Cam Neely and Bobby Farrelly, together again... with Mike Richter in the mix as well.
That’s what you’ll see during tonight’s NBCSN Rivalry Night broadcast between Boston and Pittsburgh, as the first of three Thanksgiving Showdown commercials -- starring Neely, Richter and directed by Farrelly, he of “Dumb and Dumber” fame -- will go to air.
“I’m a hockey nut. So when the NHL and NBC approached me to direct the commercial and said it would feature Cam Neely and Mike Richter, I was flattered,” said Farrelly. “It was a pleasure to work with two hockey greats to promote a game featuring two legendary teams, including my beloved Bruins.”
This year’s Thanksgiving Showdown goes on Friday, Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. ET with a playoff rematch between Boston and New York. The lead-up ads feature family relatives from Boston and New York carrying their personal Bruins-Rangers rivalry to Thanksgiving dinner, with Neely and Richter trying to intervene.
“We were just throwing barbs at each other – things you say to any one of your friends,” Richter told Variety. “It wasn’t hard to quickly come up with spirited comments about Boston and, for sure, Cam Neely had plenty to say about New York.”
If you aren’t able to catch tonight’s promo, don’t worry. Three 30-second TV spots, two 15-second commercials and a two-minute extended version will run across the broadcast, digital and social media platforms of the NHL, NHL Network, and NBC Sports Group.
The NHL has tweeted out a few images for your perusal:
What cakes do you think #Bruins and #NYR alums would bring to the @Discover NHL #ThanksgivingShowdown. Answer: pic.twitter.com/AQw9LSfrAh
— NHL (@NHL) October 30, 2013
Why not play street hockey to prepare for #NYR vs. #Bruins at the 2013 NHL #ThanksgivingShowdown on Friday 11/28. pic.twitter.com/rpGpzbaZTc
— NHL (@NHL) October 30, 2013