That ship has sailed

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Like players and coaches, I too was extremely motivated to make my mark at the NHL level.

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In the spring of 2005, I sent a resume to the Nashville Predators. Why Nashville? At the time it was a newer franchise, a smaller market and a radio opening existed. After several phone conversations with the director of broadcasting, I was invited along with color analyst Roger Snow to meet for a face-to-face interview when the Predators made a stop in Vancouver.

The meeting took place in a downtown hotel. It was a chance to meet and discuss the position. Snow and I also had the luxury of sitting up in the press box at Rogers Arena that night, as guests of the Predators, to watch them play the Canucks before touring the Fox Sports Tennessee broadcast production truck, which only piqued our interest further.

Long story short, the Predators eventually hired sportscaster Eli Gold, the radio voice of University of Alabama football and a member of NASCAR‘s Motor Racing Network.

Fast forward to 2010, when Edmonton Oilers legendary radio voice Rod Phillips announced his retirement. On a whim, I threw my hat into the ring and was flown into Edmonton by the Oilers to meet then vice president of broadcasting Allan Watt.

Nervous as all get out with the possibility of being hired, I remember a sleepless night in a downtown hotel before Watt picked me up in the morning. A touch younger and less outgoing than I am today, I interviewed poorly and knew my fate was sealed even before I flew back to Kelowna.

Jack Michaels was awarded the job a few weeks later after receiving a typed letter in the mail from Watt saying I indeed did not get the job.

Then in the spring of 2021, during the pandemic, I received an email from the Oilers asking if I would be interested in apply for the radio position, with the suggestion that Michaels was moving over to Sportsnet to do television. I am not sure why the time line was so tight, but my decision had to be made in a week.

Two things crossed my mind. I hadn’t called a live hockey game in over a year with the WHL forced to shutdown due to COVID. More importantly, in the best interest of my family, which I would have to leave behind in Kelowna, I would be housed in a hotel next to Rogers Place for three months with the hope of being retained at the end of the bubble season.

I love Kelowna. My wife holds a terrific job at the UBC-Okanagan. Throwing away 20 years of Kelowna Rockets hockey for what I was told during the interviewing process was a ‘possible’ permanent position was far too risky.

After seriously considering the proposal in front of me, I called up the Oilers, reluctantly, and told them I was out of the running.

At the end of the day, I had to ask myself if I really wanted it. Was I motivated for the right reasons? Did I have a deep desire to call games at the NHL level, or was I pushing myself because people expected it?

Honestly, after much soul searching, it was the latter.

Fast forward to today, I feel confident in my decision – now.

This summer the Kelowna Rockets broadcast rights changed hands and I am still in the same city, calling games for the same team, yet I’ve been reborn from a broadcasting perspective by joining the exciting team at Pattison Media at 104-7 The Lizard, who share the same enthusiasm for the team that I do.

Looking back, I got my shot. I was fortunate to be considered three times for an NHL broadcast position.

Many in this businesses are not afforded that same luxury.

As the saying goes, sometimes the best move is the one you don’t make.

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