all-female broadcast team for men's sports / Canada / Cassie Campbell-Pascall / Christine Simpson / ice hockey / International Women's Day / Leah Hextall / National Hockey League / Rogers Sportsnet / Ron MacLean / Sandra Prusina / sports / Tara Slone / television / women in broadcasting

National Hockey League on International Women’s Day 2020 Part I: LEAH HEXTALL will partner with game analyst Cassie Campbell-Pascall to call play-by-play of Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada

- by Oliver Tse

Video frame capture from the March 7, 2020 episode of NHL Hockey Central Saturday (which aired on Canadian free-to-air terrestrial broadcast TV networks CBC and Citytv, Canadian all-sports pay TV network Rogers Sportsnet, and U.S. all-sports pay TV network NHL Network) promoting the International Women’s Day special broadcast of Rogers Hometown Hockey on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada on March 8, 2020 featuring an all-female game broadcast crew of rinkside reporter Christine Simpson, game analyst Cassie Campbell-Pascall and play-by-play announcer Leah Hextall. Courtesy NHL/Rogers Media.

By Oliver Tse
Email: workingnow88@workingnow88.com
Twitter: @workingnow88

Originally published on September 26, 2019. Extensively revised on February 27, 2020 and updated on March 2, 3, 6 and 8, 2020 and October 18, 2021.

February 27, 2020 Update: In a press release, Rogers Sportsnet announced that Leah Hextall will call play-by-play commentary of the Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights NHL game during Rogers Hometown Hockey on Rogers Sportsnet with analyst partner Cassie Campbell-Pascall. Christine Simpson has been assigned to the broadcast as the rinkside reporter. The entire production will be staffed by women, led by Executive Producer Alison Redmond, game producer Maria Skinner and director Dawn Landis [on loan from Bell Media’s The Sports Network (TSN)]. Female students from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology will shadow key game production personnel in Calgary.

From left to right: Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) special International Women’s Day discussion panel with host/moderator Ron MacLean and panelists Alison Sandmeyer-Graves, Angela James and Christine Simpson seated in the HNIC studio in Toronto, Ontario on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Panelist Cassie Campbell-Pascall participated from Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. Originally aired on free-to-air terrestrial English-language broadcast network Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Canadian English-language all-sports pay TV network Rogers Sportsnet with simulcast on U.S. pay TV network NHL Network. Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

CALGARY, Alberta – The idea of an all-female broadcast team to call a National Hockey League (NHL) game on television is NOT new, as it had been implemented on Friday, March 7, 2008 (1 day prior to International Women’s Day) when Canadian French-language all-sports pay television network Le Réseau des Sports (RDS) assigned play-by-play announcer Claudine Douville and game analyst/2002 Canadian Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey gold medal-winning head coach Danièle Sauvageau to call the New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning National Hockey League (NHL) game “off tube” from the studio of RDS in Montréal. Host Hélène Pelletier and analyst France St-Louis staffed the intermission studio, while Chantal MacHabée reported from Staples Center in Los Angeles in preparation for the Los Angeles Kings vs Montréal Canadiens NHL game on RDS’ flagship program Le Hockey du Samedi Soir (Translation: Saturday Evening Hockey) on Saturday, March 8, 2008.

From left to right: France St-Louis, Chantal MacHabée and Claudine Douville posed for this publicity photo for Canadian French-language all-sports pay TV network Le Réseau des Sports (RDS) to promote the 1st ever all-female TV broadcast team for a live major men’s professional team sports contest on March 7, 2008. Courtesy RDS/Bell Media.

In this video clip from the April 2018 documentary Pionnières,  Le Réseau des Sports (RDS) play-by-play commentator Claudine Douville shared her thoughts regarding the world’s 1st all-female TV broadcast for a live major men’s professional team sports contest, the New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning National Hockey League (NHL) game, off tube (off monitor) from the studio of RDS in Montréal, Quebec, Canada using video from host broadcaster FSN New York (since renamed MSG+), on Friday, March 7, 2008. Courtesy RDS/Bell Media.

The idea of using International Women’s Day to introduce female sports television commentators on the biggest stage possible by assigning them to call a men’s professional team sports contest would remain dormant for 10 years until 7pm Eastern Time on Thursday, March 8, 2018, when Miami-based sports television executive Juan Carlos Rodríguez launched a coordinated publicity campaign via the Univisión Deportes Fútbol Club talk show on U.S. predominately Spanish-language all-sports pay TV network Univisión Deportes Network (UDN):

Host Xavier Sol (MEX) welcomes play-by-play announcer Iris Cisneros (MEX) during the Univisión Deportes Fútbol Club talk show on U.S. predominately Spanish-language all-sports pay TV network Univisión Deportes Network (UDN) on Thursday, March 8, 2018. Courtesy Univisión Deportes.

