The Western Hockey League kicks off the 2019-20 season on September 20, making for exciting times for players and coaches alike.
Veterans and rookies will continue their respective journeys, motivated to develop their skills and parlay their hard work into professional hockey careers or post-secondary education.
Above the ice, once the pucks drop, another group of committed performers will be fired up to bring the action to fans and junior hockey supporters. We speak, of course, about the play-by-play broadcasters.
Among the current group are a host of savvy WHL veterans, experienced folks who have ridden the buses for years and have made their mark on the hockey landscape.
And then, there are the newbies, experienced in the booth, but beginning their career in the WHL. Craig Beauchemin of the Swift Current Broncos is one such individual.
A native of Whitehorse, his hockey road map includes stints in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Powell River, British Columbia and Penticton, B.C. He has landed back on the prairies and is excited about the upcoming season.
We spoke with Craig in Irvine, Alberta before a preseason game between the Broncos and Medicine Hat Tigers, which Swift Current won, 4-2.
The community showed its support by packing the building. It was a unique setting for the teams and media, a smaller, rural building without many of the technological comforts many have come to expect.
The Tigers had not committed to broadcasting the game, and due to some technical difficulties, the Broncos were unable to broadcast through its new online feed.
Below is the link to our interview with Craig Beauchemin, and good luck to Craig as he navigates his first WHL season.
INTERVIEW: Craig Beauchemin, Swift Current Broncos
