On the road with Hockey Night in Canada

Game 7

2006-06-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

Here's the end of the long two-month journey known as the Stanley Cup playoffs:

Going back to Raleigh...Raleigh

2006-06-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Back on the road again...
I'm back on the road again...
I haven't seen my apartment in two months...
I haven't seen my darling for an extended period of time in two months...
But the finals have been a good experience....
I've experienced the loudest crowds I have ever heard in my short time working hockey...
I've met and talked to some influential people in and around the NHL...
Some things baffle me though...
How Carolina hasn't been able to win its fourth game?
How do reporters come up with new stories after six games of hearing the same rhetoric?
How did the Hurricanes keep Erik Cole's return so secret?
When during my period on the road did a plate of fries become a "healthy meal?"
If the Oilers DON'T win Game 7, I'm totally abandoning my belief in momentum.
At least, I'll know for sure the Stanley Cup is going to be presented on Monday. And, hopefully, I'll be on the ice or in the dressing room, bearing witness to a little hockey history.
I'll keep you updated.

Game 5...

2006-06-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

I was ready to jump on the ice. Oh yes, I was.
But Fernando Pisani threw a wrench in those plans, didn't he?
I mean, a short-handed overtime winner? Who would have thought...wait a minute that has happen before in this playoffs, hasn't it.
It doesn't matter than I had my bags all packed and ready for a trip home to Toronto. Now I'm convinced this series is going seven games. There's no way the Oilers can lose at home. Momentum is a huge advantage in the playoffs and Pisani's winner swung some of it in Edmonton's direction. In their mind, nobody expects them to win now so it's a matter of just playing....It's Carolina that has to win that deciding game.
The Stanley Cup was in the building, but I wasn't able to see it. I just missed it as it was being put back into its case.
So we're back to Edmonton now. We're off on the NHL charter at 7:15 a.m. tomorrow.
I'm getting real good at packing efficiently, I'll tell you that.

On the road again...

2006-06-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is going to be a quick post again, folks. I have to get up tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. to catch a charter back to Raleigh.
Here's my rambling thoughts after tonight's game.
- If Carolina doesn't get caught up in all of the excitement, its going to win the Stanley Cup on Wednesday.
- The Edmonton Oilers need to find a way to score on the power play to prolong this series.
- I firmly believe the Oilers would have been in the same position even with Roloson in net. Markkanen has done an admirable job.
- Rexall Place and RBC Centre have to be two of the loudest rinks I've ever been in.
- I literally got goosebumps on the back of my neck when I heard the Oilers crowd singing the national anthem for the first time in Game 3. It's an experience I won't soon forget.
- The Staal family is bound to become hockey royalty. Jordan was at the game tonight and he looks like he has the maturity to step right in and handle the media pressure.
- My vote for Conn Smythe? Rob Brind'Amour.
- Most underrated player in the playoffs? How about Cory Stillman, who got two points last night.
- If Carolina wins the Cup, I'm going out on the ice and nothing is going to stop me from getting my picture out there.

Good ol' Edmonton

2006-06-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, I don't know Edmonton really well. This is my first time here. But I sure wish the weather was a hell of a lot better.
For the past two days it's been rainy and windy -- quite a contrast to our experience in Raleigh where shorts and t-shirts were the norm.
Upon my first few steps into the Northlands...ahem....Rexall Place, instantly recalled my first time in Maple Leaf Gardens.
All of the new arenas have the same look and feel. They're all built in the same cookie-cutter mold with no touches of intimacy or coziness. Rexall Place, on the other hand, has history.
Television technicians don't have it easy; they had to uncoil miles of cable to make sure everything is connected and working in time for tomorrow. When I left at 5 p.m. today, they were still working hard and diligently.
I hope some people recognize their hard work.
As for the game, I'm guessing Jussi is getting the start again. I didn't get to watch Craig MacTavish's press conference today; I was busy setting up a Headliner interview.
But I did get to walk Cam Ward's sister and mother to the press conference area so they could watch him answer questions from the media. You could tell they are a very close family.
"I haven't seen that goof since February," said one of his sisters. "I want to give him a big hug."
Oh, back to the goaltender front, I really think that Ty Conklin needs another chance. Sure, he screwed up big time, but if you look at the two remaining goalies, Conklin is the better choice.
He struggled this season with injury and inconsistency, but he has performed spectacularly in the past and was a No. 1 goaltender for the Oilers in the past.
Conklin, as it has been pointed out, is accustomed to pressure on the big stage. He led the United States to the bronze medal at the 2005 world championships and was named the tournament's top goaltender.
But what do I know, really? I'm just a humble associate producer experiencing his first Stanley Cup final.

Game 2

2006-06-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry, dedicated readers, this is going to be a short one.
It's 12:30 a.m. and I have to get to bed so I can catch the charter tomorrow. We're leaving the hotel at 6:45 a.m. for a 9 a.m. flight. It's expected to take 4 hours and 45 minutes.
So, from a television production stand point on my end, Game 1 was much like Game 2. I did a little editing, some panic runs to the truck to obtain information and exchanged good-natured barbs with the HNIC staff.
The game itself was pretty boring. I would like to see Edmonton win, I'm not going to deny that, but if anything I wanted to see either a repeat of Game 1 or at least a tight one-goal affair.
Didn't get any of that tonight. But did you know what I did get? A few pictures. When I get a chance, I'll download everything to my laptop so the Internet world and can see life behind the camera lens.
Okay, enough babbling, I've got to get to bed. Sorry. I'll make it up with my next post tomorrow.
Over and out...

Off-day...on work.

2006-06-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

I guess some of you are reading this so-called blog. I've received a number of e-mails, especially in the last day, about this site. All I can say is thanks. I'm glad that this little experiment is paying off.
Life on the road with Hockey Night in Canada is a busy experience and I write this thing before I go to bed. Some of them have, admittedly, been written in a drunken haze. I've noticed a couple of typos in past entries, so please ignore any in this one or any future entries. I just let my thoughts pour out on my typewriter. I don't copyedit.
So, what did I do on the off-day? I returned to the rink, of course. This time, we covered practice and shot an interview with one of the Carolina Hurricanes (I'm not saying who).
For those wondering, Dwayne Roloson did talk to the media and it looks like he is in fact out for the series. He was limping pretty badly when he walked up to the podium to address the large contingent of television, newspaper and online reporters.
So is it Jussi or Ty tomorrow night? Coach Craig MacTavish didn't say, but the smart money is on Jussi.
Conklin screwed up big time yesterday, although some would say it was just as much Jason Smith's fault and Markkanen would give the Oilers a clean slate to start on.
The big problem is that neither of these goaltenders have seen ANY playing time in the last month and a half. Both are really rusty and it's hard to believe that either of them have the mental toughness to withstand the pressure of playing in the finals.
But, we will see. Some of the crew think that Edmonton will bounce back. Some think it's wishful thinking and as one reporter said, "The Oilers are done like toast."
What do I think? This year's playoffs have been so weird and wild, I think ANYTHING can happen. You can't forget that everytime a team has changed goalies in this year's post-season, it's worked for them.
It certainly worked for Carolina in the first round with Cam Ward.

Game 1

2006-06-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

Ever spend three hours doing something, come back home and then say to yourself: "Did I really see that?"
Well, I'm experiencing that right now.
My first game of the Stanley Cup final was memorable. Very memorable.
For the first three rounds, I held the role as font co-ordinator/statistician. I would sit high up in the booth in Bob Cole and Harry Neale, doing out little tidbits of information as the game progressed.
For this round, not only am I shooting and producing features, but I'm following around sideline reporter Elliotte Friedman, making sure he gets to his position on time, and co-ordinating our efforts with the television truck. So for a majority of the game, I sat with him and analyst/former goaltender Kelly Hrudey watching the game in section 101, in the middle of those crazy (some would say drunk) Carolina fans.
I've never been to Edmonton, but I'm thinking these fans (called Caniacs by some) can give them a run for their money. I've never a crazier response when Rod Brind'Amour scored with 32 seconds remaining.
Elliotte and I were preparing for an overtime interview when that happened. Then our focus changed. We would have asked Brind'Amour for the interview, but since OLN has priority for games in the United States, we got Ray Whitney, who scored two goals.
I just would have loved to be a fly on the wall in that Carolina dressing room. On the other hand, what do you think happened in that Edmonton room?
Not only did they lose the game in heart-breaking fashion, but Conn Smythe candidate Dwayne Roloson is gone for the rest of the playoffs.
Who's going to step up? Ty Conklin certainly didn't make a good impression tonight. One of our analysts, I'm not saying who, is guaranteeing that Markkanen will start in Game 2.
Wow. I know I said that before, but WOW. What a dramatic way to start the finals.

