Interview With LA Kings PA Announcer Dave Joseph

There are many distinctive sounds that any sports fan can instantly recognize and remember from the beloved game (or games) that they passionately follow.  Sounds that are so regularly heard, they are ingrained deep inside a fan’s soul, and can even wake up certain memories, or a passion deep inside for the game they love.  For fans of the sport of hockey, it can be the slashing sounds of the hockey blades cutting through the ice, or the thunderous clap of a slapshot, or a hard bodycheck against the boards. But the familiar sounds of the game aren’t just isolated to just certain beats of a game. The sounds of a familiar voice can also trigger a memory, or a response of excitement to a fan like when the Public Address Announcer introduces all the players from the fan’s favorite team, or reveals to everyone the warriors who had just contributed to a goal, or who was involved in a game stopping fight. For fans of the Los Angeles Kings and the Ontario Reign, as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers and LA Galaxy, they all share with each other, one voice in common that does just that for all of them. Whether it’s announcing a goal, a penalty, or a home run and more, PA Announcer Dave Joseph is one of those trusted sounds and voices that has been imprinted on many Los Angeles sports fans.  A voice that is well-respected and adored, and a man who knows his sports.

Known for not only his work with the Los Angeles Kings, but with the Ontario Reign, Los Angeles Dodgers and LA Galaxy, Joseph has worked in the Los Angeles radio and sports market for approximately 15 years, and owns a stellar resume that includes working for NBC, ABC and ESPN, as well as in places such as New York City and Providence, Rhode Island.  I was recently fortunate enough to talk with Dave over the phone, and talk with him about his career and experiences, especially with the Los Angeles Kings’ organization.

Thanks again Dave for taking the time for his interview.

Always glad to do it.

You were born and raised in the state of Michigan and had played a lot of hockey growing up, even well into your college years at Hofstra University.  Could you tell us what it was about the sport of hockey that caught your interest?

Well yes, first of all I grew up in the upper peninsula of Michigan, so if you are familiar with Michigan at all, you’ll know that Michigan forms what geographically looks like a glove. I’m not from that part. I’m from the part that detaches from that up near Canada, and north from a lot of parts in Canada. So I was raised in a town of six thousand people. During the long winter months, which is eight months of the year, nine months of the year, we played a lot of hockey and when it gets that cold and it’s 30, 40 below zero, you play hockey. We could play in an indoor rink but that wasn’t always the case. I started from a young age. I had an older brother that got me into it when I was 2, 3 years old. I started skating in outdoor rinks, started skating on lakes and I just kind of fell in love with the sport at an early age. From there, like you said, I started playing hockey at Hofstra University for 4 years and I was the Captain of the team in my senior year. It was just something that I didn’t think would lead to that, you know from an early age you just think, “I’ll take this as far as it goes,” and then I played in high school and get to college and you think, “I can carry this on a little bit more,” so I played four years of college and went on to coach at Hofstra for a couple of years after I was playing.

Did you have any favorite players or a favorite team growing up?

Growing up actually I was a Chicago Blackhawks fan. Again geographically we were closer to Chicago then we were to Detroit. A lot of people say that if you’re from Michigan, you are a Red Wings fan. Well I grew up a Blackhawks fan because it was only 6 hours to Chicago and 8 hours to Detroit from where I lived. I was a fan of Chris Chelios and Eddie Belfour and Jeremy Roenick, Dirk Graham and Steve Larmer, Steve Smith, guys like that. Those were the guys that I looked up to. Obviously I liked Steve Yzerman too, even though he was a Red Wing, but those were the guys that I looked up to as a kid.

You mentioned that you coached at Hofstra University after your playing days. How did you find the transition and experience from being a player to all of a sudden a coach?

That was really a unique experience. I use the word unique because when I graduated I was probably 22 [years old] and I was a head coach at 23 and there were a few guys on the team that were actually older than I was. So that was unique because I had never been in that position before. You as a Captain, and as an alternate Captain, you lead by example but then when you take over as a coach, and you have to be in charge of people and being in charge of people who are older than you are at such a young age isn’t the easiest thing to do. Fortunately I played with a lot of the guys, so I knew who they were, I knew their personalities, we all got along and we made it work.  We had some good teams the few years that I was the coach and they respected me as much as they could, with me being, you know 22, 23 years old at the time.  It certainly was a unique experience and one that taught me a lot at a very young age.