…the website of People en Español magazine:

…and various social media accounts to announce that U.S. predominately Spanish-language sports media entity Univisión Deportes had acquired the services of former SKY Sports México play-by-play announcer Iris Cisneros:

Rodríguez would assign Cisneros to call play-by-play of the 2nd half of the Club América vs Club León Liga MX (Mexican First Division) fútbol match on site from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City for broadcast on U.S. Spanish-language free-to-air terrestrial broadcast television network Univisión on Saturday, March 10, 2018.

Including Cisneros, the match telecast would feature 6 sportscasters (3 men, 3 women) with veteran Mexican sports TV play-by-play announcer Pablo Ramírez calling the 1st half of the match, Mexican sports journalist Ana Caty Hernández and former Chilean national team/Real Madrid forward Ivan “Bam Bam” Zamorano analyzing the match from the broadcast booth, and touchline reporters Cristina Romero and Gibrán Araige.

From left to right: match analyst Ana Caty Hernández (MEX), reporter Cristina Romero (MEX) and play-by-play announcer Iris Cisneros (MEX) during the Fútbol Central halftime show of the Club América vs Club León Liga MX (Mexican First Division) fútbol match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The telecast aired on U.S. free-to-air terrestrial broadcast television network Univisión with simulcast on U.S. Spanish-language all-sports pay-TV network Univisión Deportes Network (UDN) on Saturday, March 10, 2018. Courtesy Univisión Deportes.

Because Club América vs Club León was the 4th match of a back-to-back-to-back-to-back quadrupleheader on the Univisión family of networks, Rodríguez used the half time show with Hernández, Romero and Cisneros on set to introduce the audience to Cisneros and to explain Univisión Deportes’ #EllasTambiénJuegan [Translation: They (women) also play] hashtag for the television event.

Furthermore, ALL 8 positions in the control room at the Univisión Network Broadcast Center in Doral, Florida, USA were staffed by women during the match:

Because Rodríguez is in charge of both Univisión Deportes in the U.S. and Televisa Deportes in Mexico, he was able to combine the resources of both entities to put together 4 separate broadcast teams for the France vs Croatia final match of FIFA Men’s World Cup Russia 2018 on Sunday July 15 for broadcast on 5 linear televisions networks in Mexico. Cisneros and Hernández, along with veteran Mexican sportscaster Gaby Fernández de Lara (who was the first woman to call play-by-play of a Mexican First Division fútbol match on television when she called Puebla vs Cruz Azul for Televisa Deportes on Sunday, April 18, 2004), would team up to call the Men’s World Cup Final Match on Televisa Canal 9 (a.k.a. El Nueve) in Mexico. The all-female broadcast would average 1.4 million viewers according to the Nielsen IBOPE television ratings service.

Highlights from Final Match of FIFA Men’s World Cup Russia 2018 (France vs Croatia on July 15, 2018) as broadcast on Mexican free-to-air terrestrial broadcast TV network Televisa Canal 9 (El Nueve). Commentators from left to right: Iris Cisneros (play-by-play), Ana Caty Hernández (analysis), Gaby Fernández de Lara (play-by-play). Video courtesy FIFA/Televisa Deportes.

Rodríguez would reunite Cisneros and Hernández to call the Veracruz vs Santos Liga MX match “off tube” for broadcast on U.S. Spanish-language all-sports pay TV network Univisión Deportes Network (UDN) on International Women’s Day, Friday, March 8, 2019.

From left to right: match analyst Ana Caty Hernández (MEX) (at Univisión Deportes studio in Doral, Florida), reporter Guadalupe Flores (MEX) (at Estadio Luis Pirata Fuente in Veracruz, Mexico), play-by-play announcer Iris Cisneros (MEX) (at Televisa Deportes studio in Mexico City), reporter Karina Herrera (MEX) (at Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico) and host Lindsay Casinelli (VEN) during the Fútbol Central pre-match show which aired on U.S. Spanish-language all-sports pay-TV network Univisión Deportes Network (UDN) on Friday, March 8, 2019. Courtesy Univisión Deportes.

Rodríguez rebranded UDN TU Deportes Network (Translation: Your Sports Network) with new abbreviation TUDN (pronounced TOO-DEH-EN-neh) on July 20, 2019 while keeping the original network slogan Vivimos Tu Pasión (Translation: We Live Your Passion).

Proving that no idea is unique, U.S. English-language sports media entities have also implemented the idea of an all-female broadcast team for men’s professional team sports contests.

FOX Sports (U.S.) Senior Vice President of Production Judy Boyd and Producer Shaw Brown implemented the idea TWICE with Major League Soccer (MLS) broadcasts on all-sports pay TV network FS1 (formerly FOX Sports 1).

