Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And back in on the Domino's Intermission report, we are
joined by the guest of honor tonight, the special guest
in Mike Sullivan. Getting the press box dedicated to you
and named and all that kind of thing. Mike, It's
always good to see you, Always good to get a
chance to talk sports and hockey or whatever it is
that we talk about. It's always good to have some
time with you. And let's just talk about sort of
that in general, just kind of how this all came about,
(00:22):
you know, getting the press box named after you. I
know there was a number of people who had some
influence on that, but how did it come about? And
what does it mean to you to have your name
up on a spot that you spent a whole heck
of a lot of time in in your broadcast career.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You mean, there's a press box. When I first started,
there wasn't a press box, and I wore my dad's
Alaska parka and called games and there's it's nice. I mean,
as far as people, I need to think, I need
to thank Harry Herte my best friend first and foremost,
got a lot of it done. And Pat Robecky, who's
(00:58):
on the Center Ice Club board directors did a lot.
Pat Newkirk, who's the director of facilities here, all of them,
and everybody else. I really do appreciate it. I mean,
I'm not one that seeks this type of publicity, but
it's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
It's cool to see, certainly. And let's talk. I want
to talk a little bit about, you know, the start.
You mentioned they're not being a press box when you
started here, and that's something I think a lot of
people don't, you know, maybe who are new to the
area in the last even ten to fifteen years, even myself,
don't really realize kind of what hockey was when you
started broadcasting, because obviously it's in a great position now,
(01:39):
but when you started broadcasting, hockey was not, you know,
maybe as covered as much or that kind of thing.
So talk about those early years when you decided to
make the you know, to make the decision to cover hockey.
What was that like to not only get it covered,
but to see it kind of develop in the area.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
It was a fight to get it covered. I mean,
my boss, who came thirty years ago, Wayne Phillips, hockey
was already established then, yeah established his too strong a word.
It was on the air. He didn't believe in it
and didn't believe it should be covered. I wasn't. You know,
(02:15):
Hockey has never been my favorite sport, and people don't
believe that. I mean, my favorite game is the one
that's next and so forth and so on. But you know,
the early years, yeah, I mean the Ed Paulson and
Brent Crooks and the Porky Manson was the coach at
(02:36):
North and Bill Mitchell and Mark Mitchell his kid at
Memorial in December twenty sixth and nineteen seventy five was
the first Memorial North game and Memorial got a goal
from Randy Lee, who then broke his leg and never
played again, and North's first goal was scored by Steve Marzinki,
(02:59):
and they established they dominated the early years North did
and then Memorial took over. At one time they were
the only interest city inter city rivalry that had a
losing record against each other. They both had losing records
because of using ineligible players. They were forty and forty
(03:21):
two against each other, with some a bunch of ties.
But I remember that very vividly because of the nineteen
ninety one, and I don't remember the year exactly. Ryan
Goodmanson from North and Sean Bader from Memorial both declared
ineligible that year, cost them both, you know, some games,
(03:44):
so it's been quite a rivalry and there were a
lot of close games and a couple of overtime games
early on that don't matter now, but anyway, Memorial has
dominated the recent years.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You know. You look at it too, and I remember
when I moved here and I think maybe filled in
a game or two for you, and they had the
little the little white kind of I don't know what
it was, a shed shack type of thing that was
up there as well. Now to look at it what
it is now, it has you know, obviously Hobbs isn't
a huge arena or anything, but the press box at
least has sort of a you know, a bit of
a college feel, maybe even a little bit of an
(04:18):
NHL field, And that's got to be kind of neat
to see just what the people who get to broadcast
or get to you know, bring a video stream to everybody,
or cover the teams get to now kind of have
as part of the Hobbs experience.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
The ice shack was wonderful, and the ice shack was
good for me. It wasn't good for everybody else obviously,
and that's true. I mean, you know, oh my, I
can't I'm blanking on his name now. The athletic director
at UW O Claire, who.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Dan Schumacher.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, thank you Dan for I mean, Dan Schumacher was
instrumental in getting the press box made and I thank
him for that effort. And I don't know, Yeah, it's
not a big rink, but you know, I was recently
interviewed by the guy from Wisconsin who said, you know,
talk about Sam Staying and Jake Dowell and Ty Amberson
(05:14):
and all these kids from Eau Claire have gone on
to play for a big time in the NHL and
Europe and so forth. I'm not going to say I
don't care, because I do. But I care most about
what they do in high school, and I care most
about Memorial and North and Reeds too. What they do
(05:36):
here is most important.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
That's part one of our Domino's intermission interview with Mike Sullivan,
the guest of honor here tonight, as the press box
here at Hobbs Ice Arena is dedicated in Mike's honor.
