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Pfaff does broadcasts for N.U. Steel

NEW ULM — Todd Pfaff of New Ulm has been a hockey fan all his life.

He played hockey for New Ulm as did his two sons, Aaron and Drew.

As the year progressed and the New Ulm Steel and operations got up and running, the team started to piece its off-ice personnel together.

Then one day, Pfaff got a text message out of the blue from Mike Peterson, who was relaying a question from general manager Bryant Black with a question that Pfaff was not expecting.

“He asked me if I would be interested in doing the television play-by-play for Steel home games,” Pfaff said. “I asked him if he meant the P.A. [public address] and he said no, the play-by-play. I had never done hockey before but I would give it a try.”

Pfaff had done some color commentary for KYSM Radio sports when he was attending Minnesota State University, Mankato. Pfaff was informed that the intern that was orginally doing the play-by-play was being asked to learn more of the hockey business and the day-to-day operations from Black.

Pfaff accepted but admitted that he was nervous when he did his first game, which can be heard and seen on www.hockeytv.com. Hockey is a different animal than broadcasting a slower-paced baseball game.

“I think that my first game that I broadcast I tended to get caught up in the action and was watching,” Pfaff said. “You need to anticipate where the puck is going.”

While admittedly nervous, Pfaff called his first game.

“It was very difficult,” he said. “I can understand why these big market announcers for the pro and college hockey follow teams just to learn these guys’ names and uniform numbers and learn their style. It is getting easier every game but the hardest part is when the visitors come in. You have to study their roster, study names and numbers but once the puck is dropped and the action starts, it is a lot quicker and harder than you think. I have a lot more respect for those guys TV and the radio — it is difficult. This is Tier III Juniors.”

There are a lot of things that were difficult to make an adjustment to for Pfaff. But the biggest, he said, is the lack of a press box.

“You are trying to read numbers or the names on the back of the jersey, not being familiar with the teams coming in — I am getting more familiar with the names of the Steel players,” he said. “The hardest part is when they score goals back to back to back like New Ulm has done in recent games, it is hard to keep up with who got the goal and assists.”

Pfaff does have the TV camera run by a Steel player who is either scratched from that game or is injured. Black supplies Pfaff with rosters and stats and standings before the games.

“I am enjoying it a lot. It is a lot of fun but it is way different than a baseball game because you have to fill in a lot of dead air time,” Pfaff said. “There is no dead air time in a hockey game. It is good hockey — these are kids trying to go to the next level of college hockey.”

He said that he has gotten feedback from parents of Steel players who watch and listen to games from long distances from New Ulm.

“It has been positive,” he said. “And they appreciate what I am doing. I am trying to do the best job that I can and get better every game.”

Next season, Pfaff may be changing hats for the Steel as he may be doing the P.A. with a new person handling the broadcast.

“I’ll have to see how it goes,” he said. “I’ve been volunteering for 20 years as a coach for Cathedral football. I’m hoping to work something out so it frees up Bryant from doing P.A.”

Pfaff said that he has had some small on-air bloopers.

“Last game [against Willmar] I could not get out the name of Steel goalie Brady Boudreau out for the longest time — he is the son of Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau,” he said. “It gets really loud by the Steel fans — the crowds have been good and it gets loud when they ring those cowbells.

“But I have to admit, it is fun and somethng that after I retire I may like to do.”

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