Shaya Reflects on Broadcast Debut

NASHVILLE - The Carolina Hurricanes don't have much use for the game film from Tuesday afternoon in Toronto. They'll likely trash it and move on.
But for Jason Shaya, who made his National Hockey League play-by-play debut with FOX Sports Carolinas on Tuesday, that tape is a keeper.
I had the chance to catch up with the Checkers' radio voice, who got the call to the big leagues with John Forslund slated for the NBCSN telecast in Buffalo, on the bus en route to the airport in Toronto, as he gathered his thoughts and emotions after announcing his first NHL game.

Michael Smith: When do you find out your debut broadcast was going to happen?
Jason Shaya: We were on a road trip in Utica. Mike Sundheim sent me a text message saying it was official and they were going to announce it that day. That was quite an emotional morning for me, but I was pretty excited when the tweet came out. All the boys started congratulating me.
Smith: This is what your broadcasting career has strived toward, right? Calling a game in the National Hockey League?
Shaya: I started my career at 17 years old working professionally in world championship wrestling. I could tell you that I didn't think 20 years later that I'd be calling an NHL game. I've had a strange kind of path, but broadcasting has always been a part of my life. To have this, for it to take place in Toronto in the way that it did, I was overwhelmed, and to be honest, I'm still sort of - I can't believe it actually happened. For me, personally, this was a big achievement.
Smith: What was the biggest piece of advice you had coming into this game?
Shaya: You know, it hit me when we were sitting there in that meeting at 12:00. It was Mike Maniscalco and Tripp [Tracy] who said, 'Less is more. Just be yourself. Just have fun.' It sounds like a platitude and not really advice, but at that moment, it actually made way more sense after the reality set in. Don't try to do too much, don't try to win over people with amazing pieces of information. That's not necessary. I needed that. That was a big deal.

Smith: When did you settle in to your first NHL broadcast?
Shaya: It was the second period. I forgot that I was doing an NHL game. I was just calling the game at that point. There were a few missed calls that, weirdly enough, I don't normally make, and those got to me. But I just forgot that we were doing a TV game in the second period. They were going back and forth, exchanging opportunities. At that point, you're not really thinking about anything else except let me get the action right. So, all the TV stuff and all that went right out the door, and I was just calling the game.
Smith: How were the nerves heading into the game?
Shaya: Horrible. Horrible. I know myself well enough. I'm not one of those stoic guys. I try to be, but the truth is when I walked into that booth and suddenly I had an IFB in my ear and I'm plugging into things - you've seen the broadcast in the American League. It's just me carrying my radio gear everywhere I go. I'm the technical director.
Smith: We did an interview in the concourse.
Shaya: Exactly. It's just all me, so to have all these people around I'm thinking, 'Wow. When I screw this up, there's a lot of people I'm going to embarrass today.' The pressure was on. I didn't want to be bad.
But I have to say, the producer, Jim Malia, just going through the rehearsals was just so good. He calmed me down. He was talking to me throughout the broadcast. I really mean this: without him today steering the ship it would have been a disaster. He was so good.
And without Tripp today, this does not go anywhere near as smooth as it did. Him and I communication-wise - in the first period he was looking at me, I know, and I was so scared of looking away from the ice, but once we got to the second period, it was a normal color commentator, play-by-play. I knew he had something to say, and I let him have it. We were going back-and-forth. I thought it was seamless, and that was because he is so professional and so good at his job. It let me do my job that much better.

Smith: Do you have a memorable moment that stood out?
Shaya: The Skinner goal. I wasn't waiting to call an NHL goal for the Canes. It was just a normal play that developed naturally, and I called the goal. I didn't think about the way I said it. I just let the goal go. I did it as I normally do. As the celebration was going on, I was thinking, ok, that actually wasn't that bad.
Smith: How was the atmosphere? Being able to call your first NHL game in a city that has such a rich hockey history, what was that like?
Shaya: There were moments where I just listened to the crowd. Unfortunately they're the bad guys, so they're cheering the wrong chants. But the fact that they were engaged and into it, makes any broadcast you do - even if you're the away team - sound better. The first period had two fights, it had goals. You really couldn't ask for more. I think everybody from start to finish was engaged in the game. The outcome doesn't necessarily show that, but from my perspective - calling my first game in an NHL building - I thought the fans were into it.
Smith: I imagine you have this game recorded somewhere.
Shaya: My brother, Brandon, said he has it recorded. I don't ever listen to entireties of my game again. I can't stand listening to them. When you're a broadcaster, you hear yourself every day. The other day in the arena they were playing a video that had my voice in it. I can't get away from myself. I really just don't like to hear it, so there's no way I watch the whole game ever. I just won't do that to myself, but I'll probably go through parts I just want to review for my own self-criticism.
Smith: You've had a half hour or so to go through your phone and sort through the messages and everything. All good words from friends, family and those close to you?
Shaya: Yeah, that was a big deal. I talked to my brother after the game, and he was telling me what my mom was thinking. That was pretty amazing.
Smith: A dream come true, really.
Shaya: Yes, it was.