Boyd and Brown assigned play-by-play announcer Lisa Byington, analyst Danielle Slaton and reporter Katie Witham to the DC United vs New England Revolution match on Sunday, August 18, 2018:

Boyd and Brown repeated the idea on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, 2019 by assigning play-by-play announcer Jenn Hildreth, analyst Cat Whitehill, and reporter Jillian Sakovitz to the DC United vs Sporting Kansas City match (which was simulcast in Canada on all-sports pay TV network TSN2):

Pay subscription service Amazon Prime Video hired veteran U.S. English-language sports television personalities Hannah Storm (play-by-play) and 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Andrea Kremer (analysis) to call National Football League (NFL) Thursday Night Football (TNF) during the 2018 season “off tube” from the studio of Encompass Digital Media in Stamford, Connecticut:

Amazon Prime Video NFL Thursday Night Football (TNF) analyst Andrea Kremer (left) and play-by-play announcer Hannah Storm inside the sound booth at the studio of Encompass Digital Media in Stamford, Connecticut. Courtesy Twitter.

The Fight: the final 20 seconds of the Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers NFL game on Thursday, November 14, 2019 as called by play-by-play commentator Hannah Storm and game analyst Andrea Kremer off monitor from the studio of Encompass Digital Media in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. Courtesy NFL/Amazon Prime Video.

Storm and Kremer will return to Amazon Prime Video to call TNF for the 2019 NFL season beginning September 26, 2019:

Michelle Gingras of Yahoo Sports interviewed Amazon Prime Video NFL Thursday Night Football (TNF) announcers Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer shortly after Amazon Prime Video renewed their contracts in January for the 2019 NFL Season. Courtesy Yahoo/Oath/Verizon Media.

Rogers Hometown Hockey on Sunday evenings

Opening segment of the Season 6 premiere episode of Rogers Hometown Hockey with hosts Ron MacLean (CAN) and Tara Slone (CAN) inside the mobile studio parked in front of Mold-Masters SportsPlex in Halton Hills, Ontario on Sunday, October 6, 2019. Originally broadcast on all-sports pay-TV network Rogers Sportsnet in Canada with simulcast on pay-TV network NHL Network in the U.S. Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

“Rogers Hometown Hockey: we don’t do hockey, WE ARE HOCKEY.” – Rogers Hometown Hockey host Ron MacLean.
“And the reason this is true, it’s because the writer is YOU.” – Rogers Hometown Hockey host Tara Slone.

After Canadian telecommunications conglomerate Rogers Communications submitted the winning bid of CAN$5.232 billion for exclusive Canadian national video rights to the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2014-2015 through 2025-2026 seasons, former Rogers Media President of Sportsnet and NHL Properties Scott Moore (who stepped down in December 2018) introduced a new weekly Sunday evening sports television event franchise, Rogers Hometown Hockey, to complement the iconic Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) program on Saturdays.

Former Rogers Media President of Sportsnet and NHL Properties Scott Moore. Courtesy Twitter.

Originally aired on free-to-air terrestrial broadcast television network Citytv (with flagship station CITY-DT 57.1 Toronto) during the 2014-2015 season:

Opening sequence of Rogers Hometown Hockey and special first intermission edition of “Coach’s Corner” featuring host Ron MacLean (CAN) and former NHL Boston Bruins/Colorado Rockies Head Coach Don “Grapes” Cherry (CAN) from the mobile studio at Cherry’s hometown of Kingston, Ontario. The Chicago Blackhawks vs Toronto Maple Leafs NHL game aired on Canadian English-language free-to-air terrestrial television network Citytv on December 21, 2014. Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

…Rogers Hometown Hockey would move to all-sports pay-TV network Rogers Sportsnet beginning with the 2015-2016 season.

Rogers Hometown Hockey would aim to connect with young ice hockey television consumers in Canada at the grassroots level by broadcasting from outdoor street festivals in small and medium-size communities across Canada for 25 weekends during each NHL regular season. Each street festival would include activities for children, live music concerts, and watch parties followed by fireworks displays.

Toronto-based agency SDI Marketing would organize each festival by transporting a caravan of trucks, including a red mobile television studio with bullet-proof glass windows, to each stop.

For the sixth season of Rogers Hometown Hockey from October 2019 through March 2020, the trucks will travel almost 24,000 kilometres (15,000 miles) across Canada, including ferry trips to Newfoundland and Vancouver Island.

Map of all 25 stops for Rogers Hometown Hockey Season 6. Courtesy Rogers Media.

Moore would reassign sportscaster Ron MacLean from Hockey Night in Canada to host Rogers Hometown Hockey on location (Moore would reinstate MacLean to host the first half of Hockey Night in Canada from its Toronto studio in October 2016 after a constant barrage of negative feedback from viewers over 2 seasons forced Moore to remove former host George Stroumboulopoulos.)

Moore would also hire singer Tara Slone (who prefers to pronounce her first name TAH-rah) as co-host of Rogers Hometown Hockey. At the time Slone was hired in 2014, she was also co-host of the morning program Breakfast Television on CKAL-DT 5.1 “Citytv Calgary”. Slone would give up that role in August 2015 and relocated to the Toronto area.

