(August 16, 2019) Yale men’s and women’s hockey on ESPN+ will be broadcast exclusively by STAA members this winter. It was recently announced that Bridgette Proulx will call women’s games. Joining the Yale broadcast roster for men’s games are fellow STAAers Kevin Gehl and Mike O’Brien.
The university contacted STAA earlier this summer for help building their roster.
Gehl and O’Brien are both experienced hockey broadcasters. Gehl has called games for ESPN, NESN, Big Ten Network and Stadium. O’Brien was the voice of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before moving to Boston in 2018.
Gehl joined STAA in 2015, O’Brien in 2010. Both men have created niches throughout New England as versatile freelance broadcasters. In addition to hockey, Gehl has called basketball, baseball, softball, field hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, soccer, rugby, fencing and rowing. He’s also experienced in sideline reporting and sports talk radio hosting.
Since moving to Boston, O’Brien has added lacrosse to his resume and will call a variety of sports for UMASS Boston – another school that asked STAA to help staff its broadcast roster. He is also a Boston Celtics Radio Network host.
“It’s been a good year,” O’Brien smiles. “In addition to the Yale ice hockey, I’ve been able to pick up some definite work with UMass-Boston, Bentley and Lax Sports Network and have also been looped into the broadcaster rotation for some other D-I schools in the area.
“When I think about where I was just last summer and starting anew in Boston, I am excited about the in-roads that have been made.”