{"id":436173,"date":"2026-01-30T12:02:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T12:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/436173\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T12:02:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T12:02:20","slug":"want-to-call-an-nhl-game-between-the-benches-better-get-a-helmet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/436173\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to call an NHL game between the benches? Better get a helmet"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article is part of our NHL Arena Rankings series<\/a>, in which we rank all 32 current rinks and present stories about memorable rinks of the past and present.<\/p>\n

Once Rob Ray realized what was happening, the puck was three feet from his face.<\/p>\n

The Buffalo Sabres enforcer-turned-analyst was working between the teams\u2019 benches at the KeyBank Center, as a New York Rangers defenseman inadvertently launched a stretch pass out of play toward Ray\u2019s grill during a February 2025 game. The smack \u2014 and ensuing reaction<\/a> \u2014 was so loud, it picked up on Ray\u2019s mic.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, f\u2014.\u201d<\/p>\n

This season marks two decades of what might be the most hazardous TV job in sports: the between-the-benches color commentator. Amid flying snow, pucks and insults, these broadcasters are in the middle of the action while standing in an ice-level alcove sandwiched between two team benches. It makes for good TV \u2014 and has led to some legendary stories as analysts spin yarns about close calls with pucks and sticks, having front-row seats to on-ice scrums and of chirps and expletives lobbed over their heads.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing between the benches to do our job is the greatest place possible,\u201d Ray told The Athletic. \u201cFrom being a player, you get into the game a lot more. You get a better feel for it. You hear a little bit of what\u2019s going on both sides. And you stay into the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the greatest seat in the house,\u201d TVA Sports reporter Renaud Lavoie said. \u201c(The game) is really, really quick. You see everything. And that\u2019s the beauty of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right in the middle of the field of play,\u201d former NBC and TSN hockey analyst Pierre McGuire said. \u201cYou\u2019re basically an interloper in the players\u2019 and the coaches\u2019 office.\u201d<\/p>\n

NBC first introduced the concept of on-air talent working rinkside during the 2005-06 season, when reporters and analysts were \u201cInside the Glass,\u201d as coined by NBC Sports producer Sam Flood. The idea was inspired by NASCAR pit reporters working alongside pit road and overhearing teams strategize during races.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe concept was to put someone in real time who had played the game or coached the game, who could understand the code of the game of hockey, and give you real-time information about what\u2019s transpiring on both teams\u2019 benches,\u201d Flood said.<\/p>\n

However, it took time for the NHL to get on board with the idea. Flash back to mere moments before Game 5 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final in Tampa, featuring the Lightning and Calgary Flames, when Flood sought out McGuire, then with TSN, for a quick question.<\/p>\n

Flood grew up in Dedham, Mass., learning to play hockey as soon as he could walk and idolizing Bobby Orr of the nearby Boston Bruins. Flood played hockey in high school with his father, Richard, as his coach. Eventually, the younger Flood captained the Williams College hockey team. Years after graduating with a bachelor\u2019s degree in history, Flood joined NBC as a researcher before progressing to producing live events, including in NASCAR.<\/p>\n

When Flood wasn\u2019t producing, he was back home in Boston helping his father with his summer hockey program. McGuire, armed with NHL coaching experience in Pittsburgh and Hartford, was among the program\u2019s coaches.<\/p>\n

So, Flood was more than familiar with McGuire\u2019s work as an analyst and wondered aloud what he\u2019d think about having someone call a game from between the benches. It would be a groundbreaking way for NBC to return to NHL coverage after striking a new broadcast deal with the league in May 2004, which kicked in for 2005 after a season-long lockout ended.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Pierre McGuire, once an analyst for NBC Sports, watches a game from between the benches in 2014. (Brace Hemmelgarn \/ USA Today)<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I could, but there\u2019s no way the league will ever allow that,\u201d McGuire told Flood. \u201c(Flood\u2019s) exact phrase to me was, you leave that to (NBC Sports President) Dick Ebersol and myself, and we\u2019ll get it done. If you think you can do it, you\u2019ve got the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flood initially met with league broadcast executives who weren\u2019t sure how NHL arenas would make space for on-air talent to hang around near the ice, and ultimately shut down his idea. Undeterred, Flood presented his idea to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman during a post-lockout meeting and tried to sell him on \u201cInside The Glass\u201d being a \u201cunique way that could potentially change the way hockey is covered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Gary said, \u2018Well, that sounds like a great idea, Sam. We\u2019ll make sure it happens,\u201d Flood said.<\/p>\n