I know, I know

2006-05-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

For you regular readers out there, I know what you're thinking: why in hell isn't Jason writing anymore.
Well, I got sidetracked. I spent the past two and a half days in the lovely city of Buffalo covering Games 3 & 4 with HNIC.
I can't say that Buffalo is the best city to spend three days in, but we made the most of it. Hit a couple of bars after Game 3 with a few friends from the crew (including one who insisted on buying drinks the whole night) and spent my day off modeling jeans from the Gap at the Galleria Mall.
By the way, I've come to the conclusion that men should never, ever wear tight-fitting jeans. Especially when it accentuates certain parts of someone's...ahem...anatomy.
After Game 4, collegues Jim Hough, Mike Dodson and I drove back to Toronto. And now, here I am. I have a short sleep before I return our rental car to the airport and drive off to Raleigh.
I've never covered a game there before, but I've been told there's not much to do in terms of night life. But the crew meal is apparently to die for.
And in television, there are two things people are always talking about: the crew meal and the hotels.
I'll be in touch soon.

New post

2006-05-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

So I've been told by numerous people that I need to update my blog. Well, here it is. But be warned: It's not Shakespeare.
Because we've got a more than capable stats guy out west, I'm holding down the fort here at CBC Toronto and I'm going to be working some games of the Carolina - Buffalo series.
Many of you are wondering why the East Conference final is split between two networks.
Well, I'm not an official on our NHL contact and the dealings of CBC, but based on my understanding it's that we have first priority over everything in the NHL playoffs. We can take basically everything we need and then hand off the rest to TSN.
Before the playoffs even started, CBC Sports made a committment to air five hockey games a week to the main network. Since the main network is depending on us to deliver on our promise to fill that huge hole in the programming schedule, we picked up a couple of games of the East series.
A Buffalo - Carolina series is intriguing from a real hockey fan's standpoint, but I don't know if a lot of Canadians are going to watch this series. Judging on the first game alone, it'll be a treat to watch from the booth.

Bye, bye Ottawa

2006-05-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm home now. I can't say the last two days have been very much fun for me. I caught a cold or flu or something on the way back from Buffalo and I've been battling it since.
I listened to the radio on the way to the airport yesterday and everyone has been cutting up the Senators. Well, I'm going to defend them.
Yes, they blew a sure win in Game 1. Yes, they've couldn't find a way to score at even-strength. And yes, Daniel Alfredsson looked awful in four of the series' five games.
But let's look at the positives in all of this. Three games went to overtime in the series and every one of them was decided by one goal. If it were not for a few twists of fate, the Senators could still be in this series.
By the way, what was Wade Redden thinking on that final goal? And Ray Emery. Jason Pominville's winner should have been just a routine play. There's no way he should have scored at that angle.
But Pominville's goal allowed me to take a few days off in preparation for the next round. I've been so busy, I don't know what to do with myself. This apartment of mine needs serious cleaning, but....that television looks so good right now.
Maybe I can watch something other than hockey.

Up and at 'em

2006-05-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll admit it. It's been awhile since my last post. But I have a good excuse. I've been travelling.
The life of an associate producer during the 2006 playoffs is about being on the road. People were talking sweep in Buffalo on Thursday, but the Sens surprised everyone in taking Game #4. What that meant was more work for me.
After I packed up and spent about 20 minutes waiting for the media elevator (I swear it's one of the slowest in the league), I hopped in a car with producers Sherali Najak and Jim Hough for a drive back to Toronto.
Jim, if you're reading this, I just want to let you know nobody drives 100 km on the 401. The transport trucks were even passing us.
Jim dropped me off in front of my apartment around 1 a.m., but I didn't have a long sleep. I woke up around 7 a.m. for my flight to Ottawa in two hours.
No rest for the weary, right?
When we landed, producer Elliotte Friedman, cameraman Mark Punga and I drove to Scotiabank Place for a couple of interviews -- one sitdown -- to feed back to the plant in Toronto. The day for Punga and I ended around 5 p.m. We were so tired that we had trouble keeping our eyes open driving back to our hotel. Needless to say, I had a long nap. Actually, maybe too long. I got up around 9 p.m. and now I'm wide awake.
Maybe I'll take a sleeping pill...

