NHL To Host First-Ever âStanley Pupâ Rescue Dog Competition
NEW YORK (June 4, 2024) â The first-ever Stanley Pup, a 90-minute program created by NHL Productions and Michael Levitt Productions featuring friendly canine competition, will premiere on NHL Network and ESPN+ on Friday, June 7, at 8 p.m. ET for fans in the U.S. and on Sportsnet on Saturday, June 8, at 6 p.m. ET for fans in Canada. Stanley Pup will re-air on Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. ET on Monumental Sports Network.
National nonprofit organization Petco Love offered the all-star lineup of adoptable dogs from their partner animal shelters and rescues nationwide. The adorable pets representing the 16 teams that qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs â including Sergei Bobruffsky and Connor McDoodle â will face off in celebration of the highly anticipated matchup between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers in the first game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on June 8.
Stanley Pup will feature special appearances by celebrity dog lovers including Kristin Chenoweth, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Heather McMahan, Lisa Vanderpump and Trisha Yearwood. In addition, color and play-by-play commentary will be provided byâŻAkbar Gbajabiamila (American Ninja Warrior/The Talk) and Mark Shunock (Top Rank Boxing) with Alexa Landestoy (NHL Network/Monumental Sports Network) reporting rinkside.
NHL Players appear throughout the show to introduce dogs available for adoption and support local pet adoption, including Kyle Burroughs (San Jose Sharks), Anton Forsberg (Ottawa Senators), Anze Kopitar (LA Kings), Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens), MacKenzie Weegar (Calgary Flames), and Trevor van Riemsdyk and Tom Wilson (Washington Capitals). Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella also makes an appearance.
All 32 NHL teams will be represented by a four-legged friend, many of whom will be available for adoption from a shelter or rescue group in partnership with Petco Love. Visit PetcoLove.org/StanleyPup for more information on the all-star pups featured in the show and at your local shelter. Additional highlights from Stanley Pup, including behind-the-scenes content, will be available on NHL.com/StanleyPup.
Coverage of the Stanley Cup Final begins June 8, on ABC and ESPN+ in the U.S., and on SN, CBC, and TVA Sports in Canada. Outside of North America, NHL international media partners deliver games to fans around the world.