Some changes are coming for this season's UND hockey TV and radio broadcasts

UND hockey radio play-by-play announcer Tim Hennessy (left) interviews Fighting Hawks men's hockey coach Brad Berry at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Photo courtesy of UND Athletics.

By Brad Elliott Schlossman

September 28, 2022 at 12:48 PM

GRAND FORKS — There will be some notable changes with UND hockey broadcasts both on television and on the radio this season.

The changes come in the wake of UND’s new deals with Midco Sports and iHeart Media.

Although both entities previously carried UND athletics on television and the radio, the coverage will be enhanced beginning with this season.

Here are four things you might notice:

1. Midco will host pregame, intermission shows

Midco will now have a 30-minute pregame show from inside Ralph Engelstad Arena prior to the first game of every home weekend starting with the exhibition game against the University of Manitoba.

Midco hired Taylor Budge from WDAY-TV to host the pregame shows and intermissions. Those shows will include analysts who will rotate on a regular basis.

Three analysts expected to be part of the broadcasts are former UND players Monique Lamoureux-Morando, Erik Fabian and Dean Barsness.

2. Heinert will still do both Midco, CBS

TV play-by-play commentator Alex Heinert will handle the vast majority of UND home games this season, but he will miss a few in the second half when he’s calling national CBS Sports games with Dave Starman.

Former UND goalie Jake Brandt will return as the analyst in the booth. Midco has not yet announced who will fill in for Heinert on play-by-play during his absences.

Jody Norstedt and David Brown filled in last season.

3. Change on the radio

Tim Hennessy will be back in the booth for his 44th season handling radio play-by-play commentary of UND hockey games.

But there will be changes alongside him.

Longtime color commentator Steve Olson opted not to return this season. Former UND defenseman Travis Dunn will handle the home games.

For the first time, UND also will regularly travel a color commentator to road games. It will be Ralph Engelstad Arena public address announcer Darrin Looker, who served as the radio play-by-play voice of the UND women’s hockey team.

4. NCHC TV has a new location

For those who stream games from the NCHC, it will have a new location this season.

Instead of NCHC.tv, the streams will now be found on the NCHC’s regular page, nchchockey.com. If you type NCHC.tv into a browser, you will be redirected to nchchockey.com.

The streaming platform will still be called NCHC TV.

Mobile apps are expected to get an update before the start of the season.