Game 3 debacle

2006-05-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm in Buffalo now. I can't say I like the city much and I wasn't too happy with the result last night.
Being down 3-0 is humiliating for the Senators, one of the Stanley Cup favourites, and it's funny that they could be up by three games in the series if it weren't for a few twists of fate.
What if Connolly and Drury didn't score in Game #1?
What if Ryan Miller didn't stand on his head in Game #2?
And what if J.P. Dumont's fluky shot didn't flutter over Ray Emery's shoulder?
All of this is just fodder for Ottawa writers and the sports talks shows.
This won't be a long post, because I'm getting prepared for yet another game. We're playing back-to-back games because of arena availability.
I kind of stayed out last night to watch the San Jose - Edmonton 3OT thriller, so my head is a little foggy. Or, it may be the six beers I consumed at the bar. Hard to tell...
I'm staying in Buffalo, right?

Game 2 debacle

2006-05-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

Anaheim - Carolina final...here we come.
Okay, maybe I'm being a little melodramatic here. But that's how many people feel after watching Ottawa fall behind 2-0 to the Buffalo Sabres.
The Senators are done. Kaput. Washed up. They just can't beat Ryan Miller. At least, if you were at the bar in Ottawa last night, that's all you heard.
Seeing as I have a few too many beers in me, this is going to be a short post. I can't think straight after consuming too many pops.
Drinking and writing is a dangerous combination. I might write something I regret. Good thing God invented the delete button...or was it Bill Gates.
Whatever, I'm getting off topic. The entire HNIC crew was hoping for a split in Ottawa, mainly because we knew we wouldn't have to carry as much luggage back to Buffalo. Now seeing that there's a real possibility the Sabres might sweep, everyone is bringing their trucks with them. Because flights to Buffalo are a hassle, the crew is flying off to Toronto tomorrow...er...this morning around 10 a.m., then renting vans to drive to Buffalo. Not only is it cheaper this way for good ol' mother Corp., but it's faster.
Okay, I wish I could continue, but my eyes are getting heavier by the second. It's time for sleep. Night y'all. I'll keep posting when I'm available.

Are my eyes deceiving me?

2006-05-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, that has to be one of the most f*#%@ games, I've seen in awhile.
Everyone expected a lot of offence from Buffalo and Ottawa in the Eastern Conference semi-final, but I don't think anyone foresaw the events of Game 1.
Simply put, the Ottawa Senators self-destructed. All they needed to do was hold on for a minute and they would have taken a 1-0 series lead.
That last minute was a wild ride, as the Sabres tied it on a short-handed goal, lost the lead with the Sens still on the power play and then tied it up with 10 seconds remaining.
When Connolly lifted the puck past Emery on yet another Ottawa defensive miscue, Harry Neale and I looked at each other and laughed. This is the new NHL and if Gary Bettman wanted excitement and lead changes, he certainly saw it tonight. The Sabres came back five times in the game.
With the score tied at 6-6, I knew that this overtime wasn't going to last long. But I didn't expect it to end so quickly. I was looking down at my papers when Anton Volchenkov coughed up the puck and Chris Drury fired a shot into the net for his fourth career playoff OT goal.
The final score: 7-6. It was an exciting start to the series. Let's hope they can keep this up.

On the road again

2006-05-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

Ever have the feeling of deja vu? Well, I had it last night when I opened the door of my hotel room in Ottawa.
Ottawa is a wonderful city, but I have to say I'm already sick of my hotel, the Brookstreet. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful place, complete with top notch service and amazing rooms, but it's in the middle of nowhere.
One co-worker called it a sensory deprivation tank and he's right. There's no restaurants, shops or malls within walking distance of the place. It's situated on a golf course, which is great if you like the sport, but other than that there's no amenities around. That's a big adjustment for us CBCers, who are accustomed to getting everything we need within a five-minute walking radius.
I guess I have to make the most of it. Besides, I think we're going to be seeing a lot of the Brookstreet in the coming month.

