'NHL Frozen Frenzy' magical night in front of, behind cameras

BRISTOL, Conn. -- It's 4:50 p.m. ET and Mark Schuman, the lead producer for ESPN's “NHL Frozen Frenzy,” comes down to meet with NHL.com outside Studio E, the home base for co-hosts John Buccigross and Kevin Weekes for what will be more than a six-hour shift.

The purpose of this chat was for Schuman to go over the details of the night, the biggest of the NHL regular season at ESPN.

Sixteen games, three on ESPN, all on ESPN+, and the third annual Frozen Frenzy, a whip-around show hosted by Buccigross and Weekes and produced by Schuman that comes on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. ET, transfers to ESPN+ at 7:30, featuring every goal and highlight of the night.

"It's about getting people to see the games," Schuman says. "I don't care who wins the games tonight, I just want them to be close in the third period and a lot of OTs. Hopefully we get lucky."

Schuman says there is no hard out time for the show either because there is flexibility on when to stop the show, but he's thinking midnight is the right time. That's the goal, when there will still be some action going on, but limited to two or three games still happening.

It's also not just the Frozen Frenzy going on here. They're producing the three ESPN games from the same building and doing all of the live cut-ins and wraps too.

"The fact that we're doing all this from one building is pretty cool," Schuman says.

NHL.com was given a behind-the-scenes look at Frozen Frenzy live from ESPN's main campus, from the control room to the studio and other places in the building, from 5 p.m. ET all the way until they go off the air at 12:05 a.m.

Pre-production meeting

It's 5 o'clock and Schuman is walking into Studio E with Weekes. They meet up with Buccigross, Dave Jackson and director Jeff Nelson for their pre-production meeting, going over the details of the night.

ESPN personality Arda Ocal says that he will wear two microphones and two earpieces because he's part of the Frozen Frenzy show and he will be doing studio updates known as cut-ins as well. One mic and earpiece is for the Frenzy show and the others are for the cut-ins.

In the studio, as the meeting is taking place on the platform where Buccigross and Weekes will sit with the big board of games with face-off times behind them, there are cameras moving to get set, production staff getting ready, Ocal and T.J. Oshie doing a live TikTok on ESPN's account to promote the night and a photographer taking pictures of everything.

Schuman mentions to Buccigross and Weekes that there were chicken wings available for them outside the studio.

"Not a smart choice for the talent to eat," Buccigross says, smiling.

The wings are from J. Timothy's in nearby Plainville. That's where ESPN held the press conference to announce itself as a network in 1978.

It's 5:20 p.m. ET now and the meeting is wrapping up.

"All right boys, let's have some fun," Schuman says.

Inside the control room

On the third floor in D6, the control room, there are three rows of stadium seating with 12 workstations, 15 screens on the main wall and another 16 built into the ceiling.

Schuman, the producer, and Nelson, the director, are in the middle of the front row flanked by managing producer Kevin Davies and technical director Aaron Bedenbaugh.

It's 5:52 and Buccigross is rehearsing his opening, which will go live on ESPN2 in eight minutes.

"Guys, don't get nervous, but 90 seconds, 90 seconds everyone," Schuman says.

They count down from a minute with Schuman doing air fistbumps to everyone in the room, clapping his hands, saying we'll get three penalty shots tonight, with one being Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares going for his 500th goal, and then he gets into Buccigross' ear to tell him it's time to go.

Opening face-off

During the first break of the show Schuman is talking to Buccigross about how they're coming back with some posts on X about chicken parmesan being ready for Buccigross and a fan stealing Darren Pang's "Holy Jumpin” catch phrase about Frozen Frenzy being ready to go.

They quickly go to Lauren Hart's anthem in Philadelphia, but they're not sure at the time if they're going to even have audio. They thought they weren't getting it and were about to go back to the studio, but the audio came on and Hart's rendition played live on ESPN2.

They go to Toronto for the first face-off of the night. Schuman quickly calls for a two-box to make sure they had the game in Toronto and the opening face-off of the Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins game in Philadelphia on the same screen.

They lay out to go live to Toronto and TSN's broadcast of the Maple Leafs-Calgary Flames game with Gord Miller and Mike Johnson on the call. Tavares, one goal from becoming the 49th player in NHL history to score 500, came on the ice as they went live to Toronto.

"Come on, right here," Schuman says as Miller mentions Tavares is on the ice.

Meanwhile, they're trying to get Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar on a Zoom call.

First goal of the night

The first goal of the night comes during the commercial break. It's Morgan Frost scoring for the Flames in Toronto. They went to the goal right out of the break, catching it on delay.

"We've got one," Schuman says. "Only 114 more to go."

