Can't make it to a game at the Bearsden? The Bears Hockey Radio team have you covered with live audio coverage of all Bears games at the Penrith Ice Palace in 2016 Mixlr and the Mixlr phone app, as well as selected road games.
And in another exciting first, Bears Hockey will be heard on terrestrial radio for the first time with at least two games being broadcast on Sydney radio station Hawkesbury Radio 89.9FM.
The audio coverage which goes under the name of “Bears Hockey Live” began their second season behind the microphone for the 2016 Wilson Cup opener against the Ice Dogs. The team will cover all Sydney based Bears games in the Wilson Cup as well as the Final on April 16, before launching into the season proper with the home opener between the Bears and the Brave on April 24.
Once again the team will be led by Julian Daw of ABC Grandstand, bringing his professional broadcasting experience from sports such as NRL, AFL, A-League, Tennis and Baseball, Julian will once again serve as the head play by play caller for Bears Live. 2015 was his first year behind the microphone in the AIHL which was another addition to his growing portfolio of highlights.
Joining him will be Eric Brook, Social Media Co-ordinator for the Bears since late 2014. Eric made his debut last year as colour commentator and even called a couple of games play by play. An avid podcaster, Eric is no stranger to a microphone and will again call a few games this season, including games in Perth and Brisbane. He will be keeping a close eye on the Bears' form both at home and on the road as he helps keep the fans informed online.
The team will be anchored by Hawkesbury Radio Sports Director and Chief rugby league caller Nick Kutnjak. Serving as the glue that holds the team together, Nick will host the majority of broadcasts in 2016 as well as call a few games. You’ll also see him at ice level as a roving reporter. His technical skills behind the scenes hosting rugby league broadcasts is good preparation for Bears Hockey Live.
Fans will be able to take part in more ways during Bears Live during 2016. The team have had special guests visit and started taking part in post game interviews late in 2015. 2016 will see additional interviews and special guests including potential guest voices from other teams. In an AIHL first listeners will be able to call the commentary team directly and have their say about the game and the league before and after periods of play. Previously, interaction has been text based only from a live chat and also via Twitter. “I’m really excited about the open phone line aspect to the coverage” said Daw. "Never before has there been a phone in forum for AIHL fans both at home and abroad to voice their opinion about whats happening in the league, it’s going to be so cool to have that!
Eric Brook has been busy keeping up to date with the Australian hockey scene over summer. "Overseas, the Australian womens team and the Mens Under 18 team both won Gold in their divisions in World Championships. The Mens team will be in Mexico for their Worlds and it would be great for them to get gold as well. Meanwhile, Sydney teams made the Grand Final in the Australian womens and junior competitions."
Keeping abreast of developments in the Australian Ice Hockey League is a job in itself inside & outside of the Bears organisation. The Bears Hockey Live team pride themselves on being able to talk about both teams before, during and after the game. "It's part of our commitment as we present Australian hockey to the world" said Daw. “AIHL fans deserve the best coverage of the league possible and that’s something I’m very passionate about. We’re unique in that we talk about the league during our coverage which starts before puck drop until well after the game. For some people, we are an important source of news about the Bears and other teams."
Even passionate Bears fans can't make every game due to life in a busy city. This is where Bears Hockey Live provides a key difference being an audio coverage compared to video. Players are always on the move during a game and the team realise that their fans are out and about too. "We've had people listening in while they work and cheering from afar", Brook explained. "We have a lot of listeners tuning in from overseas after other competitions have finished for their seasons. Families of imports like to hear how their family member is going. We've even had the Bears GM listening in while he's out and about in the car. Feedback from other teams has been good, too."
Opposition teams and their fans even tune in. "Eric and I were calling a game against the Thunder last year. Players who didn't make the trip were listening and commenting in the chatroom, bantering with Bears fans", Kutnjak remembers. "We are pleased that we can give people a chance to listen to the action like what happens in other national competitions. I haven't called a Bears win doing play by play yet but I'm looking forward to it!". Listening to the game live provides a way for interstate teams to experience the game from afar.
2015 had pretty of memories for the team as the Bears went up and down the ladder. Eric Brook remembers the trip to Adelaide where he joined Adrenaline's Social Media Manager and caller, Eric Balnar. "Eric was wonderful. He's passionate about calling the action and being brought up around the game as a Canadian is a benefit that he has that Julian, Nick and I don't. It was thrilling to be a part of calling the Bears first win of the year after 5 straight losses. That day really helped boost our coverage and the Bears season. It also exposed many of our fans and team staff news and action from on the road live from Adelaide."
Closer to home, Julian Daw's season highlight was the Bears' first home game of 2015 against the Melbourne Mustangs. "Before we knew it, the Mustangs were up by 3 goals. The first period was insane with so many goals scored. We had NHL players in the building watching the game and both teams really put on the goals. We had no idea what the final score was going to be. It did calm down somewhat after the NHL guys left."
Brent Burns certainly had a lot of action to watch during that period. It was later reported that he would have loved to have been on the ice himself. It was the Bears' version of Burns that was a highlight of the season for Brook and Kutnjak.
"Bondy (Bears defenceman Paul Bond) was shaving his beard for charity after the last home game against the Melbourne Ice. During the game, we had Nick in the grandstand wirelessly and it was fun listening to him in the stands", Brook retells the story. "After the game, I went down for post game interviews and the shaving. I was commentating about Bondy losing his beard and couldn't hear what Julian & Nick were saying and how they were reacting in the CCP (Central Commentary Position). I listened back later and it was very funny. The mood changed from sadness from a shootout loss and missing the finals to laughter and joy. The remote person couldn't hear the commentators which made things interesting."
"I never thought we'd hear someone describing a hockey player as a good style of a bloke, especially during game coverage!", Kutnjak laughed. "But it happened! We didn't know what was going to happen after that game during the shaving. Having the roving person being able to hear the commentary team this year is going to be great for everyone."
That game led to the team to look forward towards the coming season during the long off-season with the addition of a new mobile studio set up. The team will have the capability of roaming around the Ice Palace for interviews and special comments. "We can use our experience that we've gained in various sports and bring that to this league." said Julian Daw. “What’s exciting is that we are going to travel to a few other rinks across the country and call games there as well. We’re going to try some new things this season that we are really excited about."
Bears Hockey Radio coverage commences 30 minutes before the scheduled start of games to preview the action and bring the fans late team news. Coverage concludes with post game analysis and interviews. Bears games which featured as the AIHL Game Of The Week will not air live however will be recorded for future broadcast.
Hear all the action: http://mixlr.com/sydney-bears
Follow the action via Twitter:
Bears: @sydneybears http://twitter.com/sydneybears
Bears Live Team: @bearshockeylive http://twitter.com/bearshockeylive
Julian Daw: @juliandaw http://twitter.com/juliandaw
Eric Brook: @erkpod http://twitter.com/erkpod
Nick Kutnjak: @nkutnjak http://twitter.com/nkutnjak
Photo by Injected Ideas Photography
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