the ice, on the ice.'
So, you always knew they felt highly about the League, felt highly about the Stanley Cup Playoffs."
ESPN always had the ability to use clips in other programming, but as a U.S. TV partner, now it has more opportunity and incentive to do so.
"We really think there's going to be eyes on this in a way that there haven't been before, because they're going to promote it during games, they're going to promote during their shoulder programming, and people are going to be aware," said Steven Stern, an executive producer of the series. "They're going to know to watch it."
NHL Original Productions, the NHL's production company, will oversee all production operations of "Quest For The Stanley Cup" for the first time this season. Actor Corey Stoll will narrate the series.
The success of "Quest For The Stanley Cup" stems from the footage viewers wouldn't see otherwise, allowing them to eavesdrop on the bench, peek inside the locker room and visit players' homes.
That stems from the veteran crews, who know what to do and how to do it from years of following NHL teams, and from the executives, coaches and players, who allow the crews into their private spaces during the most important time of the year.
"There's a lot of these all-access shows," Mayer said. "What does set us apart? A lot of it has to do with the personnel. A lot of it has to do with the trust that this group of production folks has with the teams.
"They've seen these faces before. They give them access where they might not get it if it wasn't the high quality of the personnel. I think that sets these shows apart.
"And I do think the teams have grown to become very comfortable with this type of programming. I think they get it. They totally understand this is part of being in the playoffs, and it's OK."
The Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup each of the past two seasons while embracing the spotlight and having fun with it.
When the NHL staged the 2020 playoffs in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton due to the coronavirus pandemic, the crews lived alongside the teams, separated from the outside world. Everyone got to know each other better and developed a bond.
At one point, Lightning coach Jon Cooper was talking music with Jim Baglino, a sound technician who once played bass in the rock band Monster Magnet. Cooper told Baglino if the Lightning made the Stanley Cup Final, he would wear a Monster Magnet T-shirt. They did, and he wore one to a press conference.
"Some guys say, 'I hope we see a lot of you,' because they understand that seeing us means they keep winning," Stern said with a laugh. "The easiest way to get rid of us is to lose, and none of them want that."