During the month of March 2020, Rogers Hometown Hockey is scheduled to spend 3 weekends in the Province of British Columbia, starting with the City of Salmon Arm in the interior of the province on the weekend of March 7-8.

The street festival at Salmon Arm will culminate with the live pre-game show hosted by MacLean and Slone inside the mobile studio on Sunday, March 8, 2020 beginning at 6:30pm Eastern Time (3:30pm Pacific Time in Salmon Arm), with opening faceoff of the Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta scheduled for 30 minutes later at 7pm Eastern Time (5pm Mountain Time in Calgary).

Aerial view of the City of Salmon Arm, British Columbia on the shore of Shuswap Lake. Courtesy salmonarm.ca

“If you don’t trust the singer, you won’t trust the song.” – Hockey Night in Canada and Rogers Hometown Hockey host Ron MacLean.

Opening segment of Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) on April 6, 2019 with host Ron MacLean (CAN) and 85-year-old play-by-play commentator Bob Cole (CAN), who retired after 50 years as one of the voices of ice hockey on Canadian English-language television. The telecast aired across Canada on free-to-air terrestrial broadcast network Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and all-sports pay-TV network Rogers Sportsnet, and across the U.S. on pay-TV network NHL Network. Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

Because the return on investment (ROI) of having the FIRST EVER all-female English-language television broadcast team ON SITE to call NHL, the #1 professional team sports product in Canada, is enormous based on publicity value alone (one retired sports television executive told me that he believes the ROI is at least 10 times the production cost), one would expect the production executives currently in charge of Rogers Hometown Hockey, including Rogers Media Vice President of Sportsnet and NHL Production Rob Corte, Executive Producer Alison Redmond, and Senior Producer Deidre “Dee” Hambly to seriously consider the idea for International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, 2020.

Rogers Media Vice President of Sportsnet and NHL Production Rob Corte. Courtesy Rogers Media.

Rogers Hometown Hockey Executive Producer Alison Redmond. Courtesy Twitter.

Rogers Hometown Hockey Senior Producer Deidre “Dee” Hambly. Courtesy Twitter.

We know with 100% certainty that at least one woman can be trusted to call the Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights NHL game from Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on March 8, 2020 to the highest standards.

Long time Calgary resident, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (2002 and 2006) and six-time International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Champion Cassie Campbell-Pascall has been a fixture on Canadian English-language men’s and women’s ice hockey television since she retired from competitive ice hockey in August 2006, when she accepted an offer from then Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) Executive Producer Joel Darling to join the cast of the Canadian cultural institution as a rinkside reporter during NHL broadcasts on Saturday nights on free-to-air terrestrial broadcast television network Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Former Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) on CBC Executive Producer (2000-2007) and current Rogers Media Executive Producer of NHL Special Events Joel Darling. Courtesy Rogers Media.

An early-season lake-effect snow storm off Lake Erie would present the former captain of the Canadian Women’s National Ice Hockey Team the opportunity of a lifetime to make sports television history on only her second week of the job.

The primary HNIC game analyst/”colour” commentator at the time, Harry Neale, was living across the Canada/U.S. border in East Amherst, New York. The lake-effect snow storm on October 12-13, 2006 dumped 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) of wet snow in the northern suburbs of the Buffalo, New York area. As a result, Neale was unable to leave his house for his assignment to call the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Calgary Flames NHL game at Air Canada Centre (since renamed Scotiabank Arena) in Toronto on Saturday, October 14, 2006 at 7pm Eastern Time.

At 11:30am Eastern Time on game day, Darling would make the decision to assign Campbell-Pascall to the broadcast booth to fill in for Neale. Campbell-Pascall would become the first woman to call an NHL game on television regardless of language.

Recognizing the historic significance of Darling’s decision, HNIC host Ron MacLean interviewed Campbell-Pascall during the pre-game show to calm her down and to make her feel that she belonged in the broadcast booth. Play-by-play announcer Bob Cole then guided Campbell-Pascall throughout the live game broadcast to keep her out of serious trouble.

Frame capture of the broadcast booth at the Foster Hewitt Media Gondola of Air Canada Centre (since renamed ScotiaBank Arena) in Toronto, Ontario from the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Calgary Flames NHL game broadcast on Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC) on free-to-air terrestrial broadcast network CBC on Saturday, October 14, 2006. Play-by-play commentator Bob Cole (CAN, upper row, 2nd from left). Game Analyst: Cassie Campbell-Pascall (CAN, upper row, 3rd from left). Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)/Rogers Media.

The Toronto Maple Leafs vs Calgary Flames NHL game from Air Canada Centre (since renamed ScotiaBank Arena) in Toronto, Ontario as broadcast on Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC) on free-to-air terrestrial broadcast network CBC on Saturday, October 14, 2006. Play-by-play commentator: Bob Cole (CAN). Game Analyst: Cassie Campbell-Pascall (CAN). Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)/Rogers Media.

