Hockey is coming back for playoffs this summer, and a familiar voice will be on the calls for the Vegas Golden Knights. Our “former Syracuse Broadcasters in the Bigs” series breaks the ice with Dan D’uva.
Two years ago, Dan D’Uva hit the jackpot in Vegas. In the franchise’s first season, the Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Final.
“I’m broadcasting the game today, the Stanley Cup Final, the same way I would if it were the Calder Cup Final or an AHL preseason game," D'Uva says.
But before that, he was in Syracuse, working for the Crunch. For five seasons, the SU alum called games in the Salt City. He says he could talk about memorable Crunch moments all day, but the Calder Cup run in 2013 sticks out.
“In the third round, they clinched the conference championship against Wilkes-Barre in a 7-0 win at the War Memorial,” D’Uva said. “Think about it. The Crunch had never been in a Calder Cup Final before, Syracuse as a city hadn’t been represented in the AHL finals since 1938 and here it was, a 7-0 shutout at home and the Crunch were going to the Calder Cup Final.
Those calls, and those moments, acted as a springboard to propel D’Uva to the next level.
“Before I even started, I was interviewing with Crunch Operating Officer Jim Sarosy,” said D’Uva. “Before he even offered me the position he said to me “Our goal is to get you to the NHL. What could be more empowering than your potential boss telling you we want to get you where you want to be? Without the Syracuse Crunch experience, there’s no way I would be in the NHL with the Golden Knights.”
It’s not just D’Uva that’s living his dream. Syracuse has become a breeding ground for broadcasters who want to make a jump to the pros.
“There’s just this pervasion of sports all around Central New York and that’s what makes it worth it for broadcasters because there’s such a close interaction with the listeners, the viewers, the fans."
On Friday we’ll check in with another former CNY broadcaster who’s now working in the NHL. Tune into Spectrum News to find out who it is.