WOOHOO

2006-05-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

If you heard someone yelling at 10:30 p.m., I'm sorry that was me.
I couldn't contain myself after Ales Hemsky scored with 1:06 remaining in the game.
I wasn't convinced the Oilers could eliminate the top team in the NHL tonight. I was so sure, I did all of my laundry and packed my suitcase in anticipation of flying to Detroit tomorrow. I was pencilled in to do the game at Joe Louis on Wednesday.
I will gladly unpack after watching that third period. I normally don't get excited over hockey games, but I was on the edge of my seat for that one. When Hemsky scored, my heart jumped. It's nice to see the Oilers finally get into the second round. I've never worked a game at Rexall Place, but I would love to have the chance. Apparently, the crowd is deafening.
Now, after spending the past month totally involved in work, I have a little time off until the start of the conference semis. I'll head into the Toronto office to do a little paperwork and catch up on my travel expenses, but other than that, I'm going to sit back and enjoy my three days off.

One round down...

2006-04-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Some random thoughts from a random mind:

- So the Sens are off to Round 2 after eliminating the Lightning. Ray Emery won the battle of goaltenders, but they need Hasek to win the Stanley Cup.

- The Hockey Night in Canada crew loves the fact the Sens are in the next round, but are also thankful they won in 5 games. The Stanley Cup playoffs are a long grind for not only the players, but the television crew. I'd say the crew puts in MORE hours. They are a dedicated bunch.

- I have two days off now. Maybe I should go rollerblading. I better do laundry, though. Can anyone tell me how to pack WITHOUT wrinkling my dress clothes?

- Word is I might be off to work Game 7 in Detroit. I better start reading up on those teams.

- You wouldn't believe how much inane stats/information I read about the Senators and Lightning over the past week. I swear it has pushed some of the old stuff out of my head...now how do I turn on the stove again?

- I'm not a religious person, but I'm praying for Montreal to win its first round match-up. An Ottawa-Montreal series would be an amazing experience. And a huge boon for CBC ratings.

And off we go...

2006-04-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

It didn't take us long to leave Tampa.
Just 15 or 20 minutes after the final horn sounded on another convincing win for the Senators, four of us hopped in a car and drove an hour to Orlando.
We're staying in a hotel just outside the airport so we can get an early start on the day. Reporter Elliotte Friedman and I need to be in Ottawa tomorrow so we can finish off an interview for his Headliner piece.
In the car, the consensus was that the Lightning were finished. For the second straight game, they just couldn't keep up to the speedy Sens. It's clear that they need a major overhaul.
With the exception of Paul Ranger and Dan Boyle, there's very little to like about the defence.
Or the goaltending. John Grahame isn't a No. 1 netminder and he's shown it the past two games.
Coach John Tortorella criticized Grahame for his play in the post-game press conference. It's a virtually certainty that Sean Burke will start in Game #5.
I really hope that the Sens make quick work of the Lightning. As much as I like the heat in Florida, I'd like to sleep in my own bed for at least a day. I've only been away for a week, but it feels like months.

I'm melting

2006-04-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

God, it's hot in Tampa Bay.
I'm not complaining. Really, I'm not. But it is hot. When you've been through a tough winter, you almost forget what it's like to stand in sweltering heat.
Your shirt and pants are so soaked with sweat you have to change and take a shower. That was certainly the case today, as cameraman extraordinaire Mark Punga and I travelled across Tampa gathering footage for our show.
First, we went back to the rink, where the Ottawa Senators were practicing at 11 a.m.
After reporter Elliotte Friedman did a little one-on-one interview with coach Bryan Murray, we shot a little of the practise and headed into the locker room to gather some clips.
Friedman asked a few questions to Chris Neil and Daniel Alfredsson, who didn't really have much to say beyond that they feel Tampa will come back strong in Game 4.
Defenceman Wade Redden, coming off an amazing effort yesterday despite going through one of the toughest times in his career with the death of his mother earlier this week, was in the locker room, but the media respectfully kept their distance.
We had an hour to spare before we could feed clips to Toronto, so Punga and I had lunch at Dave Andreychuk's restaurant, just across the street from the arena.
I loved Dave as a player, but the service at his restaurant was awful. Punga ordered a coffee, but the waitress didn't bring any cream or sugar. I ordered a salad, but got no utensils...We should have left a smaller tip.
After we quickly finished, we headed off to our feed point, at WFLA-NBC. Usually, at this point, it's the end of our day. But Elliotte made a special request for us, and we hopped in the car and travelled down the highway to the Florida State Fairgrounds.
We shot visuals of Expo Hall, the first home of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The expansion Lightning stayed at Expo Hall for one season before moving to the Thunderdome.
Despite it's age, it's in fairly good condition. It's hosts various events throughout the year, including home and auto shows and conventions. The circus uses the facility to plan and practice its shows.
I can tell you, though, that virtually nobody has been to the press box since the Lightning left.
It was a scary walk across the catwalk to the box. The stairs were slippery and the wooden planks didn't seem too...what's the word....stable.
We pounded off a few shots and exteriors before heading back in the van and to the hotel, where I'm writing right now.
It's actually nice to sit, relax and enjoy the air conditioning. I'm not complaining about the heat. Really, I'm not.

