James CybulskiB次元官网网址檚 voice can be heard in basements and bedrooms of hockey fans around the world, and he still canB次元官网网址檛 quite believe heB次元官网网址檚 in his third year of being the play-by-play guy of EA SportsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淣HLB次元官网网址� video game.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a total dream come true,B次元官网网址� the Delta-based broadcaster said with the kind of enthusiasm he brings to the popular game.
The latest edition, was released in mid-October with Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews on the box cover B次元官网网址� again, for the second time since 2020.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 say you arenB次元官网网址檛 the only one saying, B次元官网网址榃hat, AGAIN?! He was on the cover just two years ago!B次元官网网址� Cybulski said with a laugh, in a phone call.
B次元官网网址淢y vote for Ryan Reaves was clearly ignored,B次元官网网址� he deadpanned on Instagram back in August.
The video game offers B次元官网网址渁 huge leap forward in graphicsB次元官网网址� and the arrival of Superstar X-Factors, which B次元官网网址渦nlocks the unique skills of the leagueB次元官网网址檚 most elite players,B次元官网网址� raves . B次元官网网址淭his is breakthrough hockey.B次元官网网址�
(Story continues below)
EAB次元官网网址檚 NHL title has been part of CybulskiB次元官网网址檚 life for more than a quarter-century, starting in his old Ottawa B次元官网网址榟ood.
B次元官网网址淚 played the game as a kid, in the early- to mid-B次元官网网址�90s,B次元官网网址� he recalled. B次元官网网址淚 played B次元官网网址楴HL 94B次元官网网址� on my Sega Genesis (game system), then evolved to playing on the PC around B次元官网网址楴HL 98,B次元官网网址� then converted myself to become a PlayStation guy. ItB次元官网网址檚 funny, IB次元官网网址檝e always been an NHL video game guy, whether itB次元官网网址檚 playing as a teenager, or you know, playing in the my 20s and then even into my 30s, coming home after having way too many with my buddies and than trash-talking. You know, B次元官网网址極K, letB次元官网网址檚 turn on the (game system) and letB次元官网网址檚 go, letB次元官网网址檚 settle this!B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
The game graphics have come a long way since those early days, of course B次元官网网址� and so has Cybulski.
He stick-handled his way into sports broadcasting and show hosting for TV and radio outlets over the past couple of decades, both here and in Toronto, and recently landed a job calling games for the AHLB次元官网网址檚 Abbotsford Canucks.
Turns out, being a play-by-play broadcaster was CybulskiB次元官网网址檚 desire all along.
B次元官网网址淭he whole reason I wanted to get into the (broadcasting) business was to be a play-by-play guy, that was always the dream,B次元官网网址� he explained. B次元官网网址淥ut of school, I had a chance to call Ottawa 67s games, on the radio for awhile. The whole time through high school, I volunteered at community television while going to school and working, for about six years there.
B次元官网网址淚 did it to get my reps, and any opportunity that presented itself, I would do,B次元官网网址� Cybulski added. B次元官网网址淚 called ringette championships, university football games, basketball, karate tournaments, a pre-Olympic boxing tournament in 1992. I did minor hockey games, touch football, lacrosse games B次元官网网址� a whole bunch of different sports, and I was young, all between the age of 17 and 23, in Ottawa, growing up.B次元官网网址�
(Story continues below)
Three years ago, Cybulski auditioned for EA three times and ultimately got the gig as voice of the companyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淣HLB次元官网网址� game.
B次元官网网址淚t was honestly the most amazing moment,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭om, IB次元官网网址檝e been honoured to do some pretty cool, amazing things in my career, experiences and opportunities in my life, but man, this opportunity to be the voice of a video game franchise I grew up playing, so iconic, itB次元官网网址檚 just amazing to me.B次元官网网址�
He follows in the footsteps of some broadcasting B次元官网网址渓egends,B次元官网网址� including Jim Hughson, Gary Thorne and Mike B次元官网网址淒ocB次元官网网址� Emrick.
B次元官网网址淎nd then itB次元官网网址檚 like, B次元官网网址榃hat the hellB次元官网网址檚 Cybulski doing here?B次元官网网址� he said with a laugh. B次元官网网址淏ut the feedback has been really good, very positive. ItB次元官网网址檚 a lot of fun, but a lot of work, too.B次元官网网址�
CybulskiB次元官网网址檚 voice work for the latest game was all done at his Tsawwassen home, due to the pandemic. Basically, he cleared out a bunch of kidsB次元官网网址� toys and covered the office walls with foam.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 where I scream and shout a lot,B次元官网网址� he noted.
(Story continues below)
PICTURED: Broadcaster James Cybulski at his Delta home with a framed copy of the B次元官网网址淣HL 22B次元官网网址� video game autographed by Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews, who is on the box cover. (submitted photo)
His contract with EA calls for up to 300 hours of voice work annually, which translates to a couple days a week, usually four-hour sessions, adding content where needed.
B次元官网网址淥ne day it might be a B次元官网网址榩hone book,B次元官网网址� as they call it, which is essentially going through name after name. Not long ago there was a day where we added close to a thousand names to the game, and itB次元官网网址檚 making sure you have, A, the right pronunciation, and B, the consistency in energy level,B次元官网网址� Cybulski explained.
B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e going, B次元官网网址楶asses the puck to Singh, passes the puck to Jones, passes the puck to Zillich,B次元官网网址� you know, you want to make sure your energy level is the same all the way through, so that it doesnB次元官网网址檛 sound like a 1990s version of movie phone, that old automated voice B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址�Please press 1.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 maintaining the baseline of energy to be consistent,B次元官网网址� he continued. B次元官网网址淪o we do those, and one day it might be rattling off names, another day might be all goal calls. All those situational plays in hockey that are so common that you donB次元官网网址檛 even think about, we do all those B次元官网网址� entering the offensive zone, gaining the line, but saying that 10 different ways without sounding the exact same. You can be a little cheeky sometimes while also being mindful to stay consistent with the traditional broadcast. We can kind of pick our spots to have some fun, too.B次元官网网址�
(Story continues below)
WHAT A MOMENT!
B次元官网网址� Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks)
Justin Bailey's 100th career AHL goal and the first home goal in the history of the . on the call 馃帣锔�
CybulskiB次元官网网址檚 game call isnB次元官网网址檛 for everyone, and he knows that. He brings an energy some find too over-the-top,
B次元官网网址淚 think broadcasting is subjective, right, and for a broadcaster, youB次元官网网址檙e providing that soundtrack for people,B次元官网网址� he suggested. B次元官网网址淵ou know, some people like something more subtle, but for me, personally, IB次元官网网址檝e always been drawn to the energy. To me, from a broadcasting standpoint, IB次元官网网址檓 kind of a salesman, IB次元官网网址檓 selling an event.
B次元官网网址淲hen I look at it from an NHL video game standpoint, I want it to be exciting because quite frankly, itB次元官网网址檚 the biggest thing in your life at that very moment, your focus. So I want people to feel like itB次元官网网址檚 the biggest game of their lives, in that world, in that moment. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the approach I go for, to have that feeling of it being the biggest game. ItB次元官网网址檚 about being entertained.B次元官网网址�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on and follow Tom on
