At least in today's snowy backwoods of Maine, it does seem to this
observer that we're getting a good dose of great college hockey
recently...
 
Sports Channel New England -- I've recently watched delayed broadcasts
of the Michigan/Michigan State and LSSU/Vermont games.  Both great
games.  The referee in the Michigan/Michigan State game was Piotrowski
...  easily my favorite ref over the years ...  Prime had him "miked"
and allowed us to hear much of the on-ice banter ...  good going Prime!
 
WABU(TV68)/(&Prime?)/(Maine Ch2&6 delayed broadcast) -- The BU/Maine
championship of the Great Western freezeout.  Comments on HOCKEY-L on
the quality of WABU broadcasts were right on target ...  excellent!
Mike Eruzione is the best color commentator anywhere.  Even though this
was a BU broadcast, knowledge and recognition of Maine players was
excellent.  I hope they work former Bangor and Portland sports guy
Howard Green (roving reporter) into future broadcasts some more.
Replays and graphics were excellent.
 
Bangor WZON (AM62) -- This is the first year of WZON doing Maine ice
hockey ...  but they've gone at it expertly and with passion.
Play-by-play Joe Carr and color analyst Joe Clark know hockey, but just
as importantly, they can transmit the flow and excitement of the game to
the listener.  Joe Carr, a veteran HOCKEY-L participant, makes sure the
Maine fan has a good understanding of the rest of college hockey and
Maine's place in it.  They do all Maine home and away games (away games
such as at AK and CA with different announcers).  Both the Alaska
announcer and the Freezeout announcer (from Princeton?) were good, but
made me thankful for our duo.  By the way, WZON has expanded the
"expected" 15 minute pre-game show to a half hour.  Joe Carr does a
wonderful job with this segment.  Following the normal post-game wrap-up
is a call-in show with Coach Shawn Walsh and WZON's Dale Duff ...
arguably the best interviewer in the area.
 
Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving Holiday as much as I did ...
 
Wayne Smith
The College Hockey Discussion List administrator
Systems Group - CAPS              BITNET/CREN:  wts@maine
University of Maine System        internet:     [log in to unmask]