Tirico has been a broadcaster for NBC Sports since 2016. He's worked as lead host of the Olympics and the Triple Crown, play-by-play announcer for the NFL and Notre Dame football and the host of "Football Night in America." He called his first NHL game on "Wednesday Night Hockey" between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 20, 2019 and did play-by-play for the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe on Feb. 20 and 21.
Tirico tells Millard about how a dinner while covering the Preakness Stakes led him to calling NHL games and, eventually, Lake Tahoe.
"We're watching a couple of hockey games and (NBC Sports analyst) Eddie Olczyk was about to cover that series," Tirico said. "So I'm picking his brain] … that kind of conversation as a fan. [Olczyk
Tirico also discusses why he's a fan of hockey, the unique experience of calling games and more.
"I really enjoyed, one, the challenge and, two, the amount of dedication to the task it takes to pull it off," he said. "In doing football and basketball and every other sport that I've done you always have the time to glance down. And, as you know, in hockey you just don't. So it is just so totally different."
Millard also shares his thoughts about the Calgary Flames hiring Darryl Sutter as coach, the key to a turnaround and a perspective on the late Walter Gretzky.
"The Chirp with Daren Millard" features interviews with players, executives, alumni and other personalities around the game. You can share your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #ChirpMillard.
