Mike Machnik has been involved with college hockey since 1985. His first exposure to calling games at Merrimack occurred back in 1991 when he teamed up with WBZ's Dan Roche. He did games at Merrimack from 1991-94, then again from 1996-2005, and then from 2009 up to the present time. He has also been behind the mike on both radio and TV for Northeastern, UNH and the University of Maine. He won two AP Broadcaster Association Awards- one in 1994 for his work with Merrimack
and another one in 2008 for his work with UNH broadcasting on New Hampshire Public Television.He has also been paired with fellow Hockey East broadcasters Rob Rudnick of Northeastern and Dan Parkhurst of UNH.
His work extends far beyond what he's done on the air, too. Mike joined College Hockey News (CHN) in 2005, and was a driving force in the launching of that site, and he has done writing, editing, podcast interviews, as well as helping them with site building,infrastructure and providing technical support for their website.
To say that Mike is an encyclopedia of college hockey is putting it mildly. Not a day goes by that he doesn't astonish me with the depth and breadth of his knowledge when it comes to college hockey. He can rattle off information about the game, whether it be Merrimack or otherwise, with the greatest of ease.
Mike is a well liked gentleman, very humble. He is respected by his peers- whether it be the other broadcasters around the league, or by the coaches he interviews. He has pushed me to be a better broadcaster as well. I can never rest on my laurels because Mike raises the bar so high.... so I strive to do the best I can to match his energy and passion for the game.
The first game we did together was in North Dakota, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in October of 2009. I don't think it took very long for our styles to compliment each other and for things to click. His dedication to the game is unparalleled.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Mike won the Joe Concannon Media Award in 2011, becoming the 20th recipient of the distinguished award and the first ever winner from Merrimack College. We were all very proud of Mike when he was given that honor and I know I can speak for everyone involved when I say that the honor was richly deserved.
Take a listen to Mike as he interviews Clarkson head coach Casey Jones prior to a game from 11-28-14. His ease and professionalism is quite evident:
And a great interview with Northeastern head coach Jim Madigan:
To listen to Mike on Merrimack hockey broadcasts, all Merrimack games can be heard live on the Internet at http://www.packnetwork.com/merrimack/.
I call Mike the " Rink Doctor" because no one knows more about the game than he does. And it is an honor to be paired with such a true pro.
Mike and his wife Kelly live in Londonderry, NH, with their four children, Katie, Tommy, Ally, and Abby.
Mike and his wife Kelly live in Londonderry, NH, with their four children, Katie, Tommy, Ally, and Abby.
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