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If you are a fan of the Sharks or have been tuned into ESPN+’s exclusive hockey nights this past week, then there is a certain voice you as the viewer have heard through the broadcast, and that is one of the upcoming rising stars for the NHL on ESPN, Mike Monaco.
Throughout ESPN’s new television deal with the NHL, which began in the 2021-2022 season, Monaco has season-by-season had an increased presence in the broadcasts as a play-by-play commentator, but before we dive into his achievements and noticeability on ESPN’s broadcasts, let’s dive into Monaco’s broadcasting history with the sport of hockey.
At the age of 30, Mike Monaco is the youngest broadcaster for the NHL on the ESPN team, but when it comes to hockey and broadcasting as a whole, he has a more than solidified background. The Massachusetts native went to school at the University of Notre Dame and would begin his broadcasting career by working for the school radio station during sporting events. It was also during college that Monaco would secure his first internship, as in 2012 he began interning for NESN, a place where he still works to this day. During his time at Notre Dame, Monaco also called basketball games for Western Michigan and interned at the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate, as a radio broadcaster.
After college, Monaco would move to the city of Chicago to begin working for Fox Sports and the Big Ten Network. Here, he would call several sports for the network, with assignments ranging from football to hockey to lacrosse. In 2019, Monaco would depart from Fox Sports to join the worldwide leader in sports, ESPN. At this same time, he was also named the alternate play-by-play broadcaster for the Red Sox broadcasts on NESN, filling in for the great Dave O’Brien when he had commitments with ACC Network.
Once he joined ESPN, Monaco would begin his tenure at the network by providing play-by-play commentary for the MLB, the Little League World Series, college basketball, college football, college baseball, and more. During this time, he would also fill in on NBC Sports Chicago telecasts as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks telecasts would be Monaco’s first taste at calling games in the National Hockey League and would lead him down the road to where we all see him today.
Now, let’s circle back to the 2021-2022 season for the NHL. The league which was formerly exclusive to NBC Sports for more than a decade, just signed a new television contract without the peacock network. This time, the NHL signed a rights agreement with Disney and WarnerBros, bringing the sport back to the networks of ESPN.
In 2021, ESPN named five play-by-play commentators for their NHL coverage, which included John Buccigross, Leah Hextall, Steve Levy, Sean McDonough, and Bob Wischusen. NHL fans today will notice someone was missing in this lineup, and that would be Mike Monaco.
Though he was not originally named as part of ESPN’s roster for the NHL, Mike Monaco would make his play-by-play debut on March 24th, 2022, for a Thursday night ESPN+ and Hulu exclusive between the Philadelphia Flyers and the St. Louis Blues. Throughout the remaining 2021–2022 season, Monaco would go on to make five more appearances, which included two Stanley Cup Playoff games between the Panthers and Capitals in the opening round.
In the 2022-2023 NHL season, Monaco would significantly increase his presence and call a total of 30 games throughout the season, which would be the third most among ESPN’s commentators (only trailing Bob Wischusen and Sean McDonough). This time around, Monaco would call six Stanley Cup Playoff games, along with making his debut on ABC’s Hockey Saturday for their season-ending tripleheader on April 8th, 2023 by calling the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars with AJ Mleczko.
With that, we are now brought to the third season of the NHL on ESPN’s seven-year contract, where Monaco has already called eight games and is on pace to have his biggest season yet with the NHL.
In these three short seasons, Mike Monaco has already become beloved by hockey fans across the country. His voice is the perfect fit for a television broadcaster, and he always brings an energetic personality to the booth while supplying the viewers with informational details. It has been a joy to see Monaco climb through the ranks and become one of the best NHL announcers in the country. Hopefully, we have much more to see from him as fans of the sport!