We'll have part two in intermission number two, but until then,
we'll be back with the Domino's Intermission report here at
the end of one between North and Memorial. Right after this,
(05:58):
here's part two of our Dominoes Intermission interview with the
guest of honor tonight in Mike Sullivan. Mike obviously getting
the placard up there and having the press box named
after You've been mentioning some of the memories that you
have here of the games that you've seen, but not
only high school games you've been a part of. You
got to be a part of broadcasting the twenty thirteen
(06:19):
national championship for u W Claire right in them heading
to Lake Placid and whatnot. There's been a lot of
really great moments or there any others, I mean, you
mentioned a few of the early days, any other ones
that stand out in your head in terms of big
overtime goals or a big sectional final win or something
like that that comes to mind.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
There are some big wins and I you know, if
I started listing, I mean the Memorial win. Well, first
of all, the Blue Golds win in twenty thirteen and
her Brooks Arena was fantastic and they were the underdogs.
They weren't supposed to do anything. And her Brooks Arena
is exactly the same as it was for the Miracle
(06:59):
a Lot of Ice game in nineteen eighty and that
was a tremendous moment. Then the eighty four nai A
National championship was very cool too, and you know, there
wasn't a press box to do. And I mean Scott
Parker and Steve b. Lodging and all those blue goals
(07:19):
are very special in my memory. Then the you know
the overtime games Memorial in North North. Zach Stang scored
with ten seconds left in overtime to be to win
for North. Bill Sleep scored on the opening face off
of overtime, you know, a bouncing puck that fluttered past
the North goalie to win for Memorial eight to seven
(07:43):
in the very I don't know one of the early
Memorial North games. I could go on and on. I mean,
there's been lots of big goals and lots of big games.
And what I remember most about Memorial North rivalry is
after the game, the kids shake hands. I mean it's
it's they both played against each other and with each
(08:04):
other for years, and they're wonderful afterwards. And you know,
Mark Frehley and Tom kok Litsey Memorial and North coaches
were best friends. They really were best friends, and they
shook hands afterwards, and you know, it's corny, but that
that was what I remember now.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
As you look at you know, I mentioned the state
of hockey a little bit earlier in Oa Clare and
that it's very good obviously, with everybody playing as they
do and so on. But you know, one of the
things that I don't think people realize is just, you know,
how much coverage can bring to it, whether that's you know,
the Leader Telegram, whether that's radio coverage, whether that's video
streams and everything. I think you kind of saw that,
(08:45):
and I want you maybe to talk a little bit
of what coverage right, what media coverage does to kind
of developed right, to have you know, kids maybe get
more excited about getting into hockey when they're younger and
so on, because that's one thing I think people maybe
underestimate a little bit.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Road games. I mean, the road games were so important
from Ashland to Roso to Green Bay to you know,
the road games and when I'd get set up and
get on the air and people would follow and I
remember the first time in Madison when I did a
state tournament game and somebody was listening on their phone
and you know, said hi Mike, and like, you know,
(09:23):
now it's common, but I mean at that time it
wasn't that. I remember thinking, Wow, this is really something. Yeah,
it's it's special. And people don't understand the depth of
the media coverage in this town. How good it is
that Pete canutsen and is still doing express games. And
(09:44):
I mean, you know, I could go on and on
Woody Wall and Lucas Earra and you know all the
people that have come before me that made it a
great place to work.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
I can remember one time, I feel like you went.
