'NHL On TNT' Studio Director Shares How The Show Balances Hijinks With Sharp Analysis

Yahoo

17-05-2025

Next Tuesday, the 46th annual Sports Emmy Awards will be handed out in New York City.
This year, the studio team at the NHL on TNT received its first-ever nomination for its coverage of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
They're up against some heavy hitters: ESPN's College Gameday, the road to the Final Four on CBS and TNT, and the studio shows for the NBA and MLB post-seasons.
With the 2025 NHL playoffs currently in full swing, it's unclear right now whether the TNT crew will be able to make it to the ceremony.
'With conference finals starting next week, right now we're really in the grind with getting ready,' said Morgan Weinbrecht, who has been the show's studio director since its inception.
A former associate director at TNT's acclaimed Inside the NBA, Weinbrecht is already a nine-time Emmy winner. She has also worked on the network's March Madness coverage and previously at ESPN.
An Atlanta native, Weinbrecht caught the hockey bug after her puck-loving husband took her to a Nashville Predators game. Now, she's at the forefront of a studio show that balances hijinks with sharp analysis, amid a heavy dose of unpredictability that often leads to viral moments that break the internet.
Last Sunday, the Florida Panthers' 2-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs served up a golden opportunity to throw a post-game birthday party for Brad Marchand – much to the chagrin of unabashed Leafs supporter and panelist Paul Bissonnette.
Bissonnette's fearlessness and willingness to let himself be the butt of the joke makes for entertaining and unpredictable television. But that's not all he brings.
'You can't teach somebody to be that kind of personality and be genuinely one of the kindest, sweetest human beings,' said Weinbrecht. 'That's something that endears us all to him more, and I truly believe it comes across on camera. Not a day goes by that he doesn't come into the studio and fist-bump every single crew member and ask them about their family or some conversation that he remembered that he had with them weeks ago.
'I would copy and paste that across all of our crew, but when you have someone that wild… I jokingly asked him, two years ago at the Winter Classic, 'Can we hang you from the Space Needle to do a hit?' He was, like, 'Yeah, let's do it.' And I was like, 'I was kind of kidding, but now that you're in, maybe we need to look into this.' He's game for anything.'
Over four seasons, Bissonnette has become an astute analyst.
'He's also probably one of the most particular while watching the game,' Weinbrecht said. 'He wants specific camera angles. He wants to say specific points. His breakdowns are flawless and very, very thorough. I think people don't give him enough credit for his hockey knowledge.'
The NHL on TNT is a collaborative effort. Anyone can pitch an idea, then the group will ideate to make it the best that it can be.
Weinbrecht has been on board since Day 1 in 2021. She helped create the look and feel of the show and has been hands-on as studio director for regular-season and playoff games, Winter Classics, the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2023 Stanley Cup final.
'When you're sitting down and watching a studio show, or a game, everything you physically see is my job, and every story that you hear is the producer's job,' she said. 'And then, those two things come together.
'We don't use a lot of graphics on our show. We like to think of ourselves as a bit more talk show/entertainment. That allows me to really get in with the cameras and how we shoot the guys – and you don't always see the talking head. Sometimes Hank (Henrik Lundqvist) is making fun of Biz, so I'm taking a shot of Biz because you want to see his reaction – you want to see him take the jab that's being thrown at him.
'It's so collaboratively creative. It takes all of us together to make the final product.'
Pushing the envelope and being unpredictable can sometimes lead to unexpected outcomes.
'Every time that any of them have broken the set, it was never intentional,' she said. 'I think a lot of people are like, 'Oh, you guys set that up,' and I'm, like, 'No, I really don't want them to break thousands of dollars' worth of technology equipment for fun'. There's plenty of things we can break for fun. That isn't it.'
Looking ahead to the rest of the playoffs, the studio team will remain in Atlanta for TNT's conference final games, then move onsite for the Stanley Cup final, with Wayne Gretzky once again joining the panel.
'There's nothing like taking the show and putting it down among the fans and being able to watch the guys interact with the fans,' Weinbrecht said. 'Wayne Gretzky is just one of the kindest people you will come across – he stops all the time, and he takes photos, and he loves being in front of a crowd. It's great to bring it out there and be able to bring all that energy and excitement and connect with the fan bases.'
The 46th annual Sports Emmy Award ceremony will be streamed live on Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. ET on theemmys.tv.