National Takeover; locals off TV is a tough transition for fans.

Fans struggle with different announce teams every night, while missing the guys who got em here. As a former NHL play-by-play man, let me try and walk you through it.

Me, 2017, doing my first game for the LA Kings (Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio) I would do about 30 games that season for the ailing Bob Miller.

The great Dick Enberg, a top-notch big-game caller for everything from Wimbledon, to the Super Bowl, and the Final Four, said, “national guys are liked… local guys are loved…”

I was mostly a local guy. 25 years in the booth with the Stars franchise, a half a season with the LA Kings, and one stray game calling it for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021, means I understand what it means to broadcast to a home audience. It was really fun being a part of a community and being - loved.

I also did well over a hundred national/international radio and television broadcasts for NHL Network, NHL Radio, NBC Radio and Westwood One. I have experience then calling games for competing fan bases and multiple stake holders. I hope they liked me… it’s a different job.

Enberg knew his stuff. And my brother, as a beer vendor in Arizona working a big sporting event years ago, found Dick and got me this autograph, complete with his signature catch-phrase “Oh My!”

I was lucky growing up in the Twin Cities. We had excellent local sports broadcasters, including Ray Scott, Ray Christensen, Joe McConnel, and Al Shaver.

Those guys got me through the tough ones - and with the Vikings especially - there were more than a few tough ones. Still are. Now it’s Paul Allen, living and dying with all of us, as he calls Vikings games on KFAN. I love PA.

Locals also share our joy in victories. You’ve seen the video of Josh and Razor calling Game 7’s third period. They say what we’re thinking, but sometimes unable to articulate. They amplify what we feel. They were - I was - one of us. I worked hard to stay objective - but I knew my audience and my employer, and I enjoyed being in it with everyone.

So I’m like you. I don’t want to hear other broadcasters when I watch my team play. Especially in deep playoff runs. National broadcasters don’t know my team. They haven’t watched what I watched. They’re not invested.

To be fair to the national broadcasters - the way it is now - the way we cover and schedule national announcers during the playoffs - it’s hard for any of them to be invested in any specific team or series. In Round 2, we don’t have dedicated announce teams for each series. Because we have a split deal, two US national NHL rights holders, that’s impossible. Continuity is gone until the Conference Finals and Cup Final.

So this is the round where everyone gets shuffled about, moved from series to series, and often, with different broadcast partners, and/or producers. This isn’t optimal.

The NHL needs to look at this, because fans are teeing off, again, on national rights holders and talent, and nobody is happy. Why do they do it this way and what can be done?