The crew is hoping to see NHL history, breaking the record for most goals in a single night. It's currently 114 set Nov. 4, 2023, which was a 15-game night. The most goals scored on a 16-game night is 110. It happened 17 nights ago.

In reality, if they can crack 100 goals live on the show, that is the goal. They know there will still be some games going on when they go off the air.

As Nazar was set on his Zoom, there are reports that Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley was signing an eight-year contract. They quickly reacted to that in the control room, looking to get confirmation before reaction.

Justin Brazeau gets the Penguins on the board at 6:25 p.m. ET and they cut right into that with the goal on delay. After showing that highlight it's back to the Flames power play in Toronto.

"Guys, scream out power plays if you see it," Schuman says.

Power plays and Dougie

Back on air around 6:30 p.m. ET after a commercial break and Schuman says go live to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs are on the power play.

They're hoping to catch Tavares' 500th goal live.

But the Penguins are on the power play at the same time, so they're trying to figure out when to go live for that.

"As soon as Pittsburgh gets into the zone," Schuman says. "OK, let's go. Game 1."

The Devils are getting Dougie Hamilton set up for his live interview as Buccigross and Weekes are talking over the Penguins power play.

Schuman also makes sure everyone in the control room knows they're getting close to puck drop in Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes are taking on the Vegas Golden Knights in what could be one of the best games of the night.

Emily Kaplan is walking into the studio to provide an update on Harley and his new contract with the Stars. As that's happening, with the Maple Leafs still on the power play and Schuman yelling for Tavares to score his 500th goal, they've got Hamilton ready to go for his interview.

"About to get a puck drop in Carolina too," Davies says.

They put up the first three-box of games at 6:39 p.m. ET with the Hurricanes and Golden Knights underway with Toronto on the power play and the Penguins leading the Flyers 1-0.

A goal live on air and Svechnikov

The Frozen Frenzy is on a live look-in in the Flyers-Penguins game at 6:41 and Bobby Brink puts Philadelphia on the board with a power-play goal to tie the game 1-1.

Schuman gets up from his chair and fist pumps for the first goal scored live on the Frozen Frenzy show.

Davies is trying to set up the call with NHL executive Kris King, who will be joining the show shortly from the NHL Situation Room in Toronto.

"Carolina is going on the power play," Davies says.

"OK let's plan to go live there -- oh my God they just scored on it," Schuman says. "Go to it now."

The goal happened seconds before they were going to cut to the game live.

Nick Licalzi, a coverage producer and the head of the NHL assignment desk, points out that it's Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov's first point of the season. Schuman makes sure Buccigross knows and he delivers the news live seconds later.

Dorofeyev interrupts the news on Harley

They went to a break to make sure Kaplan could get set up in the studio between Weekes and Buccigross. She is there to deliver the news of Harley closing in on signing an eight-year contract.

As Kaplan is on set speaking with Buccigross and Weekes, they go live to Carolina and right away Pavel Dorofeyev scores for the Golden Knights.

"Oh, we got a goal, we got a goal," Schuman says.

With Kaplan is still on set, there are conversations happening in the control room, some dinner being eaten and a coffee order being taken.

It's 7 p.m. ET, one hour into the show, four games going on, and so much still left to go.

On the move with Arda

We meet up with ESPN hockey host and analyst Arda Ocal in Studio F.

Ocal takes us through his "historic" 10 minutes, where he is wearing two microphones, one on each lapel of his suit jacket, and two earpieces, and getting ready to go on the Frozen Frenzy show from Studio F before going live for a cut-in on ESPN from Studio W, which isn't close.

Ocal goes on air at 7:10 p.m. ET and details five goals in the 6 o'clock hour, goes through some tweets, banters with Buccigross and sends it back over to the set.

As soon as he's off, Ocal, at 7:12 p.m. ET, starts the four-minute walk to Studio W, the Chris Berman Studio. We don't go outside, but it's easy to get lost on this walk without following Ocal.

The journey goes past the original SportsCenter panels, the current SportsCenter studio and a Lego wall made by ESPN employees.

In Studio W, where Steve Levy, Mark Messier, Oshie and Kaplan will go on the air during the first intermission of the Flyers-Penguins game, Ocal does a live cut-in to that game on ESPN with some updates of games going on around the League.

So, in the end, Ocal was on two shows on separate channels, ESPN and ESPN2, in a span of 10 minutes with a four-minute walk in between. He jokes that it's ESPN history.

"Now it's a frenzy"

Back in the control room, and back from a break at the top of the hour and they go right to the Florida Panthers-Anaheim Ducks game with Buccigross and Weekes talking over the action. It's a quick change to side-by-side power plays in the Ducks-Panthers game and the Penguins-Flyers game.

Schuman stands up and says, "We need some goals here."

Doesn't happen in that game, but they go to Carolina where they get Jordan Martinook going on a breakaway and scoring on Akira Schmid.