NBC started coverage in time for the 2005-06 season, with some teams allowing reporters on their bench. But pushback continued from some teams, including the Anaheim Ducks, whose arena didn\u2019t have sufficient space for on-air talent. In the hopes of changing his mind, four hours before a Stanley Cup Final game in 2007, Flood met with then-Ducks GM Brian Burke in his office as he rode an exercise bike.<\/p>\n

During a December 2004 meeting, in the midst of the season-long NHL lockout, the two clashed during a meeting led by Brendan Shanahan \u2014 dubbed the \u201cShanahan Summit\u201d<\/a> \u2014 in which a handful of players, coaches, and executives discussed how the game could improve. When Flood complained that the NBA provided more media access to its players compared to the NHL, Burke said, \u201cThere\u2019s no f\u2014ing way we\u2019ll let that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two and a half years later, Flood stood in front of the exercising Burke and pleaded for a space along the bench for McGuire to broadcast the game. Burke wasn\u2019t happy. Flood didn\u2019t want to \u201cpull rank\u201d and have the NHL call Burke to tell him to make room. But he would if necessary. Burke bluntly told him to get the \u201cf\u2014\u201d out of his office.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead and call Bettman if you have to. I\u2019m not agreeing with it,\u201d Burke said. \u201cBettman called me and said, \u2018Yes, you are.\u2019 I argued with Gary, too, but didn\u2019t have any force. So, Pierre was on our players\u2019 bench during a game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBurke and I had mutual respect,\u201d Flood said. \u201cHe wanted what was best for the NHL, and I think he trusted (it). Because he\u2019d seen two seasons at this point of the on-the-bench concept, and it was very well received and people wanted to use it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Twenty years after Flood\u2019s \u201cInside the Glass\u201d concept began, having reporters and analysts alongside benches has become the norm for fans and coaches. Broadcasters such as TNT will even have three-person broadcasts featuring a play-by-play and color commentator in the booth, while a reporter\/analyst will occupy their in-between-bench role.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to gather stuff that\u2019s going on at ice level,\u201d TNT broadcaster and former goaltender Brian Boucher said. \u201cMaybe the temperature of the game, something I\u2019m hearing at ice level. So, you get in two different perspectives when we do that broadcast.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that access, sometimes the action gets a little too close.<\/p>\n

Former NHL backup goaltender Jamie McLennan suffered two concussions over a 17-year pro career, 11 of those in the NHL. McLennan, now a TSN broadcaster, has had the same number of concussions in the last three years working between the benches as an analyst. Both came from sticks that whacked him in the head. Both came from defensemen, Erik Brannstrom and Mark Borowiecki, reacting after being hit along the boards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always joke that, knock on wood,\u201d McLennan added, pun unintended. \u201cThe next time I get hit will be the last time, because I\u2019m going upstairs for good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Analysts and reporters such as McLennan have similar stories. They\u2019ve experienced close calls with pucks and sticks while having front-row seats for on-ice scrums and angered coaches, eavesdropping on chirps they wouldn\u2019t normally hear. Such as the time Lavoie heard a back-and-forth between former Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators captains \u2014 and eventual future teammates \u2014 Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone.<\/p>\n

