Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Wayne Gretzky To Headline TNT’s NHL TV Coverage

  • The Great One will work as a studio analyst during Stanley Cup Playoffs and other pivotal moments of NHL season.
  • Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk being hired for play-by-play and game analysis.
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Turner Sports is poised to announce Wayne Gretzky, Kenny Albert, and Eddie Olczyk as its first NHL TV team Wednesday.

Turner’s TNT is expected to officially announce the trio sometime Wednesday morning, said sources.  

Gretzky, arguably the greatest hockey player in history, will appear as a studio analyst throughout the upcoming 2021-2022 season, then ramp up his TV appearances during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Albert and Olczyk will work play-by-play and game analysis.

Gretzky will earn around $2 million a year for his first full-time embrace of TV, said sources. Charles Barkley of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” is a big hockey fan. Barkley’s expected to occasionally kibbitz with Gretzky on NHL coverage.

On May 6, Front Office Sports reported both Turner and ESPN were interested in hiring the “Great One” as they take over the NHL’s U.S. media rights from NBC Sports. The New York Post first reported that Albert, the radio voice of the New York Rangers, was landing the leading play-by-play job, succeeding the retired Doc Emrick at NBC.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Marina Williams-Walter Cronkite Sports Network

ASU Hockey Home Opener Marred by Player Collapse Fallout

ASU’s hockey home opener featured more absences amid an ongoing investigation.
A drone view shows the Paramount water tower at Paramount studios in Hollywood and the Hollywood sign, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 24, 2026.

Newly Formed Skydance Is a Force in Sports Media

The large-scale deal creates a sports media colossus.
Apr 7, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) warms up before a game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center.
First at FOS

NHL ‘Hot for Hockey’ Audio Shorts Campaign Is Done

The league says it was meant to be a one-week-only campaign.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/14/26 – Live From FOS’s Tuned In: Chris Berman on NFL’s 18-Game Push, Pablo Torre Says He’s Investigating LeBron’s Chopper, and More

0:00

Featured Today

Action Images/Peter Cziborra

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?
Oct 3, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer waits to run onto the field prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
October 7, 2026

Who Is Alabama Football in Year 3 Under Kalen DeBoer?

The No. 6 Crimson Tide host No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.
Cubs behind the scenes
October 6, 2026

Hollywood and TikTok: Sports Media’s New ‘Blueprint’

Teams and leagues are pouring money into the quest for fans.
October 2, 2026

How the Baseball Cap Became a ‘Behemoth’

The hat has become essential for athletes, fans, and the sports-agnostic.
Morishita-Sato-homerun-celebration-at-Meiji-Jingu-Baseball-Staidum-2025
September 28, 2026

Japanese Baseball Is Fighting Back Against MLB Talent Drain

Nippon Professional Baseball is reimagining how to be a global juggernaut.

NFL Will Be Selective With Game-Day Schedule, Says Media Chief

International Super Bowl is “a little bit far” off.
October 13, 2026

Pablo Torre: More Coming on Clippers, Life Surge … and LeBron?

LeBron’s relationship with Fanatics allows him to use its helicopter.
October 14, 2026

Elle Duncan: Netflix’s Strategy to ‘Eventize’ Sports Was Part of The Appeal

Duncan joined Netflix in December 2025.
Sponsored

Beyond the Scorecard: How Dow Is Putting Purpose at the Center of Women’s Golf

Discover how Dow and the LPGA are building a partnership with lasting impact.
October 13, 2026

ESPN Exec Mike Foss: Pat McAfee ‘Might Be a Journalist At Heart’

Foss said he had “absolutely nothing” to say to McAfee’s critics.
Taylor Rooks
October 13, 2026

Taylor Rooks Defends Friendships With Athletes She Covers

“I actually think it sometimes might make it a little bit easier.”
Josh Pate Front Office Sports
October 13, 2026

How a Lunch in Atlanta Led to Josh Pate’s ESPN College Football Show

Pate told ESPN that legacy media was underserving college football fans.
October 13, 2026

Tirico Defends Michael Jordan Interview: ‘Completely Worth It’

Tirico says Jordan is “above the daily discourse” of the NBA.