For TSN reporter Danielle Bain, covering the Winnipeg Jets isn\u2019t just a job\u2014it\u2019s the result of years of uncertainty, calculated risk, and an unwavering belief that her path would eventually come together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always say I\u2019m the eyes and ears on the ground in Winnipeg,\u201d Bain explains. \u201cReporting on everything happening here to a national and regional audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now based in Manitoba as the Winnipeg bureau reporter, she\u2019s embedded in the daily routine of an NHL team\u2014morning skates, media scrums, live hits on SportsCentre. But not long ago, that reality felt far from guaranteed.<\/p>\n
After graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University with a kinesiology degree, Bain found herself in a position many young graduates know well\u2014unsure of what came next. \u201cI chose that degree because I loved sports,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I had no idea what I was doing after.\u201d<\/p>\n
She spent the next three years working at Lululemon, steady but searching, until a conversation with a coworker introduced her to the College of Sports Media. The idea stuck.<\/p>\n
Within weeks of starting the program, everything clicked. \u201cI just remember thinking\u2014I finally found something that mixes my skills and my passion. It never felt like school,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
That clarity came at the right time\u2014but the timing wasn\u2019t easy. The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped her experience, shrinking classes and eliminating opportunities. \u201cA third of our class dropped out,\u201d she recalls. \u201cBut looking back, I\u2019m so happy it happened that way. We were doing three roles on one show\u2014it made us way more ready to step into a position after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, when graduation came, the usual entry points into the industry had disappeared. Internships\u2014often a launching pad\u2014weren\u2019t guaranteed anymore. Faced with the choice to wait for a placement or move forward in the job search, Bain chose the latter.<\/p>\n
Her first role came with CBC during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (postponed to 2021), working overnight logging highlights. \u201cI cold emailed a stranger for the job. I was like, I\u2019ll do anything,\u201d she says. \u201cRun snacks, whatever\u2014it didn\u2019t matter. I just wanted to get my foot in the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
That mindset carried her to Thunder Bay, Ont., where she took a video journalist role and handled everything herself\u2014shooting, writing, editing. It was a crash course in storytelling. But just months later, another opportunity emerged with CityNews in Ottawa.<\/p>\n
At first glance, it wasn\u2019t the perfect fit\u2014it was radio, not television\u2014but Bain saw the bigger picture. \u201cIn my head, I was like, I don\u2019t want to do radio. But I thought, I might as well do the interview,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd then I started realizing\u2014there\u2019s an NHL team there, there\u2019s opportunities for TV reps. It actually made total sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her willingness to adapt became a defining theme of her career.<\/p>\n
While in Ottawa, Bain landed a part-time opportunity with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment covering the Toronto Marlies. The role paid per game\u2014far from enough to relocate\u2014but she wasn\u2019t about to pass it up.<\/p>\n
Instead, she commuted.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a couple months, I was driving from Ottawa to Toronto for games,\u201d she says. \u201cI know it sounds crazy, but I just thought\u2014this is my chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a decision she doesn\u2019t expect everyone to make\u2014and that\u2019s exactly the point. \u201cSome people hear that and say, \u2018I would never do that.\u2019 And that\u2019s totally fair,\u201d she says. \u201cBut you have to ask yourself\u2014what are you willing to do to get there?\u201d<\/p>\n
During her time with MLSE, Bain took on every role she could. Reporting, producing, filling in for in-arena hosting\u2014even holding a microphone at practices. At the time, some of those moments felt small.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember thinking, I\u2019m literally just holding a microphone\u2014this is useless,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut now, I realize I was learning everything. How reporters ask questions, how players respond, how to keep storylines fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a lesson she now passes on often: no opportunity is wasted, even if it feels that way in the moment.<\/p>\n
After three years of freelancing, Bain felt ready for the next step\u2014but instead of waiting, she created her own momentum. She began reaching out to contacts at TSN, introducing herself and asking a simple question: what do I need to do to get here?<\/p>\n
\u201cI would follow up, double follow up\u2014I have no shame,\u201d she says with a laugh. \u201cThe worst thing they can say is no.\u201d<\/p>\n
That persistence paid off. When a reporting role in Winnipeg opened, Bain was encouraged to apply.<\/p>\n
The timing, once again, was hectic. She stepped into the job as NHL training camp was already underway, all while planning a wedding and moving her life across provinces. When she finally arrived in Winnipeg, the city was preparing to host the Grey Cup\u2014an unexpected bonus.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t realize how beneficial that would be,\u201d she says. \u201cI got to meet so many people I work with on a daily basis, like James Duthie. It just makes everything feel more natural on air when you actually know the person you\u2019re talking to, outside of the screen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, her days revolve around the Jets. Game days are packed\u2014tracking storylines, attending morning skate, interviewing players and coaches, and delivering live updates. \u201cI\u2019m always trying to gather as much information as possible,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause you can tell immediately on air if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Preparation, she\u2019s learned, is everything. Confidence comes from knowing the details\u2014and that\u2019s what allows her to stay calm in big moments. \u201cI don\u2019t really get nervous,\u201d she says. \u201cI just get excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, even as she settles into an NHL reporting role, Bain hasn\u2019t lost perspective on how difficult the journey can be\u2014especially financially.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very aware that not everyone can afford to chase this,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are ups and downs, especially in freelance. I was lucky to have support that allowed me to keep pushing.\u201d<\/p>\n
That honesty extends to the realities of the industry itself. \u201cThe person who deserves the job doesn\u2019t always get it,\u201d she says. \u201cYou have to accept that. But it doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s no space for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a mindset rooted in resilience\u2014and reinforced by the moments that remind her why she kept going.<\/p>\n
Her first live hit on SportsCentre stands out. \u201cMy whole family was watching,\u201d she says. \u201cEven if they only saw me for 20 seconds, it meant everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
So does her first appearance on NHL TradeCentre, working alongside broadcasters she grew up watching. \u201cI had to take a moment and be like\u2014wow, we did it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even now, that sense of appreciation hasn\u2019t faded.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day I go to work, I\u2019m like, I can\u2019t believe this is my job,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
But if there\u2019s one message Bain emphasizes most, it\u2019s that her path isn\u2019t unique because of where it ended\u2014it\u2019s defined by how she got there.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone can do this,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you\u2019re willing to put in the effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
And in a sport\u2014and an industry\u2014where nothing is guaranteed, that belief might be the most important tool of all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For TSN reporter Danielle Bain, covering the Winnipeg Jets isn\u2019t just a job\u2014it\u2019s the result of years of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":548404,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5121],"tags":[5,78,4,77,18,5288],"class_list":{"0":"post-548403","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-winnipeg-jets","8":"tag-hockey","9":"tag-jets","10":"tag-nhl","11":"tag-winnipeg","12":"tag-winnipeg-jets","13":"tag-winnipegjets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116372224355149810","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548403","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=548403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548403\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/548404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=548403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=548403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}