First of all, I have to say that the Sound of Hockey is probably one of the best podcast names I have come across during my deep dive into the world of hockey audio. The more obvious connection is clearly that podcasts are audio and adding sound to the name… well you get it. But second of all, if you aren’t familiar with this new podcast, you should know that it is based in the greater Seattle area. And with the city lying on the Puget Sound, it all just kind of makes sense.
Sound of Hockey – The Cast
It is no small secret to people that follow me that I have been extremely interested in the prospect of hockey in Seattle for quite some time now. I have always been fascinated by expansion hockey and how the sport performs in non-traditional hockey markets. I followed expansion in Vegas before the team was the Golden Knights, and when I came across John Barr’s NHL to Seattle over a year and a half ago, my interested peaked. John has been at it for years advocating for an NHL team in Seattle, and now that it is all but guaranteed that the city will be awarded the NHL’s 32nd franchise, there is hardly a better time to start up a show specifically dedicated to the new club.
Note: to be clear, I’m not saying that Seattle is a non-traditional hockey market, I would put it somewhere on the spectrum between traditional and non-traditional due to the fact that Washington State does have multiple junior hockey teams, and from what I can tell from afar, it also has a youth hockey market on the rise.
But back to the cast… Along with seasoned Seattle Thunderbirds writer Andy Eide and Minnesota Wild fanatic Darren Brown, John has added the Sound of Hockey podcast to his site as a new way for fans to get their usual dose of Seattle hockey talk. All three members of the podcast are located in the Seattle area, where they are able to get a first hand account of hockey in the city and its surrounding communities, whether that be viewing parties with fans or attending press conferences with the big players associated with the franchise.
Not Seattle All the Time
While we are currently in an exciting period of time for hockey in Seattle, there still isn’t enough action going on to fill 45 minutes to an hour’s worth of quality audio. That being said, the first half of the show primarily covers events pertinent to the local hockey club-to-be, while the second half is dominated by general discussion of teams and action around the league.
Each cast member roots for a different NHL team (John – San Jose, Andy – Vancouver, Darren – Minnesota) and as a result the conversation will occasionally shift towards those three clubs (cough… particularly in favor of the Wild… cough). However, John, Andy and Darren all have a strong knowledge of the league in general, and Andy’s experience covering the WHL (Western Hockey League) provides some added insight for local fans who may be interested in the junior hockey team that already exists in the city.
A Wrap Up
The Sound of Hockey Podcast is great for those who live in the Seattle area and are looking to learn more about the process of bringing a team to the city, or for locals who are just trying to get into the sport in general. And for others (who may be located all the way on the East Coast) this show is as great way to stay up-to-date with all the hockey news coming out of the Pacific Northwest.
The show is still in its humble beginnings with only four episodes released as this article airs. Despite its recent appearance on the hockey podcasting scene, there is nothing in my mind that makes me doubt the success of the Sound of Hockey moving forward. Every episode thus far has been well worth the time spent listening, and with a trio of guys behind the mic that are extremely passionate about the future of hockey in the Seattle area, there is no reason to see why this show will not succeed well into the future.
You can find the podcast on NHL to Seattle’s website here. You can follow John Barr on twitter @NHLtoSeattle, Andy Eide @AndyEide and Darren Brown @DarrenFunBrown.