Whew part II

2006-04-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, if you read my last post, you know that I kind of left in the middle of a story. That's because my font operator, the legendary Ron Harrison Jr., just arrived in the truck as I was typing up my latest blog entry.
So...if you want the details on my airplane story and you just tuned in, read my latest post and this one.
As I was saying, customs officials were about the board the plane, which has never happened in my experience flying around the country.
Two huge men entered from the back, walked down till they reached a man just sitting one aisle up from me.
"Are you [insert name here]?" one of the burly men asked an unassuming 50-year-old gentleman who could easily pass for a tourist, complete with an ugly Hawaiian shirt.
"Yes," he replied.
"Let's see some identification."
The man complied, handing over his passport. When the customs officer was looking at it, he also noticed a photographer from a local newspaper grab his camera.
"Are you taking pictures?" the customs officer asked.
The photographer shook his head.
"Don't."
The customs officer turned his attention back to the man.
"You'll have to come with us," he said.
After getting his carry-on baggage up front, the two officers accompanied the man off the plane.
And that's the last he saw of him. I read the local paper and searched the web, but I found nothing about him.
I wonder where he is right now.

Whew

2006-04-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

We're in Tampa right now. For those wondering, it's a sweltering 26C and I'm loving every minute of it. I'm a sun hog.
It's game day and the atmosphere here is...different...from Ottawa. Things are more relaxed the players look comfortable and even the Tampa staff looks like it won't kill them if its team loses this one.
Maybe it's because they're not hockey fans. We packed a bar called Champions, down the street from the rink, to watch the Canes-Habs game. Sherali, Elliotte and a new friend we met named Paul, who works for Sun Sports, sat down and watched the double OT thriller.
It was a great experience because most of the people in the bar were Canadians.
So far, our trip down here has been...interesting.
I've been on a lot of flights, but this one was probably the most eventful. It was just a normal trip, complete with a five-year-old kicking the back of my seat and nearly poking my eye out trying to escape the clutches of us Mother, until we landed.
That's when an flight attendant came over the public loud speaker.
"When we stop, please remain in your seats. Customs officials will come on the plane."
When a man got up to get his luggage, the flight attendant repeated herself. This time, more harshly.
"Customs officials will come on the plane."
Shortly after, we heard...
"Please unlock the back door."
Gotta go...we're starting to load our game...I'll be back.

A fine television performance

2006-04-23T21:31:00.001-07:00

There's a lot of work and hours that go into producing live television. But there's a lot of perks to the job.
Not only do I get paid to watch hockey and rub shoulders with some of hockey's top talent, but every now and then I get my ugly mug on television.
That's what happened tonight. Normally, I don't get mentioned when we shoot the booth. I'm just the guy with a headset on and a bank of television monitors to my right.
But Bob Cole did the unexpected tonight. When our producer Sherali Najak asked for me to be included in the shot, I thought nothing of it. Sometimes I'm included, sometimes not. But when we came back from break, Mr. Cole introduced me to over a million hockey fans across Canada.
"This is our statistician, Jason Murdoch," he said as he smiled and looked at me. "Jason, look busy will you?"
The television truck erupted in laughter. Mr. Cole is very serious about hockey and his craft. Such a departure is unusual for him.
It's small moments like that which make the job special.

With the series now tied at 1-1, the HNIC crew is off to Tampa for Games 3 and 4. We're collectively getting up as a group at 6 a.m. so we can catch a flight to Toronto and connect to Florida.
So what's the biggest question among the crew as we head down south? Where's a great place to eat.

The off days...

2006-04-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

I committed the ultimate sin today.

I’ve been in a lot of dressing rooms in my career, but I certainly looked like a rookie today.

