Longtime Analyst Mike Milbury No Longer Part Of NHL Broadcasts On NBC
BOSTON (CBS) -- Mike Milbury's tenure with NBC is over after 13 years.
Neil Best from Newsday shared a statement from NBC on Monday in which the network said that Milbury will no longer be a part of the NHL broadcasts.
"We are grateful to Mike for all of his contributions to our coverage for 14 years, but he will not be returning to our NHL announce team," the statement said. "We wish him well."
Milbury left NBC broadcasts during the postseason last summer, after he said women were not in the NHL bubble to "disrupt" the "concentration" of players. The NHL condemned the comment, calling it "insensitive and insulting" while noting "the comment did not reflect the NHL's values and commitment to making our game more inclusive and welcoming to all."
"I sincerely apologize for making the comment," Milbury said at the time. "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."
Days after the controversy arose, Milbury "stepped away" from the broadcasts for the remainder of the postseason. At the time, NBC said the decision was made by Milbury, not the network.
The 68-year-old Milbury played for the Boston Bruins for 12 seasons in the '70s and '80s, and he coached the Bruins for two years before leaving to become the head coach and then the general manager of the New York Islanders. Milbury's bio on NBC's website notes that he joined pregame and postgame coverage in 2008. He's worked as both an in-game color commentator and a studio analyst, while being a visible face at marquee events like the Winter Classic and Olympic hockey coverage.
The shortened 2021 NHL season begins Wednesday night.