\u201cStone was looking at Pacioretty,\u201d Lavoie remembered. \u201cAnd he was like, \u2018No one likes you on your team. Everyone hates you on your team.\u2019 And (Pacioretty) was the captain. And (Pacioretty) was like, \u2018No, that\u2019s not true. Everyone loves me.\u2019 And Stone was like, \u2018No, they all hate you.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Or when former NWHL star and ESPN and Amazon Prime Hockey analyst Blake Bolden got \u201csmoked\u201d on her cheekbone by the heel of a stick blade as a player came off the ice for a line change.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember freaking out a little bit inside, because I\u2019m on air. I know I\u2019m live,\u201d Bolden said. \u201cI think I pulled it off so nicely, and I didn\u2019t look like I was rattled. Even though I was, because it was throbbing. I kid you not. It hurt so bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

And even innocuous fun can prove troublesome, as Seattle Kraken analyst and former NHLer JT Brown explained after his former teammate Yanni Gourde skated toward him and snowed him after a hard stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only did he get me,\u201d Brown said. \u201cBut more importantly, he got my notes. And I was using just a regular pen, regular paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was gone. Everything. So, all my notes for the game, gone,\u201d he added, remembering Gourde laughing in his face as he showed him his drenched notes.<\/p>\n

In response, Brown now exclusively writes his notes on 80-lb cardstock notebooks and with thin-point Sharpies.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that if it does get wet, it doesn\u2019t ruin my whole notes,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

Sportsnet broadcaster Louie DeBrusk\u2019s notes are in a notebook covered in hard plastic, which can help avoid the same fate that Brown once suffered, among other hazards. During one of his first games between the benches, he shared the space with fellow broadcaster and former NHL goalie Darren Pang, who likened his notebook to a goalie \u201cblocker,\u201d which can prove useful to DeBrusk for oncoming pucks shot in his direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I think the puck\u2019s coming,\u201d DeBrusk said, holding up his notebook. \u201cI\u2019m just blocking my face.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Louie DeBrusk shows his game notes. (Julian McKenzie \/ The Athletic)<\/p>\n

But if you think brushes with pucks, sticks and players should entice on-air talent to wear protective gear such as a helmet while rinkside, there will be detractors. It\u2019s something many broadcasters, such as Lavoie, hope never happens.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at the number of games that were played with people between the benches in the last 10, 12, 15 years, there\u2019s not a lot of major incidents,\u201d Lavoie said. \u201cIt\u2019s happened. It\u2019s always going to happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that if you\u2019re really cautious, if you\u2019re dialed in, if you watch the game, if your eyes are always on the puck, you\u2019re never going to get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

After taking that puck to the face last February, Ray called the game with a golf-ball-sized welt on his face, inches above his left eye. The last time<\/a> he got hit by a puck, it was right in between his eyes and he needed up to eight stitches. This time around, he made light of the situation. Days later, he called part of the next Sabres broadcast from the arena nosebleeds and even wore a helmet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He will not require said helmet for future broadcasts. Despite the risks and pain, Ray loves his job working games in between the benches \u2014 arguably one of the most unique jobs in the sports broadcasting world \u2014 and wouldn\u2019t change a thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I could do all 82 games between the benches, I\u2019d do it in a second,\u201d Ray said. \u201cGetting hit, whatever, I don\u2019t care. Because it\u2019s so much more enjoyable being down there than being up top.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NHL Arena Rankings series is part of a partnership with StubHub. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article is part of our NHL Arena Rankings series, in which we rank all 32 current rinks…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":436174,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5111],"tags":[229,105,5,3328,35,5190,5193,4,36,234,273],"class_list":{"0":"post-436173","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-rangers","8":"tag-buffalo-sabres","9":"tag-culture","10":"tag-hockey","11":"tag-new-york","12":"tag-new-york-rangers","13":"tag-newyork","14":"tag-newyorkrangers","15":"tag-nhl","16":"tag-rangers","17":"tag-seattle-kraken","18":"tag-sports-business"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115983951797240813","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}