I am very familiar with the rule of avoiding the logo on the dressing room floor, but I somehow forgot it when I decided to make a phone call to reporter Elliotte Friedman to tell him the players were available for interviews.

When I was dialing his number, I suddenly saw Sens’ vice-president of communications, Phil Legault, approach me. He grabbed me and pushed me to the side.

I looked down and realized I was stepping on the Sens’ logo. In the hockey world, it’s an offense similar to defacing a religious icon. The worst part was the evidence was plain for everyone to see: I left a big black mark on the cleanest white spot.

I couldn’t believe what I had done. Word got around quickly and when I entered the press room for the Bryan Murray interview, the cameramen looked at me and cracked a few jokes at my expense.

“I heard they aren’t going to let you in the room anymore,” one said.

Legault wasn’t angry at the incident, telling me a number of people step on the logo during the morning scrum, but that didn’t make me feel any better.

I’ll keep a wary eye on the logo every time I step into that dressing room from now on.

If you work for Hockey Night, you spend every day at the rink. Even the off nights.

The playoffs aren’t a time to relax and with Game 2 tomorrow, Friedman, senior producer Sherali Najak, cameraman Mark Punga and I went to the Sens’ practice facility – which is right across from Scotiabank Place – to get footage for a two-minute piece to air on tonight’s pre-game show.

The worst part of the whole experience is the waiting. You’re waiting for the players to finish. Then you’re waiting for the press relations manager to give you the okay to enter the dressing room. Then you’re waiting for the coach to arrive. You need a lot of patience at this job.

But at least the entire day had one big laugh. Watching Lightning coach John Tortorella trying to conduct an impromptu press conference in the referees’ room was worth the long day.

Dozens of reporters and cameramen were sandwiched in a room designed to accommodate four people. It was like watching salmon struggle upstream.

After we got all of our footage, Punga and I drove to CBC Ottawa for our feed. By the time we were done it was 4 p.m. and we were starving. We hadn’t eaten all day. We headed to a restaurant for a bite and then returned home in time for Friedman’s piece.

Game 1 breakdown

2006-04-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

Some interesting stats from last night's game --

Vincent Lecavalier was second in ice time with 25:03. He scored a goal, but won only 4 of 20 faceoffs (20 per cent)
Chris Phillips had eight blocked shots, Meszaros had five.
Antoine Vermette won 15 of 19 (78 per cent) from the faceoff circle.
The Tampa Bay Lightning had 14:09 of PP time. Dan Boyle was on the ice for 12:23 of it.

One down...

2006-04-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

It wasn't the most memorable game of my career, but it was certainly a great one.
The playoffs are filled with surprise, upset and excitement. Game 1 of the Lightning-Senators series produced two of the three.
If you watched the game, a 4-1 comeback win for the Sens, you saw many things. You saw the early stages of a potential upset, some fantastic goaltending and the reason why the Sens are considered the class of the East.
We're not supposed to play favourites at HNIC, but I'd be lying if I said no one react strongly when Jason Spezza lifted a beautiful wrist shot over John Grahame's shoulder. The Lightning are a good team, but the Canadians aren't waiting in front of their television to watch them play.
There are Leaf fans, Sens fans and Habs fans among our crew, but if there's a common consensus among our group it's they'd like to see Ottawa go far in the playoffs.
Each Canadian team that advances to the next round increases our ratings, which in turn, makes our job more fun.
The Calgary Flames' run in the 2004 playoffs was absolutely magical. Thousands upon thousands of people packing the Red Mile was an image that sticks in the head of even the most casual hockey fan.
Nobody was packing main street in Tampa Bay in support of the Lightning. If you weren't looking closely during that time, you wouldn't even realize they were playing for the Cup.
Speaking of fun, there were a couple of times in the broadcast booth tonight that I really enjoyed listening to Bob Cole.
I sit beside Mr. Cole during the game, handing him and Greg Millen stats to aid the broadcast, and there were some times the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I believe there's no play by play guy in sports -- that includes baseball, football or soccer -- who has a flair for the dramatic more than Mr. Cole.
He might know the Leaf players a little better, but this Senators team has already given him a chance to showcase his impressive vocals. These guys not only score a lot, but they score beautiful goals. And Mr. Cole certainly puts a lot of energy into those calls.
I haven't heard an "Oh, baby" yet, but I think he'll bring that trademark call out for the third round.
We had some rough spots production wise in our game, but I hope we worked through all our difficulties to make Game 2 even better for us. This crew is basically sticking together for the entire first round and Game 1 was like our spring training. On Sunday, we hope to hit full stride.
But, of course, our game all depends on what happens on the ice. Hopefully, we'll be treated to another great show.

