AJ MLECZKO JOINS MSG NETWORKS AS STUDIO ANALYST FOR NEW YORK ISLANDERS COVERAGE
AJ Mleczko Joins MSG Networks as Studio Analyst for New York Islanders Coverage
Olympic Gold Medalist Added to Broadcast Team of Butch Goring, Brendan Burke and Shannon Hogan
New York, NY (October 2, 2018) – MSG Networks (NYSE: MSGN) announced today that AJ Mleczko is joining the MSG Networks broadcast team this season as a studio analyst for select New York Islanders telecasts.
Starting this season, the USA Hockey Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold and Silver medalist will bring her expert and insightful analysis to approximately 20 Islanders broadcasts on MSG Networks. She will team with Shannon Hogan, who returns for her fifth season as Islanders host for the network, for pre-game, intermission and post-game Islanders coverage on MSG+. Islanders legend and four-time Stanley Cup Champion Butch Goring returns for his ninth season as in-game analyst, alongside play-by-play announcer Brendan Burke, who returns for his third season in the booth.
“It’s truly an honor to join MSG Networks for coverage of the New York Islanders, one of the most storied franchises in the league,” said Mleczko. “I’ve been fortunate to have had some great moments throughout my career, both as a player and a broadcaster, and to have the opportunity to now team up with Butch, Brendan, Shannon and the entire MSG Networks’ Islanders family is incredibly exciting.”
Mleczko had a distinguished international hockey playing career, having led the U.S. women’s hockey team to a historic gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, as well as silver medal at the Salt Lake Games in 2002. A member of the USA Hockey Hall of Fame, the decorated Olympian continues to be a trailblazer for her work off the ice as well. She made broadcasting history earlier this year when she became the first woman to work as in-booth analyst for an NHL postseason game on NBC Sports.
AJ also serves as an analyst for NBC Sports’ hockey coverage and since 2006, has covered five Olympic Games, including this year’s Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to add two-time Olympic medalist AJ Mleczko to the MSG Networks team as our new Islanders studio analyst,” said Jeff Filippi, MSG Networks Senior Vice President of Programming and Production and Executive Producer. “An NHL broadcasting pioneer, AJ is an exceptional talent with a deep understanding of the game of hockey and will be a tremendous addition to our Islanders coverage this season.”
Mleczko is from New Canaan, Connecticut and played collegiate hockey at Harvard University. During her senior season, she led the Crimson to the 1999 NCAA Division I Women’s National Championship and was awarded the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the top women’s college hockey player.
About MSG Networks Inc.
An industry leader in sports production, and content development and distribution, MSG Networks Inc. owns and operates two award-winning regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network (MSG) and MSG+, and a live streaming and video on demand platform, MSG GO. The networks are home to 10 professional sports teams, delivering live games of the New York Knicks; New York Rangers; New York Islanders; New Jersey Devils; Buffalo Sabres; New York Liberty; New York Red Bulls and the Westchester Knicks, as well as coverage of the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills. Each year, MSG and MSG+ collectively telecast approximately 500 live professional games, along with a comprehensive lineup of other sporting events, including college football and basketball, and critically-acclaimed original programming. The gold standard for regional broadcasting, MSG Networks has won 152 New York Emmy Awards over the past ten years.
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