It is tough for the average hockey fan to feel like their sport of choice is really being taken seriously. I mean there is not one talk show on either local sports-talk radio station that pays any real attention to the sport.
Yes, Al Koken, of the John Thompson Show, does talk hockey from time to time and the new flagship station of the Caps 3WT has a postgame call-in show. On the TV-side, the folks at CSN (including Koken) do a fine job of covering the Caps. But mainstream sports talk radio has no time for hockey talk and ESPN Radio does not even give the scores on the 20/20 sports reports.
So where does a hockey fan find an outlet for good conversation about the sport they love?
Washington-based XM radio is a haven for the hockey fans, they offer a channel dedicated to nothing but hockey talk and call in shows.
XM Home Ice is dedicated to the true hockey fan and they start the day with Hockey This Morning with Scott Laughlin — airing from 6-10 a.m., Monday through Friday — is a fast-paced look at the action from the night before and what is hot in the NHL. Hockey talk continues all day long with my favorite being In the Slot with Phil Esposito and Jim Tatti. Esposito is a legendary hockey star who is also a world-class story teller. His afternoon drive show has plenty of big guests and is a must listen for hockey fans.
XM also has all the broadcasts of the NHL games and they present them the same way they do Major League Baseball with the home broadcasters handling the action.
They debuted a new show Monday called Hockey Confidential and their first guest was Caps goaltender Olie Kolzig. The show will be replayed over the next two weeks so there is plenty of chance to hear it for those who might have missed it.
If you don’t have access to XM and are looking for free hockey talk on the Web try www.team990.com from Montreal they have plenty of great hockey talk and a toll free number for all us hockey fans.
Olie on air
Hockey Confidential, this week, features Caps goalie Olie Kolzig. You can find it on XM Radio’s NHL Home Ice (Channel 204):
Today » 8 p.m.
Wednesday » 7 p.m.
Friday » 3 p.m.
Saturday » 10 a.m.
Sunday » 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 6 p.m.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on www.examiner.com.
