All western conference games will be held at Rogers Place in Edmonton, which has been re-formatted with no fans allowed in attendance. (National Hockey League/Twitter)

By Trevor Redden

Back in the booth

‘It’s really amazing from the few things we’ve seen’: Munz ready for brand-new NHL experience

Jul 28, 2020 | 12:52 PM

Beginning Wednesday night, Brian Munz will be broadcasting NHL hockey from a radio studio two provinces away from where the game is being played, but he comes into it with some previous experience.

The former voice of the Prince Albert Raiders on CKBI, as well as the former voice of the Melfort Mustangs, Humboldt Broncos, and Nipawin Hawks remembers calling games off a screen during his time in Prince Albert.

“I’ve done some games before, actually in P.A. I did a series for Shaw out of a studio there in Prince Albert. We did some games in the early 2000s, so I’ve done that before, but obviously not NHL hockey,” Munz said.

Now the voice of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets on TSN 1290, Munz would typically be wherever the Jets are, calling the games from high over the ice at the arena. Due to COVID-19 regulations, no team-based broadcasters are allowed inside the league’s “bubble,” forcing media outlets to get creative.

“It’s really amazing from the few things we’ve seen behind the scenes over the last week coming in. The number of camera availabilities now. As everybody knows, with no fans there it gives the television production crew and the NHL the opportunity to put cameras in scenarios that they couldn’t with people in the building,” Munz said.

Riderville

Now for the Hard Part

Dec 10, 2025

Grey Cup!!!

Everything you wanted and more

Nov 21, 2025

Ferland earns Grey Cup ring

'A wonderful human being': High school coach thrilled Logan Ferland is a Grey Cup champion

Nov 17, 2025

“I think the game production is going to be enhanced, it will make it easy for both television and radio to tell the stories. We’ll probably have cameras closer to the ice and closer to the benches than we’ve ever had before, and I think that lends to a greater product than we’ve ever had on the TV and on the radio.”

As for access to players and coaches to help tell the story, Munz explained the Jets have been extremely accommodating, and will be providing broadcasters with their usual one-on-one coaches show remotely, as well as a morning meeting with staff and players over Zoom to stay up to date.

The Jets play an exhibition game Wednesday night against the Oilers at 8:30 p.m., which is 9:30 p.m. Winnipeg time. Given the new situation for all involved, Munz said he doesn’t mind having a late-night game to work out the kinks before moving into prime time.

Then on Saturday, after just one exhibition game and a two-week training camp, Winnipeg opens up their best-of-five play-in series against the Flames to earn a berth in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“That’s the thing that adds the most intrigue for me in this 24-team play-in. Everybody is at an even balance. No team is without their star players or has multiple players out because of an 82-game regular season schedule,” Munz said.

“The one thing I will be kind of curious on, especially in the best of five play-in series, is which team will be able to handle the speed the most. I think this will be kind of November or December hockey. When you’ve got the track meet going on, it’s going to make for some great plays, but it will also show some mistakes.”

While he remains in Winnipeg, Munz has been in contact with several people across the league who are within the bubbles in Edmonton and Toronto, and there is one theme that continues to come up.

“It’s taking you back to minor hockey. All the teams they’re playing against are in the same hotel and they’re seeing a lot of familiar faces from the other teams outside the arena,” Munz explained.

“The other thing you’re hearing is it’s a quick hello and then continuing on to their preparation because everybody is sacrificing time away from friends and family to try to win the Stanley Cup. As they continue on here, I would assume despite the fact they might get a little more lonely. There won’t be any camaraderie between the teams because in the Stanley Cup Playoffs there’s no friends until you reach the conclusion, and you want to be the one that lifts that cup.”

It’s been over four months since the NHL shut down, and Munz remembers a surreal night on March 11 when the Jets and Oilers faced off in Edmonton in what would end up being one of the final games of the regular season.

“I vividly remember going out of the radio booth [after the first period] and walking down to the common area, and everybody was wondering what was going to happen next. That included hockey executives, off-ice officials, everybody that congregates up there,” he said.

While the Jets and Oilers were battling, the NBA was encountering an odd scenario where a game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder was called off moments before tip-off because a player tested positive for the virus. Word spread quickly, and the next day both the NBA and NHL shut down their season for the time being.

“It was one of those nights for sure where you’ll always remember ‘where were you when,’ but I don’t think anybody had the legitimate thought that we’d be away for four months. Nobody had the background understanding of what this all entailed,” Munz said.

After four months of hosting sports talk shows in Winnipeg twice a week, golfing when he could, and spending as much time with family as possible, Munz is happy to be back in the studio in the middle of summer to call NHL hockey.

“I don’t think the listening audience is going to hear anything different. The big difference is now we can call it in a golf shirt and shorts and not a suit and tie.”

–

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden