Latest news with #SeanMcDonough
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oilers and Stars announcers: Who's calling the 2025 Western Conference Final on ESPN?
Oilers and Stars announcers: Who's calling the 2025 Western Conference Final on ESPN? The NHL's Western Conference Final will once again be between the Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars. Last year, the Oilers made it to the Stanley Cup Final by besting the Stars in six games as they looked to become the first Canadian team to win it all since 1993. While the Oilers' attempt fell short last season, they're not that far away from another crack at it. Standing in their way? A Stars team with the explosive offense of Mikko Rantanen at the helm. As this series gets underway, you might be wondering whose voices you're hearing through your TV while watching these games on ESPN? Well, you've come to the right place! Play-by-play for the Oilers and Stars 2025 Western Conference Final will be done by Sean McDonough, with commentary from Ray Ferraro and Emily Kaplan reporting. That's it! Enjoy the series!
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'HORRIBLE': Furious NHL fans accuse ESPN of sabotaging Avalanche vs. Stars Game 7 with baffling announcer choice
ESPN's decision to assign Sean McDonough to the Avalanche-Stars Game 7 has sparked outrage (Getty Images) Game 7 of the NHL first-round playoffs between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars should be a moment of pure anticipation and adrenaline for fans. Yet, a large section of the hockey community is frustrated—not over the teams or players—but because of ESPN's decision on who will call the game. The network's choice to assign Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, and Emily Kaplan to the booth for Saturday night's clash at the American Airlines Center hasn't gone down well, especially among Avalanche faithful. ESPN's commentary team selection sparks outrage among passionate hockey fans Sean McDonough, a veteran broadcaster, is no stranger to high-profile events. However, his recent absence from NHL coverage due to ongoing health issues, paired with sporadic appearances throughout the regular season, has made his return less than welcome for some fans. Many are wondering why ESPN would bench Bob Wischusen—who called three of the six games in this intense series and has been praised for his energetic and insightful coverage. 'His is horrible man bob has basically done every game and has done it amazing. Sean has been like always HORRIBLE and for some reason he is the main guy. im tired of complaining,' one disgruntled fan posted on X, capturing the broader sentiment. Another simply called ESPN's move a 'joke,' insisting, 'What a joke. The only guy who should be calling that game is @espnbob.' What makes the situation even more baffling to some is the context: The Avalanche's return to broader TV visibility this season following Comcast's deal with Altitude TV had many fans excited to watch their team more easily. Now, with ESPN handing the mic to someone who hasn't been as engaged in the series, viewers feel let down. ESPN did assign a capable studio crew—Steve Levy, P.K. Subban, and Mark Messier—for intermission coverage, which adds credibility. But the absence of Wischusen in the main commentary booth has overshadowed that. 'We want Bob Wischusen!!!' one fan exclaimed, summing up the prevailing opinion online. Also Read: It wasn't funny for Dallas Stars: Oettinger reacts to Avalanche's lucky goal in Game 6 This isn't the first time ESPN has faced criticism from the NHL community, but with the stakes this high, the backlash is louder than ever. Fans aren't just watching a game—they're experiencing a story unfold, and they want the right narrator.
Fox News
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
ESPN broadcaster talks navigating politics while calling USA-Canada 4 Nations final: 'Had to say something'
The USA-Canada hockey rivalry reached its hottest point earlier this month at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and the fans — and politics — played major roles. In USA's first game of the tournament, which was against Finland in Montreal, the Canadian crowd booed the "Star-Spangled Banner." Two days later, the Montreal crowd again booed the USA anthem before the two bordering countries got into three fights in the first nine seconds of their highly anticipated team. Sure, politics may not have directly led to the fights, but they sure were the main factor for the large boos. The national anthem battles began earlier this month when Ottawa Senators fans booed the "Star-Spangled Banner" on Feb. 1, when Trump's tariffs on goods from Canada to the U.S. were set to be implemented (they have since been delayed). It also happened during a Toronto Raptors game the next day, and it carried over all the way to Boston, when Americans faintly booed the Canadian anthem in both of their games on USA soil. Sean McDonough was on the call for the final, which wound up being a 3-2 overtime win for Canada over USA, but he said while he needed to keep focus on the ice, he felt a need to bring up the politics between the two countries. "I think in this instance, we had to say something," McDonough said on the "Sports Media" podcast. "I felt like I had to say something because it was an issue — and I guess I contributed to it by what I said on the radio show, but there needed to be some acknowledgment." McDonough, earlier that week, said he had hoped Americans didn't boo the Canadian national anthem ahead of the final, which he said became a big deal in the media. "I had said before — it's amazing how our business works. I'm on a couple of talk shows. I got asked about the booing, and I said, 'I hope they don't boo.' 'I just hope the Americans don't boo. I understand why the Canadians are upset: the tariffs, the 51st state stuff.' And to the point that people are more interested in this because of that, that was much more, in my experience, an issue in Canada than it was in Boston. There were people talking about, 'Oh, the politics of it,' where in Canada, they were." "It's interesting how our thing works," he added. "I said, 'Well, I hope they don't boo.' Well, then the headlines on these articles become 'Sean McDonough [inaudible] not to boo,' like I called a press conference and said, 'Do not boo.' All I said was, 'I hope they don't boo.' But it's like I called a press conference and begged people not to [boo]. I answered a question and said, 'I hope they don't boo.'" McDonough added that, had he known Canadian anthem singer Chantal Kreviazuk purposely changed the words as a shot at President Donald Trump, "I would've acknowledged." But, he initially thought it was an accidental flubbing of the lyrics. The win improved Canada's record against USA in best-on-best formats to 14-4-1, with wins including the 2002 and 2010 Olympic gold medal games and the 2014 Olympic semifinal. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
USA Today
20-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USA vs. Canada announcers for 4 Nations Face-Off championship: Who's calling the game on ESPN?
It's time to watch the biggest game from the 4 Nations Face-Off: the championship matchup. That's right. Some of the best hockey players in the world, from Team USA and Team Canada, will be tearing it up during the NHL's premier tournament. It's coming to you live from Boston, Massachusetts. ESPN will carry the action starting at 8 p.m. ET (Watch with a Fubo free trial). And if you're here, you may be wondering: Who are the voices you're hearing calling all the action from TD Garden? We have the answers for you. It'll be Sean McDonough on play-by-play. Ray Ferraro will be the analyst. They'll be joined by reporter Emily Kaplan and rules analyst Dave Jackson. That's it. Enjoy the night! We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