Game analyst Cassie Campbell-Pascall (left) and play-by-play announcer Bob Cole from the broadcast booth at Bell Centre in Montréal, Quebec prior to the Montréal Canadiens vs Chicago Blackhawks NHL game on Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC) on free-to-air terrestrial broadcast network Citytv on Saturday, March 16, 2019. The broadcast was the final time Campbell-Pascall and Cole teamed up to call an NHL game, as Cole retired on April 6, 2019. Courtesy Cassie Campbell-Pascall via Instagram.

In an interview with host Rita Celli of the Ontario Today noon-time program on CBO-FM 91.5 “CBC Radio One Ottawa” on Monday, October 16, 2006, Campbell-Pascall recounted her experience from her history-making HNIC broadcast:

In recent years, Campbell-Pascall has worked as the game analyst for regional telecasts of Calgary Flames NHL games on regional sports network Rogers Sportsnet West, mostly on weekends when former New York Islanders/Los Angeles Kings/San José Sharks goaltender Kelly Hrudey is not available due to his HNIC studio analyst assignments in Toronto.

Highlights of the Calgary Flames vs Anaheim Ducks NHL game from Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta as broadcast on Canadian English-language regional sports network Rogers Sportsnet West on Friday, March 29, 2019. Play-by-play commentator: Rick Ball (CAN). Analyst: Cassie Campbell-Pascall (CAN). Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

In addition, Campbell-Pascall has been assigned to call national television broadcasts of NHL games such as the HNIC broadcast of Montréal Canadiens vs Chicago Blackhawks on March 16, 2019:

Highlights of the Montréal Canadiens vs Chicago Blackhawks NHL game from Bell Centre in Montréal, Quebec as broadcast on Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC) on free-to-air terrestrial broadcast network Citytv on Saturday, March 16, 2019. Play-by-play commentator: Bob Cole (CAN). Analyst: Cassie Campbell-Pascall (CAN). Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

…and the final Rogers Hometown Hockey Season 5 broadcast of San José Sharks vs Calgary Flames on March 31, 2019:

Highlights of the San José Sharks vs Calgary Flames NHL game from SAP Center in San José, California as broadcast on Rogers Hometown Hockey on Canadian English-language all-sports pay-TV network Rogers Sportsnet on Sunday, March 31, 2019. Play-by-play commentator: Rick Ball (CAN). Analyst: Cassie Campbell-Pascall (CAN). Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

As for the rinkside reporter position for the Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights NHL game broadcast on International Women’s Day, Sunday, March 8, 2020, one logical candidate is 54-year-old Canadian sports television personality Christine Simpson, who joined Rogers Sportsnet (then known as CTV Sportsnet) when it was launched on October 9, 1998. Simpson has worked as host, features reporter and rinkside reporter for sports television entities in Canada and the U.S. for the past 21 years.

Video frame capture of sportscaster Christine Simpson seated in the studio in Toronto during a Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) special International Women’s Day discussion panel which aired on free-to-air terrestrial English-language broadcast network Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and English-language all-sports pay TV network Rogers Sportsnet in Canada on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

February 27, 2020 Update: In a press release, Rogers Sportsnet CONFIRMED that Christine Simpson has been assigned to the Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights NHL game broadcast on International Women’s Day, Sunday, March 8, 2020 as the rinkside reporter.

Reporter Christine Simpson (CAN) interviewed NHL referee/Halton Hills, Ontario native Wes McCauley for this “Home Team Heroes” feature which aired during the second intermission of the New York Islanders vs Winnipeg Jets NHL game from Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Originally aired on Canadian English-language all-sports pay TV network Rogers Sportsnet with simulcast on U.S. pay TV network NHL Network on Sunday, October 6, 2019. Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

From left to right: Rogers Hometown Hockey co-host Tara Slone, studio analyst/three-time Olympic Gold Medalist/five-time IIHF World Champion Jennifer Botterill and reporter Christine Simpson appeared on the morning program Breakfast Television on CITY-DT 57.1 “Citytv Toronto” with host Roger Peterson inside the mobile studio at Simpson’s hometown of London, Ontario on Friday, October 10, 2014, two days prior to the premiere episode of Rogers Hometown Hockey. Courtesy Rogers Media.

Reporter Christine Simpson (CAN) interviewed NHL Tampa Bay Lightning radio analyst Caley Chelios (USA) during second intermission of the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Tampa Bay Lightning NHL game from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario. Originally aired on Canadian English-language regional sports network Rogers Sportsnet Ontario on Monday, March 11, 2019. Courtesy National Hockey League (NHL)/Rogers Media.

As for the play-by-play announcer position, only 3 Canadian women have prior professional experience calling play-by-play of ice hockey games on English-language television and/or Internet streaming video.

One of these women is Montréal-based radio personality Robyn Flynn, who was the former play-by-play voice of Les Canadiennes de Montréal of the now-defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL).

Montréal-based Bell Media radio personality Robyn Flynn. Courtesy Twitter.

