It should be the sounds of the season, inside the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls but it’s quiet outside on a rainy Sunday, as their season has been canceled.
It’s an unprecedented move scene across the entire sports community amid this pandemic. Evan Pivnick is the well-known voice behind the Adirondack thunder.
“Everyone knows everyone here in this community, and that’s something really special about it. How hockey driven they are and how passionate they are,” Pivnick said.
Pivnick always had a passion for sports, wanting to follow in his dad's footsteps.
“[My dad] ended up working for the Albany Colonie A’s which turned into the Albany Colonie Yankees,” said Pivnick.
As the announcer grew out of playing sports, his passion for broadcasting them, grew stronger. Now, he can be heard behind every one of the matchups on the ice. But as the team’s season was cut short amid the coronavirus, Pivnick was left with some extra time on his hands.
“It stinks for our fans, it stinks for hockey fans in general and sports. You go on TV and there’s nothing to watch. Nothing. So you have to create your own excitement and fun,” added the announcer.
So he did just that. He began to play-by-play announcing where ever he could. It all started on his balcony in Glens Falls where he spoke about the traffic outside his window. From there, he created more play-by-play videos explaining his everyday life and posted It on social media.
“I’m scrolling through Twitter and Instagram trying to find funny videos that aren’t politics related, definitely not coronavirus related,” explained Pivnick.
The following of that video quickly grew. From there, he reinvented some major movie moments, broadcasting them as if seen for the first time. These videos included scenes from the movie “Titanic” and the stampede scene from Disney’s “The Lion King.” Television also cast in the spotlight, including “Friends” and “The Jerry Springer Show.”
The video caught attention across the globe. Pivnick said there was a blog post from online social media platform “Barstool Sports” and even "Late Night" host Jimmy Kimmel gave the announcer a shout-out.
“It’s just strange something so small that I was bored doing ended up going around the world,” laughed Pivnick.
The videos began filling his empty schedule and bringing some joy to the world during a dark time. He says he hopes It will reflect well on the town.
“I hope it brings a light to the team, not only the team, but the community as well,” added the broadcaster.
Pivnick says he also hopes his videos can bring together the sports community, during an unprecedented time.
”If something can bring a smile to your face whether it's your favorite movie, a funny video online or Facetiming your friends, that's the best route,” Pivnick said.
Pivnick’s videos can be found, in full, on his Twitter account.