As part of the recurring feature "10 Questions with…" here at Daddy’s Sugar Ball we will be interviewing sports and entertainment personalities with connections to the local Central PA area. Please check out our past interviews here.

This week we are very appreciative to have had a discussion with the man behind the microphone for the Hershey Bears, John Walton.  Walton's work as the play-by-play voice for the Bears has made him as beloved in Central PA as the young men who don the Chocolate & White.  Walton is one of the longest tenured broadcasters in the AHL and was awarded the 2004 James H. Ellery Award for his radio work. 

 

DSB: Besides your job behind the microphone, you also serve as a communications consultant to the team. What does that position entail?

John Walton: It’s a longer winded way of saying I’m the PR director for all things on the hockey side of the business. I take care of the credentials, run the press box, and prepare game notes and press releases. I also work hand-in-hand with Doug Yingst, the President/GM of the team.

DSB: What do you love most about your role with the Bears?

JW: I’d have to say being the conduit between the team and the fans. A lot of terrific times have been shared with our region over the last five years, and to be the guy that brings that home to so many people is a great feeling. I’m always amazed how many people are listening, and where they’re listening at. The Bears are what central PA and beyond does in the wintertime, and it’s an honor to be at the forefront of that.

DSB: Describe your schedule on a typical game day.

JW: I generally arrive about five hours before puck drop, to prepare game notes, meet with the coaches and record my interview for that night’s broadcast. For home games, I also shoot a video spot with our assistant coach that airs on the video board just prior to the game. I spend time reading the game notes from the other team and look over the league stats, and make any notes I want to use on the air during the course of the game. When the game is over, I send out my audio clips for radio stations to use the next day, and oversee updating the team’s website, especially the video content.

DSB: The average sports fan probably thinks that hockey play-by-play has to be the toughest of all major sports because of the in-game, constant line changes. Are we right?

JW: It’s a common question I get, and I guess it is, but there isn’t much down time, so it usually goes pretty quick. I played the game as a kid all the way up to college, so it makes sense to me and I’ve never really had any problem with the pace. I love to do baseball because I like to be able to joke around and storytell a bit on the air. Not as much room to do that with hockey, but I’ll usually try and find some time for that. I’ve also done a bit of football and basketball. Neither was as interesting to me.

DSB: Last year the SportsBusiness Journal declared the Hershey/Harrisburg area as the nation’s #1 minor league market due in large part to the Bears and their fans. What’s your interpretation of what hockey means in Hershey?

JW: It’s everything, it’s the passion of our region. No other place in this country will you see a minor league team with the depth and passion our fans have. It’s virtually unheard of to have so many sellouts and have so much pride in winning at the triple "A" level in any sport. But to central PA, it’s what we do. And it’s just a terrific thing to have here.

DSB: Staying away from hockey for a moment…what’s it like for a Columbus, Ohio native to find himself ensconced in the middle of Nittany Lion country?

JW: Not easy, that’s for sure. After living here for eight years, I’d say I’m ok with Penn State any week that they’re not playing the Buckeyes. I find middle ground in the fact that we both can’t stand Michigan. That’s a tremendous common interest as far as I’m concerned.

DSB: Before coming here, you were the Cincinnati Reds’ public address announcer (among other jobs). Do you miss baseball?

JW: I love baseball, but I don’t miss it as much as you might think. Having summers mostly off is one of the greatest perks of working in hockey. It gives me the chance to go to games on my terms again, instead of working a full Major League Baseball schedule when the weather is a lot more agreeable than January. But working for the Reds was a tremendous thrill, and being in that environment helped me prepare for the rigors of my job here, and it was a great privilege to be there for as long as I was.

DSB: Looking back eight years later, how tough was it to follow in the footsteps of Dave Mishkin?

JW: Not too difficult, except for the fact that Mish was loved by the fans here during his eight years at the microphone, and it’s never a total cakewalk when you’re the new guy coming in. Dave is a friend to this day, and a big reason that I was in the running for the job here in the first place. I’m thrilled for him to have the opportunities he’s had since he left Hershey, and hope Tampa Bay can get another Stanley Cup for him one of these days.

DSB: In your time here who has been your favorite player whether through their play or off the ice stuff?

JW: That’s a very tough call to make, because hockey guys are the best to deal with in any sport. We’ve had so many good ones over the years, it’s tough to pick just one, but if I had to, I’d say Dean Arsene. He was injured a lot during his time here, and he did a lot of radio with me. One of the funniest people I’ve known in hockey, and a warrior on the ice. He finally got to live his dream of making it to the NHL this year, playing 13 games with Edmonton. Looking forward to going to his wedding in British Columbia this summer

DSB: You’ve been a part of two Calder Cup championships, yet this season so far has been one for the record books. Can you explain how magical the Bears have played this season?

JW: We will never see anything like this team ever again. 60 wins in the regular season is like a baseball team winning 125 games in a year. It just doesn’t happen. The players on this team will be remembered by our fans forever for what they’ve accomplished. The hope is that it ends with a Calder Cup title at the end of it.

We here at DSB again wish to thank John Walton for taking the time out of his busy playoff schedule to answer our questions. After sweeping the Albany River Rats, the Bears find themselves in the Eastern Conference finals hopefully on their way to their 11th Calder Cup.

Also, a big shout out to our resident hockey expert, Plain White TS, who was an integral part of this interview.

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