Wednesday, December 7, 2011

TERRIER TRAVELS - PART 3 - PRE GAME IN KINDERSLEY

The Terrier bus pulled up to the West Central Events Centre at about 5:10pm.

From there, rookies unload the bus, and scratches set up the video equipment in the booth (which I just moved over a few feet, heh heh heh).

The guys shake out the cobwebs from the ride over, tape sticks, and eventually break into a game of sewer ball (kicking a soccer in a circle in an elimination-style tournament, where whoever lets the fall hit the ground is out).

I had planned to interview Tayler Thompson for my first intermission player profile, and got that done shortly after the bus was unloaded. The former Prince George Cougar put up 6 points in his first 4 games as a Terrier, and tonight's game will be his 7th of the season.

Ah, thanks for the coffee Casey!

To talk to a player, it pretty much has to be done as soon as they get to the rink, 2 hours before puck drop. They get into their pre game routines and I hate to break it up. Depending on the team or coach, some teams' players are off limits at the rink before the game. Fortunately, all four of our 'home teams' are all extremely accommodating when it comes to interviews. It's free promotion the way I see it! I typically don't talk to the other teams' players at the rink (although I'm hoping to tomorrow). The broadcast is for our team and their fans and players' families, etc. I rarely even interview the other teams' coaches on regular season broadcasts. For playoffs, I add five minutes to the Pre Game Show and get them both on.

Really, it wouldn't be a bad thing to get both on all season (and it's good to build relationships with other coaches), but everyone's got different routines, etc. And I'm usually okay for content sticking with whoever I'm covering that night.

For Trent Cassan's Pre Game Interview, we always do our chat at about 6:15, right after their team meeting... so that's next on my agenda. I'll have Trent on the Pre Game, Thompson first intermission, and I'll run my Darrell Spelay Hall of Fame interview after the 2nd period. In the regular season, you don't need anything on standby for overtime.

Setting up my gear takes about 3 minutes. It's basically a box with a phone built into it, and room for three headsets. I use two of them for headsets and the other for my recorder/laptop.

Just had a good chat (off the mic) with Kindersley's Taylor Wasden. Went to school with GX94's own Clayton Kroeker and played AAA with Warren Shymko with the Saskatoon Contacts. Seems like a good kid... and he's the only remaining 20 year old on this Klipper team. He's out of the lineup tonight with injury.

Alright... time to talk to the coach.

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