Game 2 of the Les Canadiennes de Montréal vs Markham Thunder 2018 CWHL Clarkson Cup Semifinal Series at Complexe Sportif Bell in Brossard, Quebec on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Play-by-play announcer: Robyn Flynn (CAN). Analyst: Jared Book (CAN). Courtesy CWHL.

Because Flynn is currently employed by Bell Media at news/talk station CJAD-AM 800 and all-sports station CKGM-AM “TSN 690”, she is NOT available to Rogers Media. Flynn’s best chance to call ice hockey television play-by-play will be with Canadian English-language all-sports pay TV network The Sports Network (TSN), which has video rights to the Canada-USA women’s ice hockey “Rivalry Series”, as well as the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia next April.

September 28, 2019 Update: on August 29, Bell Media President of Media Sales, Marketing and TSN Stewart Johnston hired veteran entertainment executive Nathalie Cook as Vice President of TSN Production and Digital Strategy. Cook, who returns to TSN for her second stint (she was Vice President of Sales and Brand Partnerships in 2013-2016), is now in charge of ALL on-air talent recruitment and management for TSN. Cook replaced 52-year-old former TSN executive Mark Milliere, who was removed by Johnston on March 26 after the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) arrested Milliere on March 11 for allegedly Driving Under the Influence (DUI) when the FHP pulled Milliere over at 11:30pm for driving his rental vehicle without turning on the headlights. Milliere eventually pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of reckless driving and was sentenced to a fine of US$1,000 and 4 hours of online traffic school. Needless to say, the time for Robyn Flynn to act if she wants to call women’s ice hockey play-by-play on TSN is NOW.

Bell Media Vice President of TSN Production and Digital Strategy Nathalie Cook. Courtesy Bell Media.

Can Rogers Sportsnet trust Leah Hextall to call NHL TV play-by-play?

Video frame capture of game analyst Cassie Campbell-Pascall (CAN) and play-by-play announcer Leah Hextall (CAN) during the Calgary Inferno vs Les Canadiennes de Montréal Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) Clarkson Cup Final game broadcast on Canadian English-language all-sports pay-TV network Rogers Sportsnet with simulcast on U.S. pay-TV network NHL Network at Coca Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario on Sunday, March 24, 2019. Courtesy CWHL/Rogers Media.

Before stepping down in December 2018, Moore had essentially written a blueprint for the Rogers Hometown Hockey NHL game broadcast on International Women’s Day, Sunday, March 8, 2020, as he had in mind former Rogers Sportsnet and New England Sports Network (NESN) host/reporter Leah Hextall (who prefers to pronounce her first name LEE-ah) as a candidate for the play-by-play announcer position:

“There’s no question we wanted to make a statement with this…We wanted to develop the expertise of having a female play-by-play person in particular. Leah Hextall has a deep résumé in hockey, and she was interested in developing her play-by-play skills. Clearly with Cassie (Campbell-Pascall), we have one of hockey’s top broadcasters regardless of gender.” – Former Rogers Media President of Sportsnet and NHL Properties Scott Moore in an interview by reporter Rachel Brady of The Globe and Mail newspaper on March 23, 2018.

Hextall, who took a communications position with the Government of Manitoba in Winnipeg after budget cuts forced Rogers Sportsnet to part ways with her after her contract expired in June 2016, was assigned by Moore and Corte on a freelance basis to call play-by-play of 8 CWHL games on Rogers Sportsnet during the past 2 seasons before the CWHL folded.

The final CWHL telecast, the 2019 Clarkson Cup Final on Sunday, March 24, was seen by 175,000 viewers on English-language all-sports pay-TV network Rogers Sportsnet and French-language all-sports pay TV network TVA Sports in Canada. U.S. pay-TV network NHL Network simulcast the 2019 CWHL Clarkson Cup Final for the only time in CWHL history.

From left to right: host Caroline Cameron, rinkside reporter Nikki Reyes, studio analyst Natalie Spooner, game analyst Cassie Campbell-Pascall, studio analyst Jennifer Botterill, associate producer Michelle Methot, and play-by-play announcer Leah Hextall prior to the Rogers Sportsnet telecast of the Calgary Inferno vs Les Canadiennes de Montréal CWHL Clarkson Cup Final at Coca Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario on Sunday, March 24, 2019. Courtesy Rogers Media.

Furthermore, Coordinating Producer John Vassallo of U.S. all-sports media conglomerate ESPN, Inc. would assign Hextall to call 3 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Men’s Ice Hockey East Regional tournament games from Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island on March 30-31, 2019 for broadcast on U.S. all-sports pay-TV networks ESPNEWS and ESPN2. This would be the most challenging assignment of Hextall’s career, as she had never broadcast U.S. men’s college ice hockey tournament games prior to the assignment and she would be required to call play-by-play of back-to-back games of a doubleheader on March 30 with a break of only 40 minutes between games.

