Augustine “Gus” Garvey ‘25 is known for his skill as the play-by-play announcer for the hockey teams of Northwood. He’s a one-man broadcasting operation: he sets up the recording equipment, records the video, and calls the play-by-play. He’s developing quite the following and was even brought on the road for a weekend of away games in October.
“I got into commentary when I started watching hockey,” Garvey said. “My dad has a friend who worked for the New York Rangers, and he got me into the booth to watch [MSG Network broadcasters] Sam Rosen and Joe Mcaliley work. I got hooked from there,” said Garvey.
Garvey’s preparation for the games normally consists of him going on the opposing team’s website and getting player roster information there. “The preparation for the game is not that hard,” he said. “It depends on the game because of the jersey numbers and the players’ last names. For example, we had a team from Canada last week with the boy’s hockey. But the Northwood names are the easiest.” said Gus. “I live with most of the guys on the team, so I ask them questions about their background that I might use in a broadcast,” he added.
Gus finds calling girls’ hockey games easier than the boys’ games “because the opposing girls’ team’s websites are typically better, and the players usually have their names on the back of their jerseys.”
Garvey doesn’t think he’ll major in broadcasting in college. “I do not know if I am going to commit fully to doing play-by-play. I would like to call games as an undergrad. If I commit to this, I will go to a college with a good hockey team and try to commentate for them, but there are limited spots in the country,” said Garvey.
Whether or not Garvey pursues broadcasting in the future, it’s bringing him pleasure now, and his growing audience of parents and students appreciate his skill and look forward to tuning in when Gus calls a game.