Did you have any ambitions to become a professional hockey player in the NHL, or was going into sports radio and public address announcing always something that you wanted to pursue?

Yeah.  When I was young it was certainly a dream to make the NHL but I probably learned when I was in high school that I didn’t really have the talent that everyone else had to make it at that level.  And there’s such a small number of people who get to that level, so it kind of sets in when you say, “Do I have the talent that the guy next to me, or the guy across from me has?” and I realized that I didn’t have it.  You know, I played division II club hockey.  It wasn’t like I was on a fast track to the NHL.  I attended a couple of pro tryout camps.  I knew then at 20, 21, 22 years old that there was no shot that it was going to happen.  I probably knew around 13 years old that it wasn’t going to happen, so that’s when I started to get into public speaking.  That’s when I got into public address announcing.  I started in radio when I was 16 years old.  I wanted to tie my love for sports, my love of radio, my love of public speaking, all those things together. What better way to do that than to work for a professional sports team, and it worked out.

You have been a veteran in the Los Angeles market for many years, whether on radio for ESPN LA 710, the LA Kings’ radio game broadcasts and as the PA Announcer for different teams of different sports.  How did the journey of your career lead you to the city of Los Angeles and to the Los Angeles Kings organization?

Well like I mentioned, I started in radio when I was 16.  I worked for a Top 40 radio station in Michigan.  Rather than work for my father who owned a supermarket in town, I didn’t really want to do that, so I got into radio.  I ended up going to college in New York, like I said at Hofstra, and that was about 30 minutes outside of New York City. I got a job in radio and interned for a couple of years during college at a station in New York City. They ended up hiring me out of college, so I worked there for three and a half years. I worked for Rush Limbaugh, I worked for Sean Hannity, so I had a radio background since the age of 16. I moved to Providence in 1999, and I worked there for about a year in radio before moving to LA in 2000. Once I got out here, after about 10 months, I got hooked up with ESPN radio. They hired me and I started covering the Kings as a reporter.  So that’s how I got involved with the Kings in the first place. So I would cover many games, and I would get involved with Nick Nickson and Daryl Evans on the radio broadcast.  I would do interviews for the radio broadcast in the locker room.  So one thing kind of led to another.  The radio career led to the covering of the team and then I would fill in for David Courtney as the Public Address Announcer, first with the Long Beach Ice Dogs, because he also used to do the Ice Dogs, so I would be his back up there.  And then I would back him up when he had commitments to the Angels’ games and I would do the Kings’ games, so it all kind of came full circle.  Then in 2013, it was my first full year with the Kings, even though it was only a half season because of the lockout, that was my first full year with the team.

Speaking of your first full year as the PA Announcer for the Kings in 2013, it was as the replacement to the late David Courtney, who shockingly and sadly passed away, shortly after the Kings had won their first Stanley Cup in 2012.  Could you tell us about your experience, work relationship and friendship with David Courtney, and what he meant to you and to your career?

David was a great friend.  I mean, he gave me so many opportunities and chances that I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.  He and I worked on radio for probably 11 or 12 years, and we worked together at metro networks.  We both were traffic reporters, sports reporters, so we both did that and I probably got to know David very well after spending many, many days and nights with him.  Days at the radio stations and nights at the Kings’ games or Ice Dog games. I learned a lot from him.  Not only from a personal standpoint but a professional standpoint.  I learned a lot about public address announcing from him. I learned a lot about radio from him.  Like I said, I would be nowhere near where I am today without his help, and without his support, and without his guidance.  He was a good friend and he’s missed every day.  I still carry a lot of notes and cards from him in my game preparation booklet. He was just a great, great, all around guy and he is certainly missed every day. I just can’t say enough about the guy as a friend and a professional as well.  Just an excellent all round guy.

You have announced the name of many famous athletes, especially hockey players and celebrities in your career as the LA Kings PA Announcer.  Was there anyone, whose name you had to announce, or got to meet behind the scenes that you really got excited about as a fan?