Video frame capture of play-by-play announcer Leah Hextall (CAN) and game analyst Billy Jaffe (USA) during the Providence College vs Cornell University NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey East Regional Final game broadcast on U.S. English-language all-sports pay-TV network ESPN2 at Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island on Sunday, March 31, 2019. Courtesy NCAA/ESPN, Inc.

One day prior to her first U.S. Men’s College Ice Hockey play-by-play assignment, Hextall would post her thoughts on the ESPN Front Row website to acknowledge members of her extended family (which included her grandfather, Hockey Hall-of-Fame inductee Bryan Hextall and her cousin, former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender and General Manager Ron Hextall) as well as her industry colleagues who opened the door for her to become the first woman to call television play-by-play of U.S. Men’s College Ice Hockey games.

I have objectively reviewed Hextall’s ice hockey television play-by-play performances from March 2019 to be able to conclusively answer the question:

Can Rogers Sportsnet trust Leah Hextall to call NHL TV play-by-play?

Based on overwhelming video evidence, I have to answer NO, as Hextall’s play-by-play work was nowhere close to being good enough for even the men’s professional ice hockey minor leagues such as the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) or the American Hockey League (AHL), much less the NHL.

Specifically, Hextall repeatedly lost track of the action and had to be bailed out multiple times by her analyst partners Cassie Campbell-Pascall (during the CWHL broadcast) and Billy Jaffe (during NCAA Division I Men’s broadcasts).

3 examples from the 2019 CWHL Clarkson Cup Final illustrate the issues Hextall had with keeping track of the action:

1. During the 5th minute of the 1st period, Sarah Lefort of Montréal was penalized for hooking Blayre Turnbull of Calgary in front of the Montréal goal. Hextall misidentified the player penalized as “Rebecca Leslie” even though the TV director in the production truck had switched the game video feed (which was shown on the monitor in the broadcast booth) to an ice-level close-up of Lefort. Campbell-Pascall had to correct Hextall immediately.

2. During the first minute of the 3rd period, Hextall would lose track of the referee positioned at the Calgary goal line who waved off the Montréal goal (due to interference of Calgary goaltender Alex Rigsby in the blue goal crease by Montréal forward Hilary Knight) and she had to ask Campbell-Pascall for help. Campbell-Pascall saw the referee’s signal in real time and she relayed her observation to the viewers with no hesitation.

3. During the 7th minute of the 3rd period, Hextall was caught by surprise by the goal scored by Calgary forward Zoe Hickel. 6 seconds would elapse after the puck had crossed the goal line before Hextall was able to identify Hickel after the post-goal celebration scrum ended.

On the following weekend, Hextall had the same issues with keeping track of the action she had during the CWHL broadcast. 2 Examples:

1. 27 seconds into the first period of the Providence College vs Minnesota State University at Mankato game on Saturday, March 30, 2019, Hextall would lose track of the action in front of the Minnesota State goal and she had to be bailed out by analyst Billy Jaffe who saw the referee’s illegal hand pass signal:

2. During the 9th minute of the 3rd period, Hextall would lose track of Providence forward Tyce Thompson on the far side of the ice as he scored the power play goal. 8 seconds would elapse after the puck had crossed the goal line before Hextall was able to identify Thompson after the post-goal celebration scrum ended.

February 27, 2020 Update: Leah Hextall tweeted on February 15, 2020 that she had been working on her play-by-play commentary skills each weekend since October 2019 by calling Manitoba Junior Hockey League games involving the Steinbach Pistons in Steinbach, Manitoba, which is located 66 km (38 miles) from Winnipeg. Steinbach Pistons play-by-play commentator Dave Anthony stepped aside each weekend and served as the analyst for Hextall.

How much has Hextall improved since her shaky performances in March 2019? The viewers will find out on Sunday, March 8, 2020.

Is another female candidate available to call play-by-play of Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights NHL game on Rogers Sportsnet on Sunday, March 8, 2020?

CKAL-DT 5.1 “CityNews Calgary” reporter Sandra Prusina reporting from the unveiling of the Canada Post “Women in Winter Sports” postage stamps series at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in Calgary, Alberta on January 24, 2018. Courtesy Rogers Media.

Calgary-based CFFR-AM “660 News” radio anchor, CKAL-DT 5.1 CityNews Calgary television reporter and Sportsnet.ca website contributor Sandra Prusina was the former play-by-play voice of the CWHL Calgary Inferno for 3 seasons (2016-2019) before the CWHL folded.

During the 2018-2019 CWHL season, Prusina called play-by-play of 3 Inferno home games on Rogers Media’s all-sports radio station CFAC-AM “Sportsnet 960 The Fan” with analyst Jenna Cunningham. Prusina also hosted the weekly Saturday afternoon magazine program Inside the Inferno on CFAC-AM.

Former CWHL Calgary Inferno radio game analyst Jenna Cunningham (left) and play-by-play announcer Sandra Prusina. Courtesy Rogers Media.