I remember that Roso trip where you I think it
was the last game of the trip with there was
North Memorial up there where they didn't turn the heat
on and it was what twenty below or something when
you walked into the ring inside.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Yeah, yeah, it was fifty below outside. It was twenty
fifteen below inside. And I can still feel that. I mean,
I'm not susceptible to cold. I think I was conceived
in Alaska by my dad, who was you know, in
Alaska for World War Two, and I don't bother cold
doesn't bother me. But that was cold, Mike.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
As you again have the press box named after you
here tonight and have everybody kind of be part of this,
I gotta imagine that, you know, you're kind of looking
forward to seeing a lot of old friends, a lot
of a lot of folks like that. What's the biggest
kind of thing you're looking forward to as we record
this a little bit, you know, before all the all
the pomp and circumstance around, you know, officially unveiling that
banner and dedicating the press.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
By honestly looking forward to getting out of here and
you know, spending time I'm with Chris and Katie, my
wife and daughter. You know, I yes, I'm looking forward
to seeing kids. And it's funny while I was, you know,
in the hospital recently at Mayo, I heard from Missus.
She was Missus Ekernock at the time. I knew her.
(11:15):
Jack and Ryan's mom who played at North and Beth
staying Sam and Zach and Garrett's mom is the head
of pt at Mayo. You know, it's funny how many
different walks of life you can find people that you
know are touched by the hockey program.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
That certainly is great to see all those folks, and
I'm sure they're all very excited for you to have
that honor as well.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Mike.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
It's great catching up with you, and thank you so
much for being part of a real special night here
at Odds.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I want to thank Pete Knutson, and I want to
say this in public. I am so glad that you
succeeded me. I wish and I wish b I z
still cared and iHeart still cared about local sports. They
don't uh, And that's if it sounds harsh, it's true.
I know you do. And that's great.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
That was part two of our intermission interview brought to
you Dominoes with Mike Sullivan, our guest of honored. Tonight,
we will have the third period between North Memorial coming
up right after this
And back in on the Domino's Intermission report, we are
joined by the guest of honor tonight, the special guest
in Mike Sullivan. Getting the press box dedicated to you
and named and all that kind of thing. Mike, It's
always good to see you, Always good to get a
chance to talk sports and hockey or whatever it is
that we talk about. It's always good to have some
time with you. And let's just talk about sort of
that in general, just kind of how this all came about,
(00:22):
you know, getting the press box named after you. I
know there was a number of people who had some
influence on that, but how did it come about? And
what does it mean to you to have your name
up on a spot that you spent a whole heck
of a lot of time in in your broadcast career.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You mean, there's a press box. When I first started,
there wasn't a press box, and I wore my dad's
Alaska parka and called games and there's it's nice. I mean,
as far as people, I need to think, I need
to thank Harry Herte my best friend first and foremost,
got a lot of it done. And Pat Robecky, who's
(00:58):
on the Center Ice Club board directors did a lot.
Pat Newkirk, who's the director of facilities here, all of them,
and everybody else. I really do appreciate it. I mean,
I'm not one that seeks this type of publicity, but
it's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
It's cool to see, certainly. And let's talk. I want
to talk a little bit about, you know, the start.
You mentioned they're not being a press box when you
started here, and that's something I think a lot of
people don't, you know, maybe who are new to the
area in the last even ten to fifteen years, even myself,
don't really realize kind of what hockey was when you
started broadcasting, because obviously it's in a great position now,
(01:39):
but when you started broadcasting, hockey was not, you know,
maybe as covered as much or that kind of thing.
So talk about those early years when you decided to
make the you know, to make the decision to cover hockey.
What was that like to not only get it covered,
but to see it kind of develop in the area.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
It was a fight to get it covered. I mean,
my boss, who came thirty years ago, Wayne Phillips, hockey
was already established then, yeah established his too strong a word.