There’s a few yeah.  I would say Jaromir Jagr comes to mind.  He’s going to be a Hall of Famer.  The guy has scored a ton of goals and he’s fun to watch.  Obviously the Kings are excluded.  These are visiting teams and people who I am talking about.

Of course.

Jagr was great.  He had a great line, I remember when I was covering him when I was with ESPN radio and this was when the NHL schedule was a little mixed up or messed up, where teams would come in to town every 3 years.  Jagr was with the Rangers at the time and I came into the locker room, and I asked him, “Do you have a few minutes left so I can talk to you and do an interview?”  And he said, “I’ll get you the next time I’m in town.”  And I thought, “That’s quick,” like he must say that everywhere he goes because he’s not gonna be back here for another 3 years if he was still with the Rangers, so I just thought that was witty, yet he was personable.  I know he probably didn’t want to do the interview so he was blowing me off, but that’s fine too. I understand that but you know, he had a smile on his face. You deal a lot with that in the locker room every day with these guys but that’s the one that stands out for me.

Very cool.  When the LA Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, did you get a day with the Cup, like how the players, coaches and management did?

I did not have a day with the Cup. However, my supervisor at work Danny Zollars had it at his house, so he invited myself and my wife and our 4 dogs over to his house. He was kind enough to send us an invitation so we got pictures with the Cup, with myself, my wife and my dogs all together.  It was kind of surreal.  I never thought I’d find myself in that situation.  Again, all thanks to Danny for making that happen and sending that invite.  It was amazing.  Here I am at my bosses house and he’s got the Stanley Cup in his backyard and was like, “Hey, go ahead. Take a picture with it.”  That certainly stands out and is something I will never forget.

Did you get to drink out of the Cup?

Noooo, no, no no.  To me, and not knocking anyone who has done that, but to me that’s for only the players and coaches that have that right.  I don’t feel I have earned that right to do that. So if they want to do that, they should.  For me, that’s not something I felt comfortable doing.

Fair enough.  Could you take us through your daily routine and process on a Los Angeles Kings game day, to give us an idea of what goes on behind the scenes, and what it takes for you to prepare for a game?

Yeah certainly. It starts early in the morning.  I’ll get up and I’ll print out the line up sheets for that night, the rosters for that night, and the first thing I’ll do is go through the home list of players. A lot of people would think you already know everybody on the team, but you don’t know who might have gotten called up. You don’t know who might have gotten hurt the night before. You don’t know all the situations, so you want to make sure you have all your guys in place first.  Then I’ll look at the other team’s roster and say, “okay, I know that guy, I know this guy, oh I haven’t seen that guy’s name before,” so I used to either use the NHL pronunciation guide or find a way to say everybody’s name on the team by spelling it out phonetically and put it next to the player’s name on the line-up cards that I had ready that night.  I would practice as well, because you don’t want to go in front of 18,000 people and not pronounce somebody’s name correctly.

Oh for sure.

So that starts early in the morning, usually after a couple of cups of coffee.  Then from there I build up my own score sheet, where I keep track of the goals, the assists, penalties, and any notes I may have for that night.  I also do a chart on the side of my line-up sheet that has any milestones that might be achieved that night.  If a guy is approaching his 100^th goal, whatever it might be, I have a whole list along side of my lineup card that explains everything.  You don’t want to be caught off guard by missing a milestone, so I have all those things listed and ready to go. Then I will review that as the day goes on.  I usually get to the rink about 2:30-3:00 for a 7:30 pm game. I usually chat with Nick Nickson and Bob Miller to see if I’m pronouncing the guy’s names correctly. I’ll ask them if there’s any other tidbits that I might be missing. I’ll go over all the milestones to make sure I got all the milestones ready for that night because those guys are a wealth of knowledge.  They’ve been around and they’ve seen everything.  They know how to pronounce guy’s names.  They know if guys are approaching certain milestones.  They have so much knowledge.  I try to get everything I can from them. I go into a production meeting at 4:30, where we talk through about what’s going to happen that night with everybody on the staff. Usually at 5:15 – 5:30 is sound check and I usually grab a quick bite for dinner, and then head back to the ice at about 6:30, a quarter to 7, and get ready to announce the team and do all the introductions before the game.  So again, it probably starts around 6:30 – 7:00 in the morning and I’ll get out of the Staples Center about 10:30 or 11:00 at night.