Furthermore, CWHL Toronto Furies General Manager Sami Jo Small hired Prusina to call play-by-play of 3 Calgary Inferno vs Toronto Furies games (1 regular season game and 2 playoff games) played at WinSport (Canada Olympic Park) in Calgary for Internet streaming on YouTube.

Game 3 of the Calgary Inferno vs Toronto Furies 2019 CWHL Clarkson Cup Semifinal Series at WinSport Arena A in Calgary, Alberta on Sunday, March 10, 2019 as streamed on YouTube. Play-by-play announcer: Sandra Prusina. Courtesy CWHL/Toronto Furies.

Game 1 of the Calgary Inferno vs Toronto Furies 2019 CWHL Clarkson Cup Semifinal Series at WinSport Arena A in Calgary, Alberta on Friday, March 8, 2019 as streamed on YouTube. Play-by-play announcer: Sandra Prusina. Analyst: Jenna Cunningham. Courtesy CWHL/Toronto Furies.

Calgary Inferno vs Toronto Furies CWHL regular season game at Joan Snyder Arena (a.k.a. WinSport Arena B) in Calgary, Alberta on Sunday, December 16, 2018 as streamed on YouTube. Play-by-play announcer: Sandra Prusina. Analyst: Carla MacLeod. Courtesy CWHL/Toronto Furies.

Having reviewed video of Prusina’s play-by-play work during the 2018-2019 season, I have noticed that Prusina does NOT have the issues Hextall has with keeping track of the action. Furthermore, I have noticed that Prusina’s play-by-play is smoother and more confident than Hextall’s play-by-play.

But is Prusina’s play-by-play good enough for Rogers Sportsnet to trust her to call an NHL game, especially a nationally-televised game during Rogers Hometown Hockey on International Women’s Day?

We don’t know yet because:

1. Prusina has never called play-by-play of a men’s ice hockey game at any level from a big NHL arena such as Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary. The jump from CWHL to NHL is huge, as the NHL is much faster and much more physical than women’s ice hockey (which does not allow violent bodychecking.)

2. Prusina has never worked with Campbell-Pascall. Are they compatible with each other, or will there be “chemistry” issues if they were paired?

Because Rogers Sportsnet has only once chance to deploy the “right” female play-by-play announcer for the first ever English-language all-female NHL game broadcast on site, I suspect that Corte, Redmond, Hambly and/or Darling would want to find out as soon as possible whether Prusina, who has lived in Calgary her entire life and has worked for Rogers Media for the past 10 years, can call ice hockey play-by-play well enough to not just call one NHL game each season (on International Women’s Day with Campbell-Pascall), but to call television play-by-play of at least one NHL playoff series each season for Rogers Sportsnet to the highest standards.

One way to find out whether Prusina can meet the highest standards is to use empty broadcast booth space during an upcoming NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary for Prusina and Campbell-Pascall to call the game for private video so that Rogers Sportsnet production executives can evaluate the quality of their work.

If neither Prusina nor Hextall were not able to meet those standards, then Corte does have the option to abandon the all-female broadcast team idea and assign Calgary Flames regional television play-by-play announcer Rick Ball to call the Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights game on March 8, 2020.

Video frame capture of NHL Calgary Flames regional television play-by-play announcer Rick Ball (CAN). Courtesy NHL Network.

February 24, 2020 Update: Rogers Hometown Hockey host Tara Slone tweeted photos from the interview she and host Ron MacLean conducted with Women’s Sports Foundation and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) founder Billie Jean King in New York City. The interview is expected to air on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2020.

Related: National Hockey League on International Women’s Day 2020 Part II: Who will call play-by-play of Chicago Blackhawks vs St. Louis Blues on NBCSN in the U.S.?

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National Hockey League on International Women’s Day 2020 Part II: KATE SCOTT will call play-by-play of Chicago Blackhawks vs St. Louis Blues on NBCSN in the U.S.

About Oliver Tse

Oliver Tse operated Oliver Tse Management Group in 2006-2009 to secure product endorsement opportunities for poker players and broadcast talent appearing on televised poker events such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the World Poker Tour (WPT), and the NBC Sports National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Among his clients were 3 out of 9 players at the 2007 WSOP Main Event Final Table airing on ESPN (including the champion), the first woman to win a mix-gender WPT event (at the 2008 WPT Celebrity Invitational), and the first female sportscaster on U.S. Spanish-language television who made a successful career switch to poker announcing and hosting and became the original “Voice of Poker in Latin America.” Tse’s clients were deployed as brand ambassadors to emerging international markets for poker including Germany, Russia, Brazil, and Mexico. From 1995 through 2007, Tse founded and operated soccerTV.com, an Internet-based marketing business of televised soccer products for clients including ESPN, FOX Sports, and GOLTV. Tse holds a master’s degree in Financial Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and a master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Tse currently lives in San Francisco.

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