Given how professional the broadcast team was, it is worth noting the huge changes going on at TSN in 2010 as it went from a single cable channel to a TSN 2 feed just in time for Jets inaugural season. At the same time a race was on to get HD signals in place. The first HD broadcast began in Toronto in 2003 but that didn't mean TVs or cable companies were capable of getting it into your home. In 2011 when CBC was to broadcast the Jets for the first time, the HD signal wasn't ready. I recall I got the Toronto Maple Leaf game instead. The problem was corrected by next time an it has been HD signals since.
TSN 2 though was a regional broadcast that required filling time because there were so few sponsors in the beginning. In 2011, CFRW which had just started sports radio a short time before was re-branded TSN 1290 so that both radio and television were under one brand. The sporting department of CJOB was raided to fill content for both. It was a glorious time for hockey broadcasts in Winnipeg. In 2014, Shane Hnidy joined the broadcast and Engblom was increasingly being called upon by American broadcasters. He was a wonderful Manitoba addition.
Despite the Jets struggles, broadcasting was a strength and up till 2017 was running without changes. That is until Las Vegas Golden Knights came. A raid of our broadcasters saw Shane Hnidy and Gary Lawless headed to the city. Daren Millard is also there. Plus hockey management people who came originally from Manitoba. This resulted in a rotation of colour analysts of Ray Ferraro, Jamie McLennan and Dave Poulin. It was only 2018 when they settled on Kevin Sawyer.
There will be opinions galore on the broadcasting teams in both radio and TV. I think it is certain that the departure of Beyak and Orlesky in the same year is the end of a great era. It will be interesting to see who is part of the broadcast team for this year. You'd have to assume they will be announcing soon as pre-season games are only weeks away.
I have nothing against content sports teams produce. In the far past, it was limited to team photos and stats. Then videos and filler for in between periods. Then came break downs of what happened in a game. It may be written and produced by people who come from journalism but it is not journalism. For example, former journalists will not write content for the Jets about what the worst trades the Jets have ever made. Or the missed players in signing. Or egregious ref calls or failures from the national desk on player safety. That is the in the domain of journalists from media not owned by NHL teams.
NHL teams have every right to produce positive spin on their product but the moment they try to put a shine on things where it is not deserved, it will blow up. Or if they control journalist access to players, managers and owners, expect only the worst to happen. And the worst is lose your audience.
Sara Orlesky is a serious sports person and I expect her to ask serious questions. She had a pretty good interview with Scheifele. The real test for the Jets is when journalists who see that content and ask direct questions about things like plus/minus and what changes will made to improve that. Don't wait for fans to wear paper bags over their heads because you believe your own PR. Teams have completely failed by the time that happens. Each team has to have tough questions asked of it. And that is what journalists do.
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