NBC’s Cup announcer choice currently on ice

NBC plans to wait until later in the NHL season before deciding who will follow the legendary Doc Emrick as the TV voice of the Stanley Cup, The Post has learned.

The leading candidates are Kenny Albert, Brendan Burke and John Forslund. Mike Tirico, who is the face of NBC, still can’t be ruled out because he has done games, but with the Summer Olympics scheduled so close to the Cup final, he is not the favorite at the moment.

If Tirico wants to add the Stanley Cup to his résumé, however, he probably could make it happen.

As it stands, the situation is in flux for a variety of reasons as NBC formulates its plans. The network wants to show deference to Emrick, arguably hockey’s all-time best play-by-player. NBC’s contract with the NHL ends at the conclusion of this year. And, perhaps most importantly with the pandemic still ongoing, it is possible the schedule could be disrupted. As of right now, the Stanley Cup would conclude on July 9 at the latest.

The Summer Olympics are slated to begin two weeks later on July 23 in Tokyo.

Albert, the Rangers’ radio play-by-player, has been doing a conference final on NBC for years, which would make him the most seamless choice to move into Emrick’s seat. Burke, the upand-comer, calls Islanders TV. Forslund left his position doing Hurricanes games. All have been featured on NBC’s regular-season and playoff coverage.

There is mutual interest from NBC and the league to extend their relationship. ESPN and Fox, however, could be involved in deals, and the NHL has been said to want to have multiple national partners.