I have been a hockey fan for as long as I can remember. It was the first sport I discovered when I was a little kid. Growing up in Pittsburgh in the late 80s/early 90s, it’s no surprise. It was the start of the golden years for the Penguins and hockey was king. I remember some local media related to the Penguins, but my brother and I would have ESPN on the TV 24/7. Because of that, the ESPN anchors I saw during NHL coverage on ESPN and segments on Sports Center are the ones I remember most and are most nostalgic for me. Plus, the NHL on ESPN tune is greatness.

Nowadays, it’s not the same. Most of the popular anchors and sports figures that you see on Sports Center-like shows and hear on the radio treat hockey and the NHL like it’s a joke. It’s sad and honestly makes me angry. It doesn’t do the great sport of hockey the justice it deserves.

That said, it’s great that there are so many different ways to consume sports media today. It will never be the same to me though.

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