The Victoria Royals are in the midst of their longest road trip of the year and DUBNetwork caught up with the radio voice of the Victoria Royals Marlon Martens to discuss life on the road. Martens has been the play-by-play broadcaster for the Royals since their first season in 2011 and has logged many miles travelling with the team these past six years.
Growing up in the Lower Mainland of BC, Marlon enrolled in the radio program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to begin his career in broadcasting. Martens recalls, “I had worked in Merritt as color commentator for the Merritt Centennials of the BCHL. From there I graduated from BCIT in 2001.” He then caught an opportunity to move to Lethbridge and work for the local radio station there while being involved with the Hurricanes. “I was in Lethbridge for close to ten years. On the radio I did mornings, middays and afternoons as well as hockey play-by-play and color commentary. I even did the music in the rink. I wore many different hats but always related to radio.”
That experience paid off as when the Victoria Royals joined the WHL in 2011, Martens made the return to his home province to provide his expertise as the Royals play-by-play broadcaster. He recalls the Royals very first game, on the road versus Vancouver “I will never forget Steven Hodges scoring the first ever goal for the franchise. He banged it in and jumped up with his back to the glass, arms straight up in the air. Just the elation and how exciting that was for everyone.” That first broadcast was also memorable due to some challenges in the booth, “The broadcasting equipment didn’t work. I reverted to a cell phone for the broadcast, calling the action over the phone. The phone ended up getting pretty hot and it sounded like old-time radio. I think some people thought we were doing an effect for nostalgia.”
Travelling away from the mild west coast often means facing winter directly. “In Alberta there are seemingly ice-trenches on the roads from when the Chinook weather coming through. The bus can hit those and get stuck pretty easy.” Martens credits the skill of the bus drivers, “Last year travelling along the Columbia River Gorge from Tri-City to Portland, then back to Tri-City, heading through snowy passes at high elevations. The bus drivers don’t get enough credit for what they do in situations like that.”
Broadcasting the game from various arenas on the road always offers unique experiences as well. “I love being close to the action. In Prince Albert, the booth is right over top of the ice. You can see so much more detail, such the expressions on the guy’s faces. You can describe more in your broadcast. Kamloops is like that as well, great sight-lines.” Other locations offer a differing experience due to their size “The new Rogers Arena in Edmonton where the Oil Kings share a venue with the NHL Oilers is gorgeous, but because it’s so big I sometimes have to use the TV screen in the booth to see what is going on.” When asked about arena atmosphere, Marlon said the Portland games are hard to beat, “When the Moda Center gets going, it feels like a NHL rink. It’s unreal.“
One of the more memorable Victoria Royals road trips was their swing out east in in the fall of the 2015-16 season. The Royals were expected to have a decline after the loss of some top players the year before and this trip out east included some tough games versus the likes of Regina and Brandon. Victoria went undefeated on the road trip (6-0) and set the stage for a magical season that saw them crowned the WHL regular season champions. “I’ll never forget that.” said Marlon, “Four games in five nights to start the trip. Then a big win against the Wheat Kings who were ranked fifth in the CHL at that time. Then a big victory in Regina to finish the trip. It just galvanized the team , it shows how road trips can really bring the team together. A lot of the belief for that team began with that trip.”
Over the course of six years, Marlon has had repeat stops to many WHL cities. When asked if there were any notable stops on the road, he said “The Red Lion BBQ in Spokane seems to be a favourite of a lot of teams. Out east, between Regina and Brandon is a place called the Whitewood Inn. The fried chicken there is a must eat.” Back out west, Marlon recalls a great dinner in Portland, “After a big win against the Winterhawks, we got treated to Joe’s Crab Shack. It’s always memorable, you know the team has played well when you go there.”
Time away with the team means that Martens is away from his family, something they have learned to adjust to. “My son and daughter can thankfully call me or skype me, easily stay in touch. I’m thankful that technology exists now, but I still miss them a lot when we’re on the road. My wife is real strong lady and she does so much while I am away. Her support is amazing.”
In the downtime between games Marlon enjoys running to pass the time. “There are some great places to run in Spokane, around the Gonzaga University area. Edmonton has some nice trails too if weather permits.” When asked how much game preparation he does, Martens said, “You can do prep until you’re blue in the face, always find more things to gather notes on. Working on content to share in the broadcasts, always trying to learn as much as I can about the other team to keep things interesting.”
After spending so much time with the team, it’s easy to form a connection with the players and the coaching staff. One of Marlon’s notable memories came from former coach Dave Lowry and his sharp eye. “We were in Moose Jaw and I had put a sweater on for the broadcast as it was cold outside. But in the new Mosaic Arena it got really hot midway through the broadcast. I had to try to take the sweater off, but I couldn’t get it over my head due the headset. It ended up hanging off my neck until the next commercial break. The next day at the start of practice, out came Joe Hicketts first with his jersey around his neck, just I had been stuck the night before with my sweater. The rest of the team followed in similar fashion. Apparently, Lowry had spotted me mid game all the way up in the booth and decided to poke a little fun my way.”
After years of broadcasting the Royals action at home and on the road, Marlon is a “go-to” guy for information on the team. Follow his Victoria Royals broadcasts on the Zone@91.3 (CJZN-FM) and on twitter @VoiceVicRoyals
