ALLEN, Texas – Aside from thrilling the Allen Americans fans during home and away game radio broadcasts, Tommy Daniels wears multiple hats as Director of Media Operations for the Americans organization. It’s not always fun and games but serious work with many long days and late nights, but Daniels relishes the challenge and attacks it like a rabid forechecker, hungry for the puck.
Tommy’s responsibilities as Director of Media Operations on the radio side include various interview and player radio show duties, between period’s interviews of guests, coordinator and MC of special team media events, along with numerous shows and activities for the teams’ fans throughout the year. Then of course, there are still the game day broadcasts both home and away to be handled 66 times per season – not counting the playoffs.
Outside of his own radio duties, Tommy is instrumental in facilitating better exposure for the Americans organization to the general public through various FM and AM radio stations. Using contacts from his days in
“It’s tough to secure that one little notch with the Dallas Stars, Rangers, Cowboys, Mavericks, FC Dallas and Rough Riders in the area.” Daniels notes.
Game days make for long days – Tommy is usually the first one on site at the arena making sure the facilities are ready not just for his own broadcast but for the multiple parties involved in the running and coverage of the night’s game.
There are other media people on hand to cover the game needing passes and press kits, Central Hockey League off-ice officials responsible for score keeping and other administrative duties and the visiting teams’ media personnel booth needs to be made ready as does his own. A lot of effort goes on behind the scenes in making the games as entertaining and informative for fans on site and tuning in as possible.
Tommy’s general game day routine has him compiling the evenings game notes, prepping the press box and the broadcast booths for himself and the visiting team. Once that is complete, Tommy likes to try to sneak away for a couple of hours, go over his own notes for the upcoming game and if possible have a little quiet time to decompress before heading back to the arena for the evening’s broadcast.
Part of going over his notes is breaking down the opposing teams roster into lines, so it’s easier to memorize for his broadcast. As the season goes on, it becomes easier to memorize all the players but it can be challenging early in the season.
All of this hard work leads up to the best part of his job, calling the hockey game on the air.
“I’m so focused on the ice that I don’t notice anything else around me, the only thing I’m focused on is the game.” Daniels says.
Once the game is over, there is still the post game wrap-up show and then the equipment breakdown before calling it a night. Sometimes the team’s travel schedule is tightly packed, so those are both done very quickly before being spirited off on the bus to the team’s next destination.
There’s often not an open bunk to sleep in on the bus, so Tommy has learned to adapt over the past two seasons being on the road with the Americans. Sometimes he may sit up all night with little more than a quick catnap, wake up and find that there are still 14 hours to go until they reach their destination.
Through it all, Tommy hasn’t lost his passion for the game of hockey or his duties where others might fall prey to the rigors of the job. He feels it’s still the best decision he’s ever made and the enthusiasm so readily apparent in his radio broadcasts hasn’t waivered one bit. The Americans organization and its fans are very fortunate to have a broadcaster as professional, personable and exciting to listen to as Tommy Daniels.
Contact the writer at maurice.fitzgerald@prohockeynews.com
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