The podcast is out a little late this week, but that’s because it is essentially a double episode. We’ve got our usual guest, but there’s also a lengthy Q&A with questions submitted by you, the readers of this website and listeners of the podcast. We cover a lot of ground over the two hours.
First up, my guest this week is Pete Blackburn, who just moved from CBS Sports to Bally Sports to be the lead on their NHL coverage. Bally Sports is now the regional network for many NHL franchises and is getting more involved on the web side as well, which is what Pete will be doing.
We cover Pete’s new job and what he hopes to accomplish, but also take a long look at the Stanley Cup Playoffs with commentary on the Boston Bruins, Tuukka Rask, the Edmonton Oilers’ early ouster, Blake Wheeler, the incredible talent of the Colorado Avalanche and more.
Pete also discusses his winding career and how he went from a popular live gif provider to one of the more unique and entertaining voices in the hockey media today. He’s a great example of finding your niche, owning it and then learning more things and becoming more versatile as you go along.
Make sure you follow Pete on Twitter, and check out his work at ballysports.com, listen to his podcast with D.J. Bean called “BRUNCH” and you can also follow Pete on Twitch where he is an avid streamer.
After that, we have the lengthy Q&A that covers drafted NHL prospects, the 2021 NHL Draft and the incredibly unfortunate news that Robert Morris University is dropping its men’s and women’s hockey programs, while also providing one of the most stomach-turning, ridiculous press releases I’ve ever read.
To listen to Talking Hockey Sense, search for it on your app of choice or get today’s episode at these links:
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Meanwhile, the Q&A portion will also be reproduced as a mailbag on this website and will include a little more detail than I was able to provide on the podcast, so stay tuned for that coming very soon.
As a reminder, if you’re looking forward to the NHL Draft lottery, I’ve got two mock drafts coming next week. The first drops on Monday and the next will come the day after the draft lottery after we get the results. So if you want to get access to that, make sure to subscribe today for as little as $6 a month.
Talking Hockey Sense Episode 11: Pete Blackburn and reader Q&A