Ian Wilson likes to sign off his broadcasts with a simple request: “Be the best version of yourself.”
It’s an admonition the Coquitlam Express play-by-play announcer admits he works on himself every time he pulls on the headset.
“You’re never done learning,” Wilson told the Tri-City News. “As good as you think you get at something, there’s always things that you can learn, new pieces of your game that you can sharpen.”
Wilson, 24, is new to the Express this season, and only the second announcer the team has ever known in its 21-year history.
He stepped into the booth on the north side of the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex just days before the start of the regular season after long-time game-caller Eddie Gregory graduated to the Western Hockey League (WHL) as the new voice of the Vancouver Giants.
But even at his young age, Wilson’s called a lot of games in almost every sport.
He started doing public address announcing for the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades volleyball team when he was a student there, then flexed his vocal cords for several of the school’s other varsity teams, like soccer and basketball, as well as various regional and national championship tournaments that rolled into town.
Wilson said he loved it so much, he decided to head to BCIT in Burnaby to further hone his skills at its broadcasting program. He became the colour commentator for the Richmond Sockeyes in the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL), his first gig in that sport.
Busy schedule
Other opportunities came up, like filling in for the BC Hockey League’s (BCHL) Chilliwack Chiefs and calling games for that city’s Junior ‘B’ Jets as well. He also does work for the PJHL’s Delta Ice Hawks.
The Express job came about so suddenly, Wilson said he still maintains many of those positions, which means he’s not available to travel with the team for road games. Yet.
Though there’s not a lot of glamour calling hockey games for an audience that might hit triple digits on a good night, Wilson said he tries to bring the same energy and sense of professionalism to his task were he doing it for the Vancouver Canucks from the broadcast booth high above the ice in Rogers Arena.
“If it’s a peewee hockey game, or a kids’ soccer game, or university sports at any level, I want to give those players and their families the full professional experience,” he said. “It just adds to the atmosphere.”
Attaining that self-imposed standard takes preparation.
Getting ready for a game
Wilson said he’ll attend practices to get to know the players by chatting with them afterward or before games.
It’s those casual conversations that can often reveal real insider nuggets of information that make his broadcast on the BCHL's Hockey TV streaming service come alive and enhance the connection with the team’s supporters.
It also makes it easier for him to remember who’s who because the athletes now have a dimension that goes beyond their names on a lineup sheet.
On the morning of game days, Wilson checks rosters, the latest stats, news releases and social media posts so he’s up-to-date when he heads to the arena about 90 minutes before the puck drops.
Once there, he works with two technicians to ensure all the technical aspects of the broadcast are in order, then heads down for a pre-game interview with Express head coach Patrick Sexton.
A lot of information is in his head
Wilson said, unlike some broadcasters who like to keep copious notes in front of them, he files most of the information he gleans into his brain, ready to be accessed as he keeps his eyes on the flow of play.
“A lot of my stuff is more freeform,” Wilson said. “Just trying to keep those facts straight is definitely a big preparation and a big challenge.”
The pressure for Wilson to perform is amped up a notch because he works alone, without a colour commentator to step in when he has a brain freeze or to take the load off with wry observations of their own.
He said he enjoys the challenge.
“You almost have to feel like you’re having a one-on-one conversation with the person on the other end of the broadcast.”
Wilson said it’s an exciting time to be part of the Express organization as it takes a more holistic approach to developing players into upstanding citizens and continues efforts to grow the game from the grass roots with initiatives like letting 2,000 school kids into the building for free in hopes they’ll be electrified by the experience.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to be a part of anything that challenges the status quo in a good way,” Wilson said.
“It allows us to create new ideas.”
Teddy Bear Toss on Friday
The Express host the Victoria Grizzlies, Friday, 7 p.m., at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
The team will be wearing a special Christmas-themed jersey as fans are being asked to bring a teddy bear to toss on the ice after the home team scores its first goal. They’re then donated to the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau to be distributed to families in need. Last year’s toss collected about 300 plush creatures.
As well, the festive jerseys will be auctioned off to raise money for Kirmac Cares for Kids that supports the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