Seconds later, Matthew Knies in Toronto and Josh Doan in Buffalo score almost simultaneously.

"Now it's a frenzy," Schuman says.

Chaos ensues as the Penguins tie the game in Philadelphia, the Flames tie it in Toronto and some animosity plays out at the end of the period in Buffalo.

Alex Ovechkin is close to taking the ice in Dallas, looking for his 900th goal, and the Penguins and Flyers are heading to overtime in Philadelphia, which in here is called Game 1, because it was supposed to be the first game of the night until Toronto and Calgary moved up the start time since the Toronto Blue Jays are playing in the World Series.

Chaos in Philadelphia

Overtime starts in Philadelphia, and they go live to it with Buccigross talking over it.

Kris Letang had a breakaway but didn't score and a referee raised his hand.

"PENALTY SHOT," multiple people scream in the control room.

Then Evgeni Malkin scores. But the whistle blows. It's quiet in the control room as they're listening to the officials describing what happened, that it was an illegal substitution by the Penguins and Dave Jackson talking about it on ESPN.

All of that goes on, with Jackson and Ray Ferraro explaining that it's still a 4-on-3 power play for the Penguins, but in the control room they just stay on the game, not needing to do much because they were live on the action on Frozen Frenzy.

Since the Penguins-Flyers game is on ESPN, they go away from it during breaks in the action but go back to it when it starts again. They don't want to miss what could be the first overtime goal of the night, but they don't want to just stay on it when it's also on the main network.

Schuman is imploring someone to score in Philadelphia, hoping for no shootout.

Wish granted, almost. Tyson Foerster scores with 24.4 seconds left and there is applause in the control room, not because the Flyers won but because it was an overtime goal live on Frozen Frenzy.

Except that didn't happen. Review. Offside. Shootout.

Shooting for 900

We head downstairs to the second floor to the control room producing the Capitals-Stars game remotely. We're there for the first period.

"Ovi is on the ice," one producer yells out in the first two minutes of the game.

It's clear here that it's all about Ovechkin.

As Ovechkin leaves the ice, a producer tells the person doing the live graphics that when Ovechkin is on the ice to leave his 899 goal graphic up instead of the shots on goal graphic, and the bug with his name and number over him as he skates so the viewer can find him.

The game was on ESPN News as the Flyers-Penguins game ended, but they come back from the first commercial break and make sure Bob Wischusen, who is calling the game with A.J. Mleczko in Dallas, mentions that they're on ESPN now and Ovechkin is one goal from 900.

There is excitement when the Capitals go on the power play at 9:32.

"One look (at the penalty) and then we'll point to Ovi," the producer says.

There is the graphic. There is his name over his head.

Ovechkin fumbles a puck on the power play in a shooting position. Mleczko tells the control room she wants that replay. Next break, there it is.

Nine-hundred doesn't happen in the first period. So we go down to the first floor to catch Buccigross and Weekes live in action.

Inside the freezer

It's cold in Studio F, a Weekes preference. He wants the studio to be cold, and ESPN delivers for him.

"It's definitely in the 60s," Schuman says, smiling. "It's definitely cold."

We catch Buccigross and Weekes as the clock strikes 9:30 p.m. ET, three and a half hours into the Frenzy, as they're watching overtime between the Panthers and Ducks at Amerant Bank Arena.

They make a seamless transition to Connor Bedard scoring to put the Chicago Blackhawks ahead 3-0 in Chicago. You wouldn't know it from the studio, but Schuman is talking to Buccigross and telling him where they're going and signaling him the transition.

Sitting in a chair well off camera, you can hear Schuman's messages to Buccigross coming through a machine that another production staffer controls in the studio. They call it a McCurdy machine, but really it's just a comms machine that allows for two-way talk backs.

A note is passed to Buccigross during the Panthers-Ducks shootout indicating it's the first time on Frozen Frenzy they have had two shootouts. The other was in the Penguins-Flyers game.

What you also don't see is that under the coffee table in front of the hosts is Buccigross' Celsius energy drink. The chicken parm is coming out next, a special delivery from Ocal.

Two games left to start

With 14 of 16 games having started, during a break at 10:11 p.m. p.m. ET they're talking about the two that haven't started and discussing mentioning those games, especially the game live on ESPN, which is San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings.

There is a push tonight to honor Hockey Fights Cancer and Schuman is giving Buccigross a message that they're going to Rogers Arena in Vancouver, where they're doing a celebration of Hockey Fights Cancer.

As the break continues, the Colorado Avalanche score against the New Jersey Devils to go up 3-0, but it's under review.

They're back, going to Vancouver, and out of this they're going to Game 8.

Game 8 is Minnesota Wild vs the Winnipeg Jets. Each game is on its own box across two screens labeled 1-16 in order of start time.

