Shawn Bednard knew he wanted a career in hockey. Growing up in Michigan had a lot to do with it.
Hockey runs in the Bednard’s family. In Michigan they say that hockey comes first and breathing comes second. This is especially true for anyone who, like him, grew up in the Flint area.
Bednard remembers conversations with his father about the time he played hockey. One story caught his eye in particular.
“My parents loved hockey,” said Bednard. “My dad told me stories about playing hockey with his brothers on frozen Lake St. Clair and how he got a bad blow and hit a guy between the eyes and had to go to the hospital. He spoke in a tone of, ‘Oh man, I shouldn’t have done that’. But he also had that in mind. ”
“There was also a family connection because of my two cousins Shane and Ryan. Shane played for Fayetteville, the team I just grew up with. Ryan was in the Panthers organization and now he’s actually here in Pennsylvania with the Hershey Bears as goalkeeper. “
It was clear that hockey was a way of life. Even so, Shawn was still trying to find his role in the game. But then came the eighth grade. After talking to his father for a while, a predominant thought occurred to him.
“I knew I wanted to be a hockey broadcaster. He (my father) told me that if he had a job it would have been as a sports broadcaster. He said he was amazing. ”
After hearing this from his father, Bednard thought to himself: “I thought well, I like to talk. I like sports. I can probably do that. ”And so the journey from Bednard to the Erie Otters officially began.
Davison High School
Bednard’s journey began at Davison High School. If high school rings your doorbell, it should. Davison has one of the leading television networks in the country.
“I was lucky and blessed that the high school I attended was Davison High School just outside of Flint, which has one of the best student-run television networks in the country,” Bednard said. “(You get) awards all the time. (You) always have talent at a high level. There are people at NBC who work in big sports. I was able to develop myself in this forum, cut my teeth and get my feet wet and in Randy Scott I have an incredible mentor who was able to bring a lot of my passion and my skills and translate them into professional skills. ”
“I have an incredible number of options. But not in hockey, actually in high school. I mentioned every sport except hockey, even though Ken Morrow of the Miracle Team and Tim Thomas both played for Davison. “
Sometimes it takes different twists and turns to get there. Although unable to name hockey at Davison, Bednard took full advantage of the opportunity presented to him. That led him to his next stop, Central Michigan University.
Bednard’s time in Central Michigan
The same theme that began with Davison continued for Bednard early in his time in Central Michigan. He was allowed to name many college games like volleyball and high school football. But Central Michigan and the Chippewas were a non-hockey school.
That didn’t stop Bednard from making a proclamation for himself.
“It was hockey or bust,” Bednard recalled.
There was a club team in Central Michigan. Although he knew nothing about club hockey, Bednard saw that there was a position for a PA announcer at the time. He had experience as an announcer in other sports. Why not try to become a club team PA announcer? So he applied and after meeting the coaches, he got the job.
This was where it got really interesting for Bednard.
Shortly after getting that job as a PA announcer, he met someone named Tyler Marcotte. One conversation changed the course of where each of them would go.
Both wanted to pursue a career in broadcasting. “Let’s just go all-in,” said Bednard. “Let’s broadcast the games. Let’s highlight videos with target calls. Let’s have social media coverage. Let’s make this a full deal. ”
Marcotte and Bednard plunged into their vision. But it got tough in her first year. Adjusting to this new life was tough. A memorable quote to this day stands out at Bednard about this early experience that started this company.
“We used up our bank accounts and quit our jobs just so we could start calling club hockey,” Bednard said with a laugh. But then her investment finally began to pay off for her.
The right people heard what Marcotte and Bednard were doing. This led to their being invited by ACHA to call the Nationals in Grand Rapids. It was here when the belief where Bednard could go really arose. “People have to think that I’m not that bad. If I can keep riding this wave, the sky is the limit. ”
Dominic Hennig’s influence
Everyone in their career has a mentor to look up to. In the case of Bednard, former Flint Firebirds player Dominic Hennig was his mentor. It was actually one of the catalysts that led Bednard to start the Chippewa Hockey Network in Central Michigan.
One night when Hennig was out in bad weather, Bednard got the chance to call a game in Flint for him. Even though he was sick, Hennig still took the time to visit Bednard at the booth and give advice. One piece of advice had to do with his gate call.
Bednard would say “and that’s a goal for (player)”, Hennig wasted no time after hearing this saying “that’s terrible”. Bednard admitted his mentor was right. That was a terrible scream. It was tough, but it was true. But when the game got back on track, Bednard was on his own and called a great game as he improved his scorer skills.
Hennig knew then that Bednard was going to be something special. He remembered telling Bednard that night to “enjoy your moment and name your game”. He did just that and took the momentum with him to central Michigan.
In his senior year, Bednard had the Hockey Network up and running to the point where there was a crew of 30. In addition, they were connected to school radio as a curriculum. From a weekly show to a full broadcast experience, students now had the opportunity to go through the entire broadcast program. Not bad considering how much time and money Bednard and Marcotte have invested to get to this point.
It was Hennig’s willingness and belief in Bednard that helped make this all happen. If that doesn’t show the fans of Erie and Otters what they’re getting, take in this Hennig quote.
“I think he will be leaps and bounds better than me in this industry,” said Hennig of Bednard. “It’s exactly what Erie and the OHL needed.”
Bednard names his first OHL game on Saturday
The Erie Otters open their preseason schedule on Saturday afternoon with a home game against the Saginaw Spirit. This will be Bednard’s first OHL game behind the mic with the Otters. This is also the first time in several seasons that anyone other than the great Aaron Cooney has been behind the microphone full-time for the team.
Bednard says he expects to make it “a 60-minute (or more) entertainment event”.
“I like to turn this into a 60-minute entertainment event,” said Bednard. “I like to provide a program that fulfills the role of an informational experience without negating a causal listener. I am there to create a show. I like radio more than TV, on radio I’m the only direct link between you and the ice cream. Being eyes and ears is an honor and a privilege to create this experience. If there’s a big game, there should be a big phone call. ”
Bednard says the three stations he looked up to on his way were Doc Emrick (who doesn’t look up to him?), The great Rick Jeanneret, and Jim Hughson. He thinks Jeanneret is one of the best because you can ask any Sabers fan about great moments and most will know what the RJ call was. And as for Hughson, Bednard calls him “one of the most underrated broadcasters on the national stage”.
Live the dream
But at the end of the day Bednard says he’s living his dream.
“For me, I’m just a kid living my dream. I am an extrovert. I can exude confidence, but I don’t assume I’ll be in front of the camera or put on the headset all the time. I acknowledge the sacrifices made by family, friends and colleagues that have enabled me to get to this point. “
What distinguished Bednard for the otters? It wasn’t just Hennig’s recommendation to hire him, but also his focus on community and its importance to the hockey team. This started with his time in Fayetteville, where he worked under (yes, that’s his real name) CEO Chuck Norris.
After Central Michigan and before coming to Erie, Bednard really learned what it meant to be in that position while working under Norris in Fayetteville. Norris said to Bednard, “When you are ready to work, I’ll have you sent.” And he worked mostly on the business side. Bednard says he wouldn’t know where he would be today if Norris hadn’t challenged him.
Davison started not even doing hockey. With a vision and an almost empty bank account, it went on in Central Michigan. It then took Bednard to Fayetteville, where he was challenged like never before. All of this has brought him to Erie to continue the tradition of the otters at the start of their 25th anniversary season.
Bednard is living his dream. Before long, fans will see why he’s the perfect person to be behind the Otters mic at the right time. His work ethic and passion speak for themselves. From Saturday it can also be heard in his voice.