Courtesy Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

(August 7, 2009) Northern Star Broadcasting and the Lake Superior State Department of Athletics announced that play-by-play coverage will by provided by Paul “Junior” VanWagoner for Laker hockey and Scott Nason for Laker basketball during the 2009-10 season.

VanWagoner is a 1993 graduate of Alpena High School and has worked at Northern Star Broadcasting since 1998. He can be heard every morning on Talk Radio 1400 and in the evenings on Yes-FM 99.5. His sportscasting background includes the “E.U.P. Game of the Week” and play-by-play for Soo Eagles Junior A hockey.

VanWagoner remembers attending Laker Hockey School as a pee wee player, and his camp counselors were former Lakers Terry Hossack and Mark Vermette.

“They were so positive about the university and the experiences they were having. I knew this was the place for me,” VanWagoner said. “It also helped that LSSU had a strong hockey program that I wanted to cheer for, and I made it to almost every home game during my two years as a LSSU student.”

Mike Ellis (LSSU ’03) will provide color commentary during Laker hockey games. Ellis played youth hockey in Sault Ste. Marie, was a USA Hockey on-ice official from 1986-98 and has volunteered as a youth hockey coach. His broadcasting experience includes co-hosting “The Fourth Period” internet radio show with Francis Anzalone, former Laker and NHL player Jim Dowd, and former Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Jay Feaster, and “The Edge” hockey show on Talk Radio 1400. He also provided color during Sault High and Soo Indians radio broadcasts.

Nason, who is the host of “Coffee with the Coach” on Saturdays on Talk Radio 1400 and the “E.U.P. Game of the Week,” has play-by-play experience in high school football, basketball and baseball along with Junior A hockey. He was a sportswriter for the Sault Evening News and served in the United States Navy.

VanWagoner, Ellis and Nason, along with Laker hockey public address announcer and Yes-FM program director Tim Ellis will bring a new feature to Laker hockey broadcasts in 2009-10. A pre-game show will air from 6-7 p.m. on Talk Radio 1400 prior to the live game coverage on Yes-FM. The weekly coaches show will be broadcast live from Moloney’s Alley on Mondays from 6-7 p.m. during the hockey season.

According to Tim Ellis, the pre-game show will be broadcast live from Taffy Abel Arena during home games and live from the Talk Radio 1400 studio during road games. It will include interviews and the opportunity for out-of-towns fans to interact on the web, and enable radio listeners to enjoy the game day atmosphere.

While introducing the broadcasting team today during the Yes-FM morning show, Tim Ellis paid tribute to Bill Crawford, who was the “Voice of the Lakers” for three decades.

"We want to take a moment to recognize and thank former Laker hockey play-by-play announcer Bill Crawford,” Ellis said. “Bill has been the voice of Laker hockey for many years, many of us grew up listening to him call the games. He was Laker hockey to us! We can only hope to pick up where he left it for us, which was in a very good place. Thank you, Bill, for all your years with Laker hockey."

blog comments powered by Disqus

Accerlerate Your Sports Broadcasting Career

Meet Employers

Secrets Revealed

Radio Demos, Resumes

TV Demos, Resumes

Sports Broadcasting Books

Sportscastings Jobs

Show Prep Links