by Jesse Liebman | AHL On The Beat
For an injured hockey participant, the press field can really feel like a jail. It may be a spot of exile, the place the ice feels tantalizingly shut but frustratingly out of attain.
However for Hershey Bears winger Matt Strome, the view from the highest of Big Middle has develop into a brand new sort of classroom – and a brief stage.
Sidelined since late November with a lower-body damage, Hershey’s 2024 Calder Cup hero has discovered a option to keep within the recreation, buying and selling his skates, stick and helmet for a headset as a visitor colour commentator alongside Bears senior supervisor of hockey communications and broadcasting Zack Fisch, who serves because the on-air play-by-play voice of the membership.
For followers tuning into second-period broadcast protection of Hershey’s dwelling video games over the past a number of weeks throughout the Bears Radio Community, AHLTV on FloHockey and tv broadcasts on WPMT-FOX 43, Strome’s voice has supplied one thing the standard broadcast can not: the quick, visceral perception of a participant who was battling within the corners simply over a month in the past.
A Totally different Type of ShiftAfter a sizzling begin to the 2024-25 marketing campaign that noticed the winger rack up 10 factors in 15 video games, Strome sustained a lower-body damage throughout a November 22 recreation at Cleveland, going through a restoration timeline that may preserve him out of the lineup for a number of weeks. Strome took inspiration from his older brother Ryan, a ahead with the Anaheim Geese.
“Perhaps a month or so in the past, Ryan was out with an damage and went on Anaheim’s broadcast for the second interval. So someday I noticed Fisch and sort of joked about desirous to attempt it out, and it went properly the primary time after which we simply saved doing it for the following few weeks,” Strome recounted. “It was loads of enjoyable – I’d by no means performed that earlier than, and it was sort of one thing I at all times wished to do. The fellows that have been up there actually helped me out and cued me up for questions and let me run with it.”
It’s been a pure match for Strome since first throwing the headset on through the center body of Hershey’s December 7 recreation towards Lehigh Valley. Strome – who has come to be identified amongst Bear Nation as each an intense competitor and an approachable fan favourite – cemented his standing in Chocolatetown lore when he scored the additional time purpose that clinched the Bears’ thirteenth Calder Cup title in 2024, and now followers of the workforce have been getting to listen to the hockey IQ behind the heroics.
“It’s undoubtedly completely different. You’ll be able to sort of see the entire ice and the place the play goes to develop subsequent, so whenever you’re watching up there it nearly appears to be like a bit simpler,” Strome stated of his latest stints on the mic. “Once you’re down on the ice it’s all split-second response time, so to have the ability to name a few video games from up high, I believe it’ll assist after I get again.”
Chemistry on the AirwavesPairing an energetic participant with no broadcast expertise with a seasoned play-by-play veteran can typically be of venture, however the chemistry between Strome and Fisch has been seamless. Fisch – a veteran in his tenth season because the on-air voice of the workforce – units the desk, offering the who-what-where, whereas Strome provides additional context, together with the why and the way.
“Any broadcaster will let you know that preparation is king,” Fisch says. “Stromer not solely introduced an excellent wealth of data concerning the present workforce to the printed, however he additionally did his homework too. He was capable of present info on what the workforce is making an attempt to perform, issues he is aware of concerning the opposition, the x’s and o’s of the sport, and he actually gave the followers peek behind the scenes into the locker room. Matt is such a well-spoken man and a sensible participant on the ice I’m not stunned he was a pure on the air, and we had loads of enjoyable within the sales space collectively.”
Through the membership’s December 13 televised recreation towards Charlotte, Strome broke down a Henrik Rybinski purpose towards the Checkers, noting Rybinski’s tendency to make use of an identical shot method in observe with regularity that led to his tally towards Charlotte’s Louis Domingue.
A historical past lesson from the printed workforce transitions to a purpose spotlight as Ryby connects for his third of the season!
LeasonMiroshnichenko https://t.co/ftLhUlPTIk pic.twitter.com/KjQfFNIUbe
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) December 14, 2025
A crowded sales space of legendsIn addition to Fisch, the Bears possess a strong and already-established colour commentator workforce, that includes franchise legend and AHL Corridor of Famer Mitch Lamoureux on the radio facet, and just lately retired former captain Garrett Mitchell on tv duties. Strome is fast to make clear that he isn’t trying to steal a job; he’s simply borrowing the chair.
Mitchell, who made the transition from the ice to the printed sales space the season following his retirement in 2023, is aware of precisely what Strome is experiencing. Mitchell – who served as Strome’s captain through the latter’s rookie skilled season with the ECHL’s Studying Royals in 2019-20 – noticed a pure ease in Strome.
“One of the crucial troublesome elements as a participant whenever you’re damage is you wish to be across the locker room, however it additionally will get exhausting, exhibiting up whereas the fellows are attempting to be good and asking the identical query of ‘how are you feeling?’ however after a month or two of answering the identical questions, it may be powerful.” Mitchell stated of his former teammate. “I’m certain for Stromer it’s been good to have the ability to keep concerned and keep in contact with the sport. I believe for him, he’s been capable of soar into this and he’s performed an excellent job, as a result of on the finish of the day you by no means know the place it’s going to result in.”
The association noticed Strome sliding into the “third man” chair through the second interval, providing colour commentary that bridges the hole between the technical evaluation of the veteran colour commentators and the contemporary, on-ice actuality of the present roster.
Entering into that rotation – even for only a interval of recreation motion – might be intimidating. However Strome felt that he obtained nothing however encouragement from the trio, whereas receiving a crash-course within the quantity of preparation performed by the printed workforce.
“All three of them have been nice,” Strome stated. “Being with Fisch the final three seasons, it felt identical to having a dialog with them, but when no person’s speaking in the mean time, you must step up and be able to say one thing. As we went alongside, it felt extra pure to know when there’s a short pause to hop in. The best way they put together, it’s spectacular. Each recreation Fisch has at the very least one huge sheet of paper for every workforce with all of those stats on there. They do nearly the identical quantity of labor as us gamers for a recreation simply to be ready, so that actually caught my eye.
“I assumed it went fairly good. The primary recreation was on the radio and the second recreation was on TV – I used to be a bit extra nervous for the TV recreation – however I obtained nice suggestions from some family and friends that have been tuned in.”
The psychological reps and eyes on a returnFor Strome, the broadcasting stint has been greater than only a option to kill time whereas he recuperates bodily; it’s helped function a type of psychological rehabilitation.
“It’s undoubtedly helped,” Strome confirmed. “Once you’re watching recreation after recreation, you’ve obtained to be there to help your workforce, however it been good to have the ability to try this give a bit little bit of perception on what occurs when you’ve got an damage or if you happen to’re not taking part in, and I assumed it was only a nice alternative to get to do this.”
The expertise has additionally given him a brand new appreciation for the media facet of the game. He has realized to navigate the rhythm of a broadcast, figuring out when to leap in with colour and when to put out for Fisch’s play-by-play. It’s a ability set that might serve him properly lengthy after his taking part in days are over, although he’s in no rush to hold up the skates completely.
Regardless of his consolation behind the mic, Strome has made one factor clear: his true house is down on the ice. The headset is short-term; the purpose is to be again within the lineup, serving to Hershey chase a 14th Calder Cup title. He has returned to skating with the workforce in observe, and if Strome has his approach, the following time his identify is talked about on the printed, will probably be this weekend towards Rockford with Fisch calling his return to the lineup.
