Mike Milbury will fill in for Eddie Olczyk as NBC NHL color analyst

If you were somehow hoping to hear more of Mike Milbury during NBC’s NHL broadcasts this season, you’re in luck. The longtime studio analyst is moving into the booth to fill in for color commentator Eddie Olczyk while he receives cancer treatment, reports USA Today’s Kevin Allen.

“When you have a problem, someone has to fill in,” Milbury said. “I’m a little nervous about it. It’s not something I’ve done a lot of. But the good news is when you are sitting next to someone as polished and celebrated as Doc Emrick you can just ride shotgun and not worry much. I hope.”

Olczyk, who has long called national games with Emrick for NBC along with his local work covering the Chicago Blackhawks, was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. He expects to return to broadcasting when he’s ready, but it’s not clear when that will be yet.

Rather than turn to a more seasoned color analyst to join Emrick on NBC’s top broadcast team, the network is going with Milbury, an outspoken former GM who has been part of their studio coverage for years. He’s become known for his controversial comments, such as when he called Predators star P.K. Subban a “clown” for dancing on the ice during pregame warmups in April.

Milbury has a style that’s divisive, to say the least, and it appears NBC won’t be avoiding that. He’ll be on even more now as a color commentator than he was as a studio analyst, where his air time was limited to intermissions and pregame and postgame shows.

“You do have time to tee the ball up (in studio),” Milbury said. “(In the booth) you have to hit the pitch when it’s thrown and where it’s thrown.”

NBC reportedly gave Milbury a schedule through New Year’s Day, so that gives you a rough idea of when Olczyk could potentially return to the booth. But in the meantime, Milbury will have lots of time to try to win over all those who haven’t been fans of his work in the studio. We’ll see how that goes.