ESPN Announces NHL Version of NFL RedZone Called ‘Frozen Frenzy’

During its 2023-24 NHL Opening Night Preview Media Conference Call, ESPN announced a new NHL broadcasting format that they are trying, called Frozen Frenzy. This new program is modeled after NFL RedZone and will premiere on Oct. 24 when all 32 teams play on the same night.

"We worked all summer long to figure this out with our programming team and with the league," ESPN coordinating producer Linda Schultz said. "So, at some point during the night, there will be upwards of 11 games going on, and [John Buccigross] will be there to cover it all in the studio and bouncing around, and you will see every goal, you will see every power play, you will see every hit. We will just bounce around in what we’re calling Frozen Frenzy."

The program will be available on ESPN2 while ESPN features a triple header including Maple Leafs-Capitals, Bruins-Blackhawks, and Flyers-Golden Knights with normal game coverage.

There is no confirmation that Frozen Frenzy will be a regular program on ESPN due to the differences in scheduling between the NHL and the NFL. RedZone is effective for the NFL due to the high volume of games every Sunday. But for the NHL, that follows a more spread out schedule throughout the week, there will not always be sufficient games to make this "whip-around show" worthwhile.

ESPN plans to use its Oct. 24 broadcast as a test run to gauge fan response before it determines its plan moving forward.