• Loading stock data...
Monday, August 25, 2025
Front Office Sports Honors winners are here! View the 2025 winners

Mike Milbury Takes Leave as NBC Sports Analyst After Comment About Women

  • Milbury said during an NHL broadcast that bubble sites didn’t have women to “disrupt” players.
  • Milbury announced that he would “step away” from his role at NBC Sports.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

This story was updated with statement from Mike Milbury on Aug. 22

Mike Milbury will “step away” as a NBC Sports hockey analyst for the rest of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after his latest controversial comment.

The announcement on Aug 22 comes two days after he said on air that the NHL bubble sites didn’t have women to “disrupt” players. 

“In light of the attention caused by my recent remark, I have decided to step away from my role at NBC Sports for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs,” Milbury said in a statement provided by NBC Sports. “I do not want my presence to interfere with the athletes as they try to win the greatest trophy in sports.”

The NHL playoffs are played at two bubble sites — Toronto and Edmonton — where, like the NBA, players are segregated from the public. In a discussion about the bubble environment during the New York Islanders’ series-clinching victory over the Washington Capitals, Milbury said, “Not even any woman here to disrupt your concentration.”

“I sincerely apologize for making the comment. It was not my intention to disrespect anyone. I was trying to be irreverent and took it a step too far. It was a regrettable mistake that I take seriously,” Milbury said in his first statement.

John Forslund and Brian Boucher were in the booth Friday night for the Philadelphia Flyers-Montreal Canadiens game minus Milbury.

“We’re disappointed about Mike’s insensitive comment and have addressed it with him,” NBC Sports said in a statement on Aug. 21. 

Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman in the booth.

Thom Brennaman Suspended After Using Anti-Gay Slur On Air

Cincinnati Reds suspended broadcaster Thom Brennaman hours after he said an anti-gay…
August 20, 2020

The NHL said in a statement that it “condemns the insensitive and insulting comment” made by Milbury and contacted NBC Sports about it.

“The comment did not reflect the NHL’s values and commitment to making our game more inclusive and welcoming to all,” the NHL said in a statement.

It’s not the first remark from Milbury that has been criticized as misogynistic since the NHL season resumed. He claimed there’s a lack of fan support for women’s college hockey during a broadcast on Aug. 2.

Former NBC Sports studio analyst Jeremy Roenick was suspended and ultimately fired for an inappropriate comment made on a podcast earlier this season. 

Milbury, a former NHL player, coach and executive, has been a hockey analyst at NBC Sports for a decade.  

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

MLB Revives Field of Dreams Game After Big Early TV Ratings

The league is finalizing plans to return to the famed movie’s filming site.

Bill Belichick Tells UNC Football Team Hulu Series Is Happening

FOS reported last month that the Hulu series was nearing finalization.
Samuel Basallo

Orioles Give Catcher Record Extension Amid Adley Rutschman’s Stunning Fall

Samuel Basallo’s reported $67M deal would be a record for pre-arbitration catchers.

$2B A’s Vegas Stadium Hits Milestones, on Track for 2028

Construction progress and costs pick up in the Las Vegas project.

Featured Today

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.
Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin looks at quarterback Drew Allar (15) during the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.
August 22, 2025

Private Equity Enters College Sports—Without the Equity

As college football starts, lending agreements have become PE’s best way in.

Fox Enters Streaming Wars With Leaner, Sports-Heavy Approach

A different strategy marks the arrival of the network’s streaming service.
August 20, 2025

Bundesliga Bets on YouTube Creators for Live U.K. Game Streams

Bundesliga is the top German soccer league.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. (L to R) Quin Stiller as Will Zalatoris Caddie, Will Zalatoris as Himself, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio as Oscar Mejias and Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in Happy Gilmore2.
August 21, 2025

‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched U.S. Movie Debut

The Adam Sandler, golf-themed movie sets more streaming records.
Sponsored

Building A Pro League From Scratch

Front Office Sports and Gainbridge® spotlight what it takes to build a professional women’s soccer league.
Jey Uso and Pat McAfee look at each other after Uso’s win Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
August 20, 2025

WWE Will Leave Peacock for ESPN 6 Months Early

Peacock’s final show will be “Clash in Paris” on Aug. 31.
August 20, 2025

NFL Preseason Games Are Popping Up on YouTube’s Sunday Ticket

The $2 billion out-of-market package covers only the regular season.
August 20, 2025

Inside ESPN’s ‘Industry Shaping’ DTC Plan, What’s at Stake

Many bundle offers and opaque metrics mark the high-profile launch.
Kyle Busch talks with Nexstar Media Group, Wednesday February 14, 2024 during Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway
August 19, 2025

$6.2B Nexstar-Tegna Deal Could Create Local Sports Juggernaut

CW parent company Nexstar looks to acquire its rival in a major deal.