That’s a long day.

Yeah, it’s a long day. A lot of people think, you know, you show up and you throw on a headset and you start talking, but it doesn’t exactly work that way.  There’s a script that you have to go through.  There’s changes that need to be made.  There’s sound checks, there’s all these different things that have to happen every single time you go there, just to make sure that everything is right.

You have quite the impressive resume as you are not only the PA Announcer for the LA Kings, but you are also the PA announcer for the Ontario Reign and a fill in announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers of MLB, and the LA Galaxy of MLS. What are the differences that you find in announcing between such a wide array of sports?

It all depends on what sport it is.  Like with hockey, the game moves so fast, so doing the Kings’ games, and doing the Reign games are very similar.  Even though in Ontario there’s a smaller crowd because the seat capacity is fewer, it’s still very much the same cadence.  It’s the same speed, so when you’re making the announcements, you have to be on your game all the time.  You have to be ready for all these different things happening.  Soccer is naturally a slower game so your cadence is slower.  There aren’t as many things happening as in hockey.  There aren’t as many penalties for instance.  You don’t have to announce assists on goals, things like that.  So it’s a little bit different in that regard.  The script is usually less for soccer as compared to hockey.  Sponsorships are a little bit less depending on what game you’re doing. Baseball is a completely different animal.  You are looking at 50,000 people possibly in the stands.  You’re looking at Dodger Stadium, where your voice is bouncing back to you from center field, so you have to adjust to that because you don’t get that at the Staples Center.  It’s immediate.  As soon as you talk, you don’t hear yourself a second of two later, while at Dodger Stadium you do, so you have to make that adjustment early on.  Baseball is a slower game as well, so your changes are going to be slower for that.  You also have to pay very close attention because there’s different changes and substitutions made in baseball, so you also have to be paying attention to that.  And there’s a crew that’s kind of talking you through everything, so great crews all around.  The Kings’ staff is first class, A1.  Dodger staff same thing. Ontario has a great crew, the Galaxy [has an] excellent crew.  All great people to work with.  It’s just a matter of the games being a little bit different and adjusting to that.

With your unique experience of working with different teams in different sports, how do you view the different sport communities or fan bases in regards to the popularity of soccer and hockey in comparison to baseball, which of course is America’s pastime sport?

I think LA gets a bad rap.  People who aren’t in LA think that LA’s fans are not passionate, but they are passionate.  It’s just a different kind of passion.  Kings’ fans are some of the most passionate that I have ever seen and been around.  Reign fans are great as well.  And Dodger fans, when you get 40-50 thousand people up there every night, it is certainly saying something, and they are rabid fans as well.  You see it right when you get to the ballpark.  LA gets a bum rap because of being LA, and there’s so many things to do here.  You know, they think Kings’ fans are flyby fans, they’re not going to show up, but it’s been a couple of years now where they sell out the Staples Center, or look at how many people go to a Dodgers game, or the Reign, who have sold out how many games now and did great in the playoffs.  I mean, it’s just a rabid fan base out here.  They’re certainly different, but no matter what sport you’re involved in, even Galaxy fans are super crazy rabid fans, so again they’re different but die-hard fans in all respects.

Speaking of the Galaxy, did you ever get to talk to, or hang out with David Beckham when he played there, or some of the other players that originated from Europe, such as Robbie Keane, Ashley Cole or Steven Gerrard?  And if so, did they ever mention how they felt about playing in the United States for Major League Soccer in comparison to the European soccer leagues?

I never did.  I never had that opportunity.  I think I met David Beckham twice when I covered the Galaxy games.  I haven’t had the chance yet to meet Robbie Keane or talk to Robbie Keane about it.  All I remember from David Beckham was that he was very soft-spoken, very nice, very kind, but I didn’t get to talk to him a lot about soccer.  It was mostly about his family and it was very brief.

Bob Miller is the legendary and long time play by-play commentator of the LA Kings and Vin Scully is of course the legendary and long time play by-play commentator of the LA Dodgers.  What is your experience with working with both of them, and do you have any cool or funny Bob Miller and/or Vin Scully stories to share with us?

