(Along with announcing, Zakrzewski sometimes practices in net with the team. Photos via Zakrzewski)
As Washington’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, gets set to play the Allen Americans in Game 7 of the Kelly Cup finals on Sunday, one person – or voice, for that matter – has stood out, especially among fairweather fans rooting for the last-standing Caps-affiliated team to take home a championship.
The play-by-play voice of the Stingrays, Joseph Zakrzewski, is working his first Kelly Cup Finals, and it’s Game 7. It doesn’t get any better than that in hockey, and it’ll easily be the biggest moment of Zakrzewski’s broadcasting career so far.
“He’s a great young announcer, very detailed in his preparation, love the energy he brings to the call,” Caps radio voice John Walton said of Zakrzewski, after spending time himself in Charleston for games 4, 5 and 6 of the series.
Raised in Houston, Zakrzewski is wrapping up his sixth season working in Charleston, but calling the final game in Allen, Texas, is special for him. “To be able to call games in front of my family and friends, and actually have them sitting next to me, and putting headphones on, and being there with me to share these moments is a huge honor.”
Zakrzewski, 28, got into broadcasting when he worked at an ice rink in high school, scorekeeping games and DJing open skates. He grabbed the microphone, spoke over the PA system and found his calling. After high school he went to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, majoring in mass communications while specializing in broadcast journalism, and found himself at plenty of AHL Houston Aeros games.
After college, he got a job calling baseball games for the Battle Creek Bombers of the Northwoods League in Michigan, but Zakrzewski wanted to get back into hockey. In 2009, he sent out his resume and heard from the Stingrays, right after the team won its last championship.
“I came in right as the celebrations were still going on, as the office staff and the players were getting their rings fitted. The Kelly Cup was around. Obviously, I didn’t touch it. There was one other office member who was new at the time too, so we were kind of the outcasts.”
Like most broadcasters, Zakrzewski has heroes and role models for his play-calling, including NBC’s Doc Emrick. But he’s also found inspiration outside of the sport. He’s a big fan of Bob Uecker, the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers, and NPR’s Garrison Keillor because of his ability to make the ordinary seem extraordinary. Zakrzewski morphs Uecker’s humor and Keillor’s storytelling technique into his broadcasts. “It’s about entertainment, and keeping people intrigued.”
Of all the current Capitals, Zakrzewski first got to know Joel Ward when he was with the Houston Aeros. Ward also served as inspiration for his DJ name during his school radio station’s classic rock segment.
“[Ward’s] nickname in the Houston locker room was the ‘Landlord’ because he was in charge of all of his roommates and collecting the rent from everyone. I adopted that name for my DJ name in Huntsville, Texas. So I was known as the Landlord for my college radio station.”
While covering the Aeros, Zakrzewski also used Ward as the go-to guy for game quotes, something reporters still do in the Caps’ locker room. “He was one of the better guys who would reach out and talk to me.”
Several current and former Caps have spent time with the Stingrays, only to get promoted to Hershey and later the Caps. This is especially true for goalies, as they get more playing time in the ECHL while other players develop in the Hershey. “It’s been unbelievable working with the Washington Capitals. My first year here was the year that Braden Holtby was a rookie and was down here for about 13 games or so.”
That led to one of Zakrzewski’s most cherished moment with the Stingrays. A goalie himself, Zakrzewski brings his gear on the road in case the team needs him during practice. The players get a kick out of it as they see the radio guy in net. One day in Jonestown, Pa., Zakrzewski played against Holtby in net for a game of 3-on-3.
“Being able to travel on the bus with [Holtby] and journey around with him and really get to know him as a person was unbelievable. He was a fresh-faced kid at the time, and now he’s married with a couple of kids, and a savvy vet. He’s one of my favorite Caps guys to follow up with.”
Even when the Caps were affiliated with the Reading Royals for a couple of seasons before re-affiliating with South Carolina last year, Zakrzewski kept in touch with the Caps and the PR staff. He’s also known Walton for years, having worked closely with him when Walton was in Hershey.
“That’s incredible, to get that NHL experience for the team and to have them cover us. It’s probably the closest relationship from an NHL team to an ECHL affiliate I’ve seen out of all the teams in the ECHL. I’m incredibly spoiled and incredibly thankful to have such a close relationship with everybody.”
The relationship turned into invitations to Caps development camps, where he got to call a scrimmage with Caps assistant general manager Don Fishman.
“From top to bottom, from the players to the staff, working with the Washington Capitals has made me appreciate how much they do as an organization. When Ted Leonsis‘s book, The Business of Happiness, came out, I picked that up right away just to try to apply his ideals of how he has morphed the Capitals and his businesses to a successful and happy venture. That’s what I try to do here with the Stingrays.”
Calling game 7 of the Kelly Cup Finals will be the biggest moment of Zakrzewski’s career so far, especially if the Stingrays win. His second biggest moment was calling Game 7 of the conference finals, the triple overtime game winning goal in the 1-0 win against the Toledo Walleye. He also had the honor of calling the second-longest game in ECHL history back in the 2012 playoffs, when the Stingrays won Game 3 of the opening round – in quadruple overtime.
His prediction for Game 7? Considering how every series has gone so far, Zakrzewski has no idea what to expect, but knows if the Stingrays play like they did in Game 6, a dominant 4-1 win, he will get to pick up the Kelly Cup, unlike in 2009.
“It’s been great to hear him on this playoff run,” Walton said Friday. “He’s got a future in the NHL one day.”
Follow @joeyzstingrays on Twitter and GO STINGRAYS!
- Game 7 time: 5:05 Eastern time
- Listen to the game: Caps Radio 24/7
- Stingrayshockey.com
- Watch the game: echl.tv
