Football, Friends & Food

We say it every year, but the Monday after the Super Bowl needs to be a national holiday. Even as a Chiefs moneyline bettor, this day is always a slog. 

Anyway, I’m currently sitting in a quiet Madison Square Garden watching the New York Rangers’ optional morning skate, as they and I gear up for tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames. As a media member, the optional skates are a bit tough because only the few players that choose to skate are available to chat. After a busy weekend, though, there is something extremely peaceful about the morning calm of The Garden.

This morning, I spoke with Will Cuylle, the Rangers’ 22-year-old rookie, and just asked him about what the team had done for the Super Bowl. I was still in college when I was his age, so all my teammates would gather at the “hockey house” for the game. It was always one of the more memorable team-bonding moments of the season, and I certainly miss it now. 

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This past week was a special one for me. It’s always pretty damn cool getting to see old friends and former teammates when they come to New York to take on the Rangers. Not only that, but it also makes my job a whole lot easier when I see some familiar faces in the opposing locker room.

With the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning in town last week, I was fortunate to catch up with Cale Makar and Mitchell Chaffee, both of whom lived across the hall from me during my sophomore year at UMass. We may have only spent one semester together, but the hockey bond is stronger than most, so we became pretty close during my time there. Any time you see old teammates, no matter how long it’s been since you played together, it’s always as if no time has been lost. At least that was the case last week.

I do have to give Chaffee a bit of shit, though. We were supposed to have dinner together on Tuesday night, but he had to cancel on me… for a Lightning team dinner at a Russian restaurant that was organized by Mikhail Sergachev. I guess I’ll cut him some slack.

I must say: As you get older, it’s pretty awesome seeing your friends do cool shit. Whether that’s playing a professional sport, landing a big job, getting engaged or even having kids, it’s wild how many different paths people are on in their mid-to-late twenties. But it can definitely get pretty hard to trust your journey when you see those around you doing completely different things. 

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This week is a pretty busy one for me, as I’ll be calling the UMass vs. Boston College hockey game on Friday night. For me, the anxiety around these games is just like studying for a big exam. I spend about 4-5 days “studying” (talking to coaches and watching game film), so that when the puck is dropped, I’m as prepared as possible. 

Believe it or not, as someone who could talk to a brick wall for hours, it can be difficult to come up with conversation topics during a broadcast. That’s why it’s paramount to be prepared with ample notes — it ensures you always have something to fall back on.

After calling the game on Friday, it’ll be a quick turnaround. On Sunday, I’m headed to MetLife Stadium for the Stadium Series game between the Rangers and Islanders. What a day that should be. 

Hopefully, I have some cool stories to share next week. I’m always open to answering any questions you have. I’m still trying to find my voice with this whole newsletter thing, but I hope you’re enjoying the insight into my week-to-week. 

Talk to you next week.

With love, 

Jonny

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