I don’t know Vin. I met him in passing one time, and literally as he was walking by, I said, “Hey Vin, good to see you,” and it was very quick.  Bob on the other hand, I know quite well. I’ve known Bob for many years now, maybe 15, 16 years now.  Bob attended my wedding two years ago, along with his wife Judy.

Nice!

Bob is one of the nicest people who you’ll ever meet. Bob is one of the most sincere people who you’ll ever meet.  A true gentleman if there ever was one.  Bob has stories that go back so many years.  He has what seems like a photographic memory, and he can bring back a memory from like 1974.  Whatever it might be, you name a player and Bob will tell a story about him.  That’s what stands out about Bob.  The fact that he’s just so genuine and so nice, and always has time not just for me, but for the fans.  I see him interact with fans at Staples all the time, or when he does events.  He’s just the nicest, most gracious person you could ever meet and in my opinion, one of the best play by-play guys ever.  You marry those two things together and you’ve got just a complete gem.  Bob is one of the nicest people, and one of the best at what he does.

Absolutely.  You are also the LA Kings manager of Alumni relations.  How did that come about and what responsibilities are you tasked with in that position?

Well I got hired in September of 2015, so I’ve been here in that position for almost a year.  Part of my daily duties here is to communicate with our alumni, to make sure that our alumni are involved with the organization, whether that be going to appearances, events, hockey camps, hockey clinics, different schools, poker tournaments, and we try to help out the Kings Care Foundation as much we can and raise money.  Not only that but by being ambassadors in the community. Most people here that are Kings’ fans know who our alumni are, so it’s to keep them out and about in the community doing different events.  Also next year being our 50^th anniversary, there is going to be a lot of alumni interaction, so I’m tasked with that as well to make sure that it all goes as planned in the way that we want it to.  So that’s all part of the job when I took it over in September.

You also help out with the LA Kings High School Hockey League, which your colleague Jim Fox is the commissioner of.  Could you tell us about your hand in assisting to that league, and what are the goals that the Kings High School League are looking to achieve overall and within the community?

Basically I just dealt with them to get the league off the ground.  Like you said Jim Fox is the commissioner, so him and the guys in the hockey department really run the show and are in charge of the LA Kings High School Hockey League.  I was only there to lend a helping hand, to be another brain to bounce things off of and another body to help out with things. I wasn’t really involved the way they were, so I don’t want to speak for them, but I know it was a very successful first season for the LA Kings High School Hockey League. I know they’re looking to grow, which they have done this year by growing to more teams, and they’ll be looking to grow even more teams the next year and the year after that.  And they’re starting junior varsity programs.  It’s all with the goal of growing hockey in Southern California, and growing it at the high school level, and give some kids the opportunity that they may not have had in the past.  So I think that’s the goal for the hockey development program with the LA Kings High School Hockey League.

Final question Dave and it’s a big one. Are you ready?

I’m ready!

Okay, here we go.  You mentioned earlier that you grew up a Chicago Blackhawks fan, and of course you work for the Los Angeles Kings.  In recent times, those two teams have had some epics battles for hockey supremacy in the playoffs, in 2013 and especially in 2014.  Deep down inside your own heart Mr. Joseph, who did, or do you really cheer for? The public must know!

That’s a no brainer. I’m an LA Kings guy all the way!

Beautiful!

It’s a no brainer.  I grew up a Blackhawks fan and that’s where it ended.  My adult life has been with the LA Kings, and it always will be LA Kings.  Listen, that 2014 series was one of the best that I have ever seen.  When you go back and look at recent hockey, at least over the last 20-30 years, those were some great games.  Those were some games that people will never forget.  Obviously it ended the way that Kings’ fans wanted it to end, and I’m looking forward to more of those battles.  I hope we get to see some more of that because that really was some great and exciting hockey.

Indeed it definitely was.  Well Dave, on behalf of CaliSports News and myself, as a long time LA Kings fan, thank you so very much for all you do with the King’s organization, and for Los Angeles, and of course for giving us your time today for this interview.

It’s my pleasure and you can call me whenever you need me.

*Special thanks to Dave Joseph, Mario Hicks, Ryan Cowley, Connor Aylward, Patrick Salkeld, Lavoy Briscoe, Theresa Walsh Duarte and Marco “Derno” Medeiros for their help with this article.

Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, All the time!

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