Schwartz: Outdoor-Game Documentaries To Be 'Epix' For Hockey Fans

By Peter Schwartz
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Since 2010, hockey fans have been able to gear up for the NHL's marquee regular-season contest with "Road to the NHL Winter Classic." For the last five years, the series had been seen on HBO. But this year it shifts to Epix, where the show is reunited with co-creator Ross Greenburg, formerly of HBO Sports.

"It's really a thrill to be back in the saddle, working on this particular product that I created with (COO) John Collins of the NHL," said Greenburg, the executive producer of the series. "I'm looking forward to it."

This year, the Capitals will host the Blackhawks in the NHL's Winter Classic on New Year's Day at Nationals Park. It premieres on Tuesday, December 16 at 10 p.m. ET and continues on December 23, December 30 and January 6.

Here is a preview of the series...

But with Epix, the documentary is expanding to the NHL Stadium Series game on February 21, when the Sharks host the Kings at Levi's Stadium. "Road to the NHL Stadium Series" begins on Tuesday, February 3 at 10 p.m. ET and continues February 10, February 17 and February 24.

"It's unique in that we're going to be doing two series in one," said Greenburg, a 52-time Emmy winner. "We're going to be doing eight episodes. That makes it not only exciting, but exhausting, exhilarating and challenging."

A series like this, much like with HBO's "Hard Knocks," cannot be a success unless it has the appropriate access to each team.  The objective is to take the fans -- both hardcore and casual -- behind the scenes and teach them something about the teams, players and coaches that they didn't know before.

Thanks to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Collins, viewers will be able to see what happens in the locker rooms, training rooms and meeting rooms.

"They have ingrained it into the minds of the management throughout the NHL that if you want to be part of the Winter Classic or the Stadium Series, you have to allow access," said Greenburg. "It's been a team effort within the league over many years to give them an understanding of how important it is to bring the sport alive."

There are many stories to tell in both documentaries.  In the countdown to the Winter Classic, there are players like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on the Blackhawks, along with the great Alexander Ovechkin of the Capitals.  In the Stadium Series game, the Stanley Cup-champion Kings face the Sharks, the team they beat in the opening round of last year's playoffs after trailing three games to none.

"You've got stars galore," said Greenburg. "We think that there are a lot of stories to dive into."

One of them is Kings head coach Darryl Sutter, who's doesn't come across as very engaging during press conferences. But that's just not a venue that brings out the best in him.

As it turns out, Sutter is a quite a character.

"He's a great person to try and analyze as a coach," said Greenburg. "I know he's not that comfortable with standing in front of a crowded press corps with a microphone after a game. But in the locker room, as he interacts with players, he's a very personable and charismatic person. There's another side to Sutter and I'd like to show people that. He couldn't be a nicer guy."

While the Winter Classic and the Stadium Series games are regular-season contests, these outdoor games have become huge events for the NHL, and the fans love it.

I was at the Stadium Series game between the Rangers and Islanders at Yankee Stadium last year, and I have to say it was one of the most memorable sports experiences of my life. What the NHL has done is take a series of regular-season games and create a Super Bowl-like feel around them.

"It's a spectacle, and this has to be treated as a playoff atmosphere," said Greenburg.  "That's exciting for the league, but it will also be important for us to capture that kind of spectacle that it's become. Cameras will be down low, we'll have microphones on players, we'll be in those locker rooms. We'll feel the thousands in the stands and we'll really capture the moment."

By switching from HBO to Epix, one might think that the NHL is losing viewers for the documentaries, but that is far from the case.  In fact, the league is reaching a bigger audience. The NHL's partnership with Epix is bringing the series to the league's base of almost 60 million United States hockey fans with a unique, digital, all-access free pass to view the entire series on the following platforms.

- Online at http://www.epix.com/nhl and NHL.com

- Via the Epix and NHL Facebook pages

- Via the official app of the NHL, available on Android and iOS

- Via the official Epix app on Android, iOS, XBOX 360, PS3, PS4, Roku and Windows 8

Viewers in the United States that are not Epix subscribers -- but want to stream the series on demand and across their respective devices -- will have the ability to register for a limited free trial to the service at Epix.com.

The NHL Winter Classic and Stadium Series games have been great for hockey.  They have created tremendous interest in the sport, and the Winter Classic has quickly become a New Year's Day tradition.

The "Road to the Winter Classic" and "Road to the Stadium Series" on Epix will only make these marquee games even more memorable with behind-the-scenes access and the ability to tell stories.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan.  You can also follow @EpixHD and @NHL. 

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