Kyle,you've been the voice of the Tiger Sharks since the start of the first season. We can't imagine listening to anyone else call the exciting play-by-play action as well as you do; you draw all of your listeners into the game as if they were there with you. Tell us a little bit about where you grew up and how you got interested in hockey.
I grew up in Wisconsin in a little town called Elefield right outside Milwaukee. I grew up on a lade called Pewachee Lake. My dad and brother got me started in hockey when I was about 3 or 4 years old. We had a boathouse on the lade and my dad would put a plastic liner on the floor of the boathouse and flood it with the water hose. While my brother was skating on the lake,I first learned how to skate inside that boathouse on my "rink".
How did you get started in broadcasting professional hockey games?
This is a good story. I was working in the corporate world,for a company called Research Products Corporation out of Madison,Wisconsin. I was selling industrial air purification products and I got fired from that job. I ended up selling heating and air conditioning for about one year out in Southern California. But,I just woke up one day from a job that I hated and decided I needed to do something that I really wanted to do. There were some things that I had always wanted to try,and one of them was broadcasting. I had several people tell me that I had a good voice,plus I'd always liked the game of hockey. So,I went down to Radio Shack one day and picked up a tape recorder and went to the hockey league that I played in (in California) and started doing the play-by-play. I eventually signed up for a sports broadcasting class at Santa Monica Junior College and that helped bolster my confidence. I then moved back home to Wisconsin at 28 years old and got to meet the General Manager of the Milwaukee Admirals. He gave me a press pass and I got to sit up in the stands for a whole year practicing my play-by-play at games. I got my tape together and sent it out to all of these different ECHL teams and it so happened that a guy I had met when I was in California knew Tim Mouser who was the first GM of the Tiger Sharks. I sent my tape to him and he called me one day,asking me for a video,just to see that I didn't have 3 eyes or something. He said if he liked what he saw,then he would hire me. So I sent the tape down,and the job was mine. He started me at $300 a week,plus my housing was paid for. So the first broadcast I ever did was here in 1994,when the Tiger Sharks played the Birmingham Bulls.
Did you ever play organized hockey? What position?
Yes. I grew up playing all my life. When I was 9 or 10,I played for a team called the Madison Lakers. We had the best team in the state of Wisconsin. Gary Suiter was on that team,he plays for the San Jose Sharks now. His dad was our coach. I played small time college hockey up at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse and I wasn't very good. I was too slow and afraid to go in the corners. I was great at pond hockey,but not too great at the college level. I was always a winger,a left wing. But I could play center too.
What is the one incident that stands out in your mind as the most unusual occurrence at a game? This could include on-ice fights,injuries to players or fans,off-ice incidents,etc. I know the bench-clearing brawl that the Tiger Sharks had with the Ice Gators a few years back was a spectacle.
That fight was definitely one of the highlights,without a doubt that was the biggest fight I've ever called to this date. I've seen some pretty wacky things. I was in Las Vegas,Nevada calling the Utah Grizzlies game and there was a stop in action and the door opened and an entire marching band came out single file and marched around the rink. It must have been some kind of promotion,but it was pretty crazy.
Tell us about a typical home-game day for you and what you do to prepare.
In the past,there have been so many things to do,I would have to get here really early in the morning. In the minor leagues,you usually have to wear a lot of different hats. It's much easier now than it used to be with all of the excellent help we have around here. This year I come in around 9:00 (provided I wasn't on the road and got in at 5:00am) and set up my radio gear to make sure there are no problems. I then do any pre-game interviews after the team's pre-game skate,I usually do about 2 or 3. Then I check on any promotions that might be coming up that night. Then I'll go get a bite to eat and come back and prepare for the game. I take a look at the statistics,team rosters,and try to memorize the players names. Then I edit my pre-game interviews and take a look at the radio log. Then it's time for the game.
Besides broadcasting,what other roles do you play in the organization?
Well,I do corporate sales in the summer. I've been here longer than anybody,so I have a pretty good working knowledge of everything that goes on. I like to think of myself as a utility player around here. I help out with sales,promotions,public relations. Wherever there is a need,I always put my two cents in.
Do you travel with the team on the bus for away games?
Yes,I travel to every game. I've seen every minute of every single game.
What do you think about this year's team so far; will we make it to the playoffs?
I think it's the best team we've had since I've been here. I say that because of the character we have in the locker room. Everyone wants to be here and wants to play. All the guys like the coach and like to come to the rink. We don't have any trouble-makers on the team; everyone pulls together. I think this is a team that could really do some damage,and I'm excited about the direction we are heading this year.