So it begins...

2006-04-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

It’s the first day of the 2006 playoffs and my adventure finally begins – at the airport.
Waiting for a flight to arrive is one of the most agonizing things about being on the road.
It’s 8 a.m. and I’m sitting in Pearson Airport, Gate 120 in Terminal 1 to be exact, awaiting my plane to Ottawa.

Airport travel is nothing new to me. I’ve done it all year as an associate producer with Hockey Night in Canada.

But in the playoffs, when you’re in an airport virtually everyday, the routine can get…kind of.. frustrating. Why do I need to be in the airport TWO HOURS before an international flight? So I can buy out the magazine rack at the airport gift shop in an effort to pass the time?

Since I’m covering the Tampa Bay – Ottawa series as an associate producer/statistician for HNIC, my bags are loaded with reference material with every conceivable tidbit of information at my fingertips.

If Greg Millen asks during the game who scored the game-winning goal in Game 3 of the Philadelphia-Ottawa series in 2003, I’ll know (I’m not going to look it up now just for the sake of my blog).

Team guides, the NHL guide and record book, the official NHL playoff book…I have it all. I’m a stats junkie’s dream. Now only if I could persuade someone else to carry all of it for me.

You see, I’m a minimalist. I don’t like carrying too much or having too many things going on in my life. When my backpack is loaded with 15 books, a laptop, tapes, cords, papers, staplers, binoculars, pens, pencils, sharpeners, black sharpies, cue cards, sometimes I think it’s a little too much.

But you have to be prepared. I learned that in my very first game working for HNIC two seasons ago. The Leafs lost a big game at home to the Sabres and it turned out to be, up to that point, their worst loss in their history at the Air Canada Centre.

At that time, I didn’t have the same resources and couldn’t pass on that vital stat to my commentators until after the game was over.

So that’s why I’m hunkered down, looking like a Sherpa about to climb Mount Everest, at Pearson with all of this reading material.

Now only if I could find The Hockey News around here to pass the time.

The adventure begins...soon?

2006-04-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

My eyes are blurry as I type this. I don’t even know if my very first blog posting is going to make sense. Right now, I’m thinking that using my backpack as a pillow on my office floor wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

It’s one day after the end of the regular season and I’m dead tired.

If there’s one analogy used about the NHL playoffs around this office is that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. The past two weeks, I’ve been darting around this place looking like Carl Lewis instead of Khalid Khannouchi.

Now I’m paying for it. I’m not the only one pulling double and triple shifts in order to prepare for our biggest two months of the year. There’s about 15 of us in the department.

So why is it that I’m the only one with the zombie look on my face?

Maybe it’s because I haven’t the learned the subtle nature of pacing. This is one of the busiest days of the year in the department, but everyone has learned to tackle every problem one at a time as it appears and not all at once.

Now, in my sophomore season at HNIC, do you think I had learned this skill?

No need to answer my rhetorical question.

So now, at 12:24 a.m., here I am supervising as one of our graphics operators assembles our playoff disk before our Thursday 9 a.m. deadline.

The clock is ticking and we’re only halfway done.

My graphics operator is familiar with this situation. He’s a workhorse. He loves and thrives with every challenge presented to him. We threw a couple of big ones at him this year and so far he’s exceeded them.

Hopefully, he’ll meet the big challenge of meeting this deadline.

I hate deadlines. In journalism school, I would always hand in my work early because I never wrote well as the clock inched towards our cutoff time.

That’s why, next year, we’re starting in January. I’m not kidding.

So that’s why I’m a little nervous and anxious. That’s not a good combination with sleep deprivation.

Once this is over, it will be a huge load off my back and I can concentrate on the first round of the playoffs. I’m covering the Ottawa series and it looks like it will be an interesting one with lots of storylines.

It will be a nice to watch a little hockey and finally get immersed in the playoff experience instead of watching dozens of looping backgrounds and comparing graphics for any discrepancies.

Plus, Tampa Bay is a really nice place to spend a day off.