Matt McConnell enters his 11th season with the Coyotes as the team's TV play-by-play announcer.
Prior to joining the Coyotes broadcast team, McConnell was the TV voice of the Atlanta Thrashers (2009-2011). He also called all the TV play-by-play for the Thrashers from 1999 (their inaugural season in the NHL) through 2003 before moving on to the Minnesota Wild where he called NHL action for two seasons (2003-2005).
During the 2018-19 season, McConnell called his 1,500th NHL game on January 20, 2019 (Coyotes at Maple Leafs).
McConnell got his start in the NHL in 1993 when he was named as the radio voice of the expansion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He worked with the Ducks through 1996 when he became the radio play-by-play announcer for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1996- 1999. McConnell has also covered the NHL playoffs for NHL Radio and Westwood One, the Stanley Cup Final for NHL International and the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship for the NHL Network.
From 2005-06 to 2008-09, he served as the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS College Sports' college hockey broadcasts. During this time, McConnell also called college basketball, football and lacrosse for the network and hosted their coverage of the NCAA lacrosse championships. He also played the role of fill-in broadcaster for the NBA on TNT in 2001. In addition to his involvement with CBSSN, he also calls games for Pac-12 Networks on a free-lance basis.
McConnell's accolades in the broadcasting industry include being named the 2013 Arizona Sports Broadcaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association (he was a finalist for the same award in 2020). He also won a pair of regional sports Emmys involving his work on Thrashers telecasts in 2002 and 2003, was nominated for a regional sports Emmy in 2010, and was a finalist for 1994 Broadcaster of the Year by the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association while working for the Ducks.
McConnell is a graduate of Michigan State University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Telecommunication with major emphasis in Economics.
Matt, his wife Jennifer and daughter Zoe, make their year-round home in the Valley.