Relatability Goes A Long Way In Sports Media Says In-Game Host For The Vancouver Canucks, Tyson Geick

1Tell us about your role as In-Game Host for Canucks Sports & Entertainment (CSE). What does a typical day look like for you?

I would typically get to the arena at around 3:30-4:00 pm and have a run through with our game entertainment team. We run through scripts, discuss all of the moving pieces of the night, and make sure that we’re all on the same page.

Later on, we have a meeting with our hype team, run through the script again, and prepare for our night. Our team has dinner with one another, and we get ready for showtime.

The game moves quite fast. Before you know it, you’re on to the third period, and then the night is over. Lots of running around the arena throughout, but it’s a ton of fun.

2I noticed you also founded a digital lacrosse network, Lacrosse Flash. Tell us about this venture. What encouraged you to develop such a platform?

I started the Lacrosse Flash a couple of years ago because I thought that more true journalism was needed in the sport of lacrosse. Because the lacrosse world is so small, you often see a lot of “public relations” articles/videos being posted, when I think that fans of the sport need truth and transparency.

I wrangled together some of the top people involved in lacrosse media and got them to join the team, and truthfully, it would be nothing without their support and involvement.

I also wanted to develop a network of people that really showcased the personality in the game of lacrosse. We wanted to have some fun, and do what hadn’t necessarily been done before.

The Lacrosse Flash has since turned into one of the more trusted news outlets, when it comes to lacrosse, and is known by many across the lacrosse world.

3When did you decide sports media was your career focus? Moreover, when did you figure out you wanted to be in front of the camera and what was your course of action to make this a reality?

I got an opportunity to join the Mercyhurst Lakers NCAA DI Men’s & Women’s hockey teams as their colour commentator when I was 19, where we broadcast games on the radio & online for fans of the team. It was my first real taste of media, and I fell in love with it. Moving forward, I made this my focus.

When I transferred to Queen’s University, I got involved with Queen’s TV, a student-run TV show/channel, and joined the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League as their feature reporter on TV Cogeco. From that point on, everything became about working in media for me.

4Within your career, you’ve worked in various different markets. From Toronto to Vancouver to smaller cities like Guelph and Kingston, each market is SO different. When jumping into a new market, what do you do to familiarize yourself with the people, culture and other things like sports history?

I think it’s really important to understand a team or league’s history, and how important that team or league may be to the community.

Really putting yourself in the shoes of the consumer is extremely important, and no matter what market you’re in, from big to small, remembering this is important.