When the game ends, the box it was assigned to goes dark.

At this point, approaching 10:30 p.m. ET, six boxes are dark, eight are active with games, one has a pregame show in Seattle and one is a standing NHL on ESPN bracket. That's the Sharks-Kings game, the last ESPN game of the night.

There are eight screens in the bottom right that are for replays; those are labeled TEAL, BLUE, PINK, YELLOW, GOLD, SILVER, LW AND R. They can queue up replays on those.

So, when Schuman says, "We're going to Game 8, R," it's pretty easy to understand when you're sitting here and you know where to look.

There are also screens labeled UTIL 1 and UTIL 2. Those are used to show special moments such as players walking in or shots from the dressing room before the game or in between periods.

For example, the Kings players recently were shown on UTIL 1 walking into SAP Center in San Jose wearing Los Angeles Dodgers jerseys.

Ready for the Commish

It's 10:36 p.m. ET and they're going to a commercial break just after showing Mika Zibanejad put the New York Rangers ahead 1-0 in Vancouver. The control room is abuzz as they prepare for their live interview with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

The commissioner already is on the Zoom call from home and he's talking with Buccigross and Weekes during the commercial break. As this is getting set up, the Capitals and Stars are preparing to get the third period under way.

"It would be amazing if Ovechkin did it with Bettman on air," Nick Licalzi says.

Bettman comes on at 10:38 p.m. ET, when the Dallas Stars and Capitals take the ice.

As Buccigross and Weekes interview Bettman, the control room is taking stock in what's happening, including overtime starting in Minnesota, a fight in Vancouver, Ovechkin on the ice in Dallas, the Devils scoring two goals in Denver to make it 5-4, an empty-net goal for the Detroit Red Wings and the Utah Mammoth scoring in Edmonton against the Oilers.

The interview ends at 10:44 p.m. ET and they have to catch up with it all, starting with overtime on delay in Minnesota before getting to all the goals. Meanwhile, Brandon Hagel is ready to come on live from Nashville after scoring in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 5-2 win against the Nashville Predators.

The Lightning's plane is taking off at 11:05 p.m. ET. Hagel is set up to come on at 10:50 p.m. ET.

Hoping to catch 900 live

Coming out of a break early in the 11 o'clock hour they want to go to their own game live, Stars-Capitals, which is also on ESPN, and the hope is that they'll catch lightning in a bottle and get Ovechkin's 900th goal live on the Frozen Frenzy.

Meanwhile, Connor McDavid scores in Edmonton, so Schuman says next whistle in the Capitals-Stars game they're going to show No. 97's goal in Edmonton, which is the 90th goal of the night.

In the control room they're hoping for at least 100 goals, and they're feeling good about it with the Sharks and Kings just getting under way. San Jose is scoring 3.22 goals per game and allowing 4.67 coming into the night.

Back to Ovechkin, who passes from his office to Tom Wilson in front during a power play. It's quiet in the control room as everyone watches to see if they'll see history. The Capitals chase the puck back to the defensive zone and the power play ends, meaning it's time to move on.

But three minutes later the Capitals pull the goalie down 1-0 with 1:40 left and the game is back on the Frenzy with Ovechkin coming on for Logan Thompson. The Capitals call a timeout, so they switch to the Avalanche-Devils and catch a live goal from Victor Olofsson.

Back to Dallas, listening in on the ESPN broadcast, tracking Ovechkin for 900.

Tonight is not the night.

Taking it to 12

It's 11:43 p.m. ET and they're talking about when to go off the air. Midnight seems like the consensus.

Schuman says he went into the night hoping the Oilers-Mammoth game would be over by the time they went off the air. But they're also hoping to get to 100 goals on the Frenzy and Olofsson's hat-trick goal to give Colorado an 8-4 lead against New Jersey is the 96th goal.

It's 11:49 p.m. ET.

"Come on, we need some more goals," Schuman says.

McDavid nearly scores in Edmonton. It would have been the 97th goal of the night, which would have been fitting.

It's 11:56 p.m. ET.

The third period has started in Vancouver, where only one goal has been scored. The Montreal Canadiens still lead the Seattle Kraken 2-0 with five minutes left in the second period.

Now they're talking about staying on air until 12:05 to make sure the Oilers-Mammoth game is over before the show goes off.

It's midnight now and there is a double box with the Vancouver Canucks and Kraken each on the power play. Nobody scores, but Utah goes on the power play too so Schuman calls to go to that game, and there it is, McDavid scoring the 97th goal of the night.

But that's the last one we'll see on the Frozen Frenzy. Schuman calls for Buccigross and Weekes to come back on camera to wrap up the show with still some action going on.

It's 12:05 a.m. ET and the Frenzy is off the air.