Silver Knights broadcaster savors call to the NHL

Brian McCormack usually is the one asking what it was like to reach the NHL and whether the experience was everything that was envisioned.

When the Silver Knights radio play-by-play broadcaster returned from his promotion last week to the Golden Knights, the tables were turned.

“The funny thing is the players reacted to me the way I react to them when they come back. ‘Hey, Brian. How’d it go? My dad said it sounded good,’ ” McCormack said Monday. “If it had been a bit of a stumbling, bumbling circus, I probably would have come away feeling differently. But I had a great time.”

McCormack, 32, made his NHL radio debut when the Golden Knights played at Los Angeles on Dec. 28 and also did play-by-play for the New Year’s Eve game against Anaheim at T-Mobile Arena.

It was a lifelong dream fulfilled for the Long Island native who first broadcast games as a student at Division III SUNY Geneseo with his brother serving as the color commentator.

McCormack was the radio voice for the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads (2015-18) and the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (2018-20) before he was hired by the Silver Knights a year ago.

With Golden Knights radio play-by-play voice Dan D’Uva and color commentator Gary Lawless each impacted by the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol last week, McCormack was asked to fill in.

“I had no expectations I would be able to do an NHL game, but they needed help and I was really grateful they gave me the opportunity to pinch hit,” McCormack said. “It was everything I hoped it would be. And then from that point forward it became a busier week than I originally anticipated.”

Because of the sensitive nature of the situation, McCormack didn’t tell his family about his big break. They found out when the Silver Knights social media accounts announced the morning of the game against the Kings he was being called up to the NHL.

McCormack broadcast Golden Knights preseason games as part of his role with the organization, but that didn’t prevent him from having pregame jitters in Los Angeles until the puck was dropped for the opening faceoff.

“That he had done it a couple of times in the preseason I think allowed him to really step in seamlessly for these regular-season games,” D’Uva said. “Everything that he does, whether it’s on the air or behind the scenes, he does all of those things with such great professionalism and candor that it should not surprise anyone that he is doing so well with Henderson.”

McCormack pulled a rare broadcaster doubleheader Friday, doing play-by-play for the Golden Knights in the afternoon before traveling to Ontario, California, for the Silver Knights game that night.

However, his flight was delayed more than an hour. McCormack didn’t land until approximately 6:15 p.m.

He arrived at his seat in the broadcast booth about 6:50 p.m., and the Ontario Reign public relations staff had a name placard waiting for Brian “Let’s Play Two” McCormack.

“You always look for the positives in the negative and this was a great opportunity for an up-and-coming broadcaster,” Lawless said. “He was fantastic, and the fact that he got on that plane right after the NHL game and went and did the American Hockey League game, kind of a thrill of a career. Something you’ll never forget.”

D’Uva, who only missed one game in his career prior to missing two last week, returned to the Golden Knights radio booth Sunday and will be there again when the Knights host Nashville on Tuesday.

McCormack is preparing for the Silver Knights game Wednesday against San Diego. He saved the game notes from his NHL appearances and is hopeful he’ll get another chance in the future.

“It’s just the latest opportunity I’ve been allowed to have by an organization that is giving an AHL kid every chance to keep checking off bucket list items,” McCormack said. “Now I can smile and say, ‘Guess what? Working in the National Hockey League is as great as you’d hoped it would be and it lives up to the billing.’ ”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.