Bissonnette: On playoffs, podcasts
Paul Bissonnette, right, poses with announcer Bob Heethuis before a game last season.
Paul Bissonnette, the NHL playerturned-broadcaster and Coyotes fan favorite, chats with the Republic about memories from his playing career and how he approaches his new life behind a microphone.
Question: I know the 2011-12 playoff run you made with the Coyotes ranks pretty high in your top career moments — but as a New Hampshire guy, I have to ask: What was it like hoisting the Calder Cup with the Manchester Monarchs in 2015?
Answer: I’ll say this: There’s nothing that compares to the emotional high of winning a professional championship. I think that many people can speak to that in nature. Regarding the best year of my life, a year of hockey anyway, I would put the (2011-12) run we made when we lost in the conference finals, just because of the stage being the NHL. But based off that hockey season started (in 2015) where I didn’t have a contract and I was sitting on my couch, to finally getting a deal in the AHL and finally getting on with Manchester. We might have lost 12 games the entire year I was there — including playoffs — so that year was amazing. We all had such a blast. No bad eggs on the team. It was nice to give a lot of those die-hard Monarchs fans that championship, too.
Q: What do you remember, specifically, about that playoff run in 2012 with the Coyotes?
A: Those first three years that I was in the (Coyotes) organization and on that team, that’s when Dave Tippett came in and we made the playoffs the first three years and got knocked out in the first round by Detroit the first two times. Every year we had been counted out that we would finish in the bottom-five in the league because we didn’t have the best lineups. Not taking away from the personnel, but we were a bunch of misfits. Tip (Tippett) was unbelievable, Smitty (Mike Smith) stood on his head and we ended up winning the division. That’s the only banner the Coyotes have won. Everybody was gelling. We had like four or five Czechs on the team, so we had, like, the Czech mafia group. We had these internal pockets in the room where we all kind of joshed each other. Ultimately, we all gelled and really got along. Everything went well until that series in L.A. It was sad to see it end so abruptly, but I’ll remember that this rink was (expletive) rocking. I think this organization can get back to that.
Q: That group in 2012 was the last Coyotes team to make the playoffs. When you look at the roster for 2018-19, do you think they have a chance to be the next?
A: You’re making those comparisons right now. I like what (President of Hockey Operations and General Manager John Chayka) has done with this team. I’m super excited for this year. I would agree that (goaltender Antti Raanta) is the type of guy who can win. We saw it last year where if he stands on his head for a season, considering the amount of offensive output we get from the back end and especially when (Jakob) Chychrun comes back, we have a great group. We have a solid lineup out front — I mean, we’ll need some guys to overachieve — but that’s what any team needs to have success. I wouldn’t count out making the playoffs this year.
Q: Now, you shifted gears from being a player to being a full-time broadcaster last season. What has the last year been like for you, from a career standpoint?
A: My first year was really fun. I had a lot of things on the table where I was finishing up (a video project) and I had a lot of stressful things in life going on. Now, I feel like this year I can bring a little bit more to my job. But ultimately, the full year I’ve been doing this job in media has been pretty nutty. It’s gone pretty fast. Doing the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, I hope to do another film project, being able to travel with this team and do radio, it’s been a dream come true. I’m pretty excited about it going forward.
Q: I think it's pretty clear that you provide a unique voice in hockey media, but what are some of the things you're trying to improve upon as a broadcaster?
A: It’s a great question. I’ll say this: I don’t feel very polished when it comes to being a traditional radio broadcaster. That’s probably the most work I need. I guess between that and getting a little bit better on TV with the (Fox Sports Arizona) panel with Tyson Nash, Todd Walsh and Jody Jackson. But they are easy to work with and they help tremendously. We have such a fun team, as far as the media group covering the Coyotes. But the radio broadcasting and being more prepared is one thing I hope to work on this year.