Faces of the AHL — Brian Rogers
Rog’ has been on call for two decades
As St. John’s Icecaps’ 20year run in the American Hockey League winds down, The Telegram has been profiling a number of individuals who have been familiar faces behind the scenes for much of that time. We’re calling them the Faces of the AHL.
Q . What has been your role with the St. John’s hockey teams?
A. Play-by-play broadcaster of the St. John’s Maple Leafs from 1994-95 to 1996-97 and 1998-99 to 2004-05. Play-byplay broadcaster of the St. John’s Icecaps from 2011-12 to this season.
Q . When did you start working AHL games in St. John’s?
A. I was the pre-game show, intermission and post-game show host, and the backup play-by-play broadcaster from 1991-92 to 1993-94.
Q . What are some of your favorite memories?
A. There were too many to recall, but from a personal point of view:
• Kyle Wellwood’s five-goal game against the Cleveland Barons at Mile One Centre (an 8-3 victory) during the final season of the Baby Leafs (200405). It was a franchise record.
• My first-ever AHL broadcast on Saturday, Dec. 18,1991
at the Halifax Metro Centre. Myself and Brendan Mccarthy called the Leafs’ 6-1 win over the Halifax Citadels in my hometown as I filled in for George Mclaren. Todd Gillingham scored twice in that game and the Metro Centre erupted every time we scored. There were over 2,000 fans there and pretty well all of them were servicemen and servicewomen in the Canadian Armed Forces … and 99 percent of them seemed to be from Newfoundland. There were provincial flags waving everywhere.
• The first game of my fulltime career as ‘’Voice of the Leafs ‘’ in the 1994-95 season in Saint John, N.B., where the Leafs bombed the Flames 10-2 at Harbour Station. Three different Leafs — Kelly Fairchild, Mark Kolesar and Stefan Walby— potted hat tricks in that game.
Q. Any one highlight?
A. The Icecaps winning the AHL Eastern Conference championship title at Mile One Centre on June 3, 2014, beating the Wilkes-barre/scranton Penguins 5-0. It happened on what would have been my late father Cy’s 80th birthday, so it was very emotional. It was great hearing the roar of the crowd when captain Jason Jaffray scored into the empty net to seal the deal and the remaining moments of the game as the crowd delivered the most boisterous applause ever at Mile One
Q . What will you miss about the AHL?
A. Everything