It was on the air. He didn't believe in it
and didn't believe it should be covered. I wasn't. You know,
(02:15):
Hockey has never been my favorite sport, and people don't
believe that. I mean, my favorite game is the one
that's next and so forth and so on. But you know,
the early years, yeah, I mean the Ed Paulson and
Brent Crooks and the Porky Manson was the coach at
(02:36):
North and Bill Mitchell and Mark Mitchell his kid at
Memorial in December twenty sixth and nineteen seventy five was
the first Memorial North game and Memorial got a goal
from Randy Lee, who then broke his leg and never
played again, and North's first goal was scored by Steve Marzinki,
(02:59):
and they established they dominated the early years North did
and then Memorial took over. At one time they were
the only interest city inter city rivalry that had a
losing record against each other. They both had losing records
because of using ineligible players. They were forty and forty
(03:21):
two against each other, with some a bunch of ties.
But I remember that very vividly because of the nineteen
ninety one, and I don't remember the year exactly. Ryan
Goodmanson from North and Sean Bader from Memorial both declared
ineligible that year, cost them both, you know, some games,
(03:44):
so it's been quite a rivalry and there were a
lot of close games and a couple of overtime games
early on that don't matter now, but anyway, Memorial has
dominated the recent years.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You know. You look at it too, and I remember
when I moved here and I think maybe filled in
a game or two for you, and they had the
little the little white kind of I don't know what
it was, a shed shack type of thing that was
up there as well. Now to look at it what
it is now, it has you know, obviously Hobbs isn't
a huge arena or anything, but the press box at
least has sort of a you know, a bit of
a college feel, maybe even a little bit of an
(04:18):
NHL field, And that's got to be kind of neat
to see just what the people who get to broadcast
or get to you know, bring a video stream to everybody,
or cover the teams get to now kind of have
as part of the Hobbs experience.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
The ice shack was wonderful, and the ice shack was
good for me. It wasn't good for everybody else obviously,
and that's true. I mean, you know, oh my, I
can't I'm blanking on his name now. The athletic director
at UW O Claire, who.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Dan Schumacher.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, thank you Dan for I mean, Dan Schumacher was
instrumental in getting the press box made and I thank
him for that effort. And I don't know, Yeah, it's
not a big rink, but you know, I was recently
interviewed by the guy from Wisconsin who said, you know,
talk about Sam Staying and Jake Dowell and Ty Amberson
(05:14):
and all these kids from Eau Claire have gone on
to play for a big time in the NHL and
Europe and so forth. I'm not going to say I
don't care, because I do. But I care most about
what they do in high school, and I care most
about Memorial and North and Reeds too. What they do
(05:36):
here is most important.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
That's part one of our Domino's intermission interview with Mike Sullivan,
the guest of honor here tonight, as the press box
here at Hobbs Ice Arena is dedicated in Mike's honor.
We'll have part two in intermission number two, but until then,
we'll be back with the Domino's Intermission report here at
the end of one between North and Memorial. Right after this,
(05:58):
here's part two of our Dominoes Intermission interview with the
guest of honor tonight in Mike Sullivan. Mike obviously getting
the placard up there and having the press box named
after You've been mentioning some of the memories that you
have here of the games that you've seen, but not
only high school games you've been a part of. You
got to be a part of broadcasting the twenty thirteen
(06:19):
national championship for u W Claire right in them heading
to Lake Placid and whatnot. There's been a lot of
really great moments or there any others, I mean, you
mentioned a few of the early days, any other ones
that stand out in your head in terms of big
overtime goals or a big sectional final win or something
like that that comes to mind.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
There are some big wins and I you know, if
I started listing, I mean the Memorial win. Well, first
of all, the Blue Golds win in twenty thirteen and
her Brooks Arena was fantastic and they were the underdogs.
They weren't supposed to do anything. And her Brooks Arena
is exactly the same as it was for the Miracle
(06:59):
a Lot of Ice game in nineteen eighty and that
was a tremendous moment. Then the eighty four nai A
National championship was very cool too, and you know, there
wasn't a press box to do. And I mean Scott
Parker and Steve b. Lodging and all those blue goals
(07:19):
are very special in my memory. Then the you know
the overtime games Memorial in North North. Zach Stang scored
with ten seconds left in overtime to be to win
for North. Bill Sleep scored on the opening face off
of overtime, you know, a bouncing puck that fluttered past
the North goalie to win for Memorial eight to seven
(07:43):
in the very I don't know one of the early
Memorial North games. I could go on and on. I mean,
there's been lots of big goals and lots of big games.
