Both Conference finals series to start on Sunday

Sunday, May 16 looks to be a great day for hockey fans. Both the Western and Eastern Conference finals will begin on then, with the Blackhawks-Sharks tilt appearing on NBC at 3 PM ET. Here’s the news from the NHL.

The National Hockey League today announced that the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final, featuring the San Jose Sharks vs. the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Eastern Conference Final, featuring the Montreal Canadiens vs. the winner of the Boston Bruins-Philadelphia Flyers Conference Semifinal series, will begin Sunday, May 16.

The Sharks will host the Blackhawks at 3 p.m., ET in Game #1 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday. The game will be televised exclusively on NBC in the U.S. and TSN and RDS in Canada.

Meanwhile, either the Bruins or the Flyers will host the Canadiens Sunday at 7 p.m., ET. That game will be televised exclusively by VERSUS in the U.S. and by CBC and RDS in Canada. Every playoff game also can be heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

Naturally, we’ll have plenty of coverage for tomorrow’s unexpected Game 7 between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. More on that game (as well as the two conference finals series) to come.