And what I remember most about Memorial North rivalry is
after the game, the kids shake hands. I mean it's
it's they both played against each other and with each
(08:04):
other for years, and they're wonderful afterwards. And you know,
Mark Frehley and Tom kok Litsey Memorial and North coaches
were best friends. They really were best friends, and they
shook hands afterwards, and you know, it's corny, but that
that was what I remember now.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
As you look at you know, I mentioned the state
of hockey a little bit earlier in Oa Clare and
that it's very good obviously, with everybody playing as they
do and so on. But you know, one of the
things that I don't think people realize is just, you know,
how much coverage can bring to it, whether that's you know,
the Leader Telegram, whether that's radio coverage, whether that's video
streams and everything. I think you kind of saw that,
(08:45):
and I want you maybe to talk a little bit
of what coverage right, what media coverage does to kind
of developed right, to have you know, kids maybe get
more excited about getting into hockey when they're younger and
so on, because that's one thing I think people maybe
underestimate a little bit.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Road games. I mean, the road games were so important
from Ashland to Roso to Green Bay to you know,
the road games and when I'd get set up and
get on the air and people would follow and I
remember the first time in Madison when I did a
state tournament game and somebody was listening on their phone
and you know, said hi Mike, and like, you know,
(09:23):
now it's common, but I mean at that time it
wasn't that. I remember thinking, Wow, this is really something. Yeah,
it's it's special. And people don't understand the depth of
the media coverage in this town. How good it is
that Pete canutsen and is still doing express games. And
(09:44):
I mean, you know, I could go on and on
Woody Wall and Lucas Earra and you know all the
people that have come before me that made it a
great place to work.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
I can remember one time, I feel like you went.
I remember that Roso trip where you I think it
was the last game of the trip with there was
North Memorial up there where they didn't turn the heat
on and it was what twenty below or something when
you walked into the ring inside.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Yeah, yeah, it was fifty below outside. It was twenty
fifteen below inside. And I can still feel that. I mean,
I'm not susceptible to cold. I think I was conceived
in Alaska by my dad, who was you know, in
Alaska for World War Two, and I don't bother cold
doesn't bother me. But that was cold, Mike.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
As you again have the press box named after you
here tonight and have everybody kind of be part of this,
I gotta imagine that, you know, you're kind of looking
forward to seeing a lot of old friends, a lot
of a lot of folks like that. What's the biggest
kind of thing you're looking forward to as we record
this a little bit, you know, before all the all
the pomp and circumstance around, you know, officially unveiling that
banner and dedicating the press.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
By honestly looking forward to getting out of here and
you know, spending time I'm with Chris and Katie, my
wife and daughter. You know, I yes, I'm looking forward
to seeing kids. And it's funny while I was, you know,
in the hospital recently at Mayo, I heard from Missus.
She was Missus Ekernock at the time. I knew her.
(11:15):
Jack and Ryan's mom who played at North and Beth
staying Sam and Zach and Garrett's mom is the head
of pt at Mayo. You know, it's funny how many
different walks of life you can find people that you
know are touched by the hockey program.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
That certainly is great to see all those folks, and
I'm sure they're all very excited for you to have
that honor as well.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Mike.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
It's great catching up with you, and thank you so
much for being part of a real special night here
at Odds.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I want to thank Pete Knutson, and I want to
say this in public. I am so glad that you
succeeded me. I wish and I wish b I z
still cared and iHeart still cared about local sports. They
don't uh, And that's if it sounds harsh, it's true.
I know you do. And that's great.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
That was part two of our intermission interview brought to
you Dominoes with Mike Sullivan, our guest of honored. Tonight,
we will have the third period between North Memorial coming
up right after this
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