James Cybulski乌鸦传媒檚 voice can be heard in basements and bedrooms of hockey fans around the world, and he still can乌鸦传媒檛 quite believe he乌鸦传媒檚 in his third year of being the play-by-play guy of EA Sports乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒淣HL乌鸦传媒� video game.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a total dream come true,乌鸦传媒� the Delta-based broadcaster said with the kind of enthusiasm he brings to the popular game.
The latest edition, was released in mid-October with Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews on the box cover 乌鸦传媒� again, for the second time since 2020.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 say you aren乌鸦传媒檛 the only one saying, 乌鸦传媒榃hat, AGAIN?! He was on the cover just two years ago!乌鸦传媒� Cybulski said with a laugh, in a phone call.
乌鸦传媒淢y vote for Ryan Reaves was clearly ignored,乌鸦传媒� he deadpanned on Instagram back in August.
The video game offers 乌鸦传媒渁 huge leap forward in graphics乌鸦传媒� and the arrival of Superstar X-Factors, which 乌鸦传媒渦nlocks the unique skills of the league乌鸦传媒檚 most elite players,乌鸦传媒� raves . 乌鸦传媒淭his is breakthrough hockey.乌鸦传媒�
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EA乌鸦传媒檚 NHL title has been part of Cybulski乌鸦传媒檚 life for more than a quarter-century, starting in his old Ottawa 乌鸦传媒榟ood.
乌鸦传媒淚 played the game as a kid, in the early- to mid-乌鸦传媒�90s,乌鸦传媒� he recalled. 乌鸦传媒淚 played 乌鸦传媒楴HL 94乌鸦传媒� on my Sega Genesis (game system), then evolved to playing on the PC around 乌鸦传媒楴HL 98,乌鸦传媒� then converted myself to become a PlayStation guy. It乌鸦传媒檚 funny, I乌鸦传媒檝e always been an NHL video game guy, whether it乌鸦传媒檚 playing as a teenager, or you know, playing in the my 20s and then even into my 30s, coming home after having way too many with my buddies and than trash-talking. You know, 乌鸦传媒極K, let乌鸦传媒檚 turn on the (game system) and let乌鸦传媒檚 go, let乌鸦传媒檚 settle this!乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
The game graphics have come a long way since those early days, of course 乌鸦传媒� and so has Cybulski.
He stick-handled his way into sports broadcasting and show hosting for TV and radio outlets over the past couple of decades, both here and in Toronto, and recently landed a job calling games for the AHL乌鸦传媒檚 Abbotsford Canucks.
Turns out, being a play-by-play broadcaster was Cybulski乌鸦传媒檚 desire all along.
乌鸦传媒淭he whole reason I wanted to get into the (broadcasting) business was to be a play-by-play guy, that was always the dream,乌鸦传媒� he explained. 乌鸦传媒淥ut of school, I had a chance to call Ottawa 67s games, on the radio for awhile. The whole time through high school, I volunteered at community television while going to school and working, for about six years there.
乌鸦传媒淚 did it to get my reps, and any opportunity that presented itself, I would do,乌鸦传媒� Cybulski added. 乌鸦传媒淚 called ringette championships, university football games, basketball, karate tournaments, a pre-Olympic boxing tournament in 1992. I did minor hockey games, touch football, lacrosse games 乌鸦传媒� a whole bunch of different sports, and I was young, all between the age of 17 and 23, in Ottawa, growing up.乌鸦传媒�
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Three years ago, Cybulski auditioned for EA three times and ultimately got the gig as voice of the company乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒淣HL乌鸦传媒� game.
乌鸦传媒淚t was honestly the most amazing moment,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭om, I乌鸦传媒檝e been honoured to do some pretty cool, amazing things in my career, experiences and opportunities in my life, but man, this opportunity to be the voice of a video game franchise I grew up playing, so iconic, it乌鸦传媒檚 just amazing to me.乌鸦传媒�
He follows in the footsteps of some broadcasting 乌鸦传媒渓egends,乌鸦传媒� including Jim Hughson, Gary Thorne and Mike 乌鸦传媒淒oc乌鸦传媒� Emrick.
乌鸦传媒淎nd then it乌鸦传媒檚 like, 乌鸦传媒榃hat the hell乌鸦传媒檚 Cybulski doing here?乌鸦传媒� he said with a laugh. 乌鸦传媒淏ut the feedback has been really good, very positive. It乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of fun, but a lot of work, too.乌鸦传媒�
Cybulski乌鸦传媒檚 voice work for the latest game was all done at his Tsawwassen home, due to the pandemic. Basically, he cleared out a bunch of kids乌鸦传媒� toys and covered the office walls with foam.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 where I scream and shout a lot,乌鸦传媒� he noted.
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PICTURED: Broadcaster James Cybulski at his Delta home with a framed copy of the 乌鸦传媒淣HL 22乌鸦传媒� video game autographed by Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews, who is on the box cover. (submitted photo)
His contract with EA calls for up to 300 hours of voice work annually, which translates to a couple days a week, usually four-hour sessions, adding content where needed.
乌鸦传媒淥ne day it might be a 乌鸦传媒榩hone book,乌鸦传媒� as they call it, which is essentially going through name after name. Not long ago there was a day where we added close to a thousand names to the game, and it乌鸦传媒檚 making sure you have, A, the right pronunciation, and B, the consistency in energy level,乌鸦传媒� Cybulski explained.
乌鸦传媒淚f you乌鸦传媒檙e going, 乌鸦传媒楶asses the puck to Singh, passes the puck to Jones, passes the puck to Zillich,乌鸦传媒� you know, you want to make sure your energy level is the same all the way through, so that it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 sound like a 1990s version of movie phone, that old automated voice 乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒�Please press 1.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 maintaining the baseline of energy to be consistent,乌鸦传媒� he continued. 乌鸦传媒淪o we do those, and one day it might be rattling off names, another day might be all goal calls. All those situational plays in hockey that are so common that you don乌鸦传媒檛 even think about, we do all those 乌鸦传媒� entering the offensive zone, gaining the line, but saying that 10 different ways without sounding the exact same. You can be a little cheeky sometimes while also being mindful to stay consistent with the traditional broadcast. We can kind of pick our spots to have some fun, too.乌鸦传媒�
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WHAT A MOMENT!
乌鸦传媒� Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks)
Justin Bailey's 100th career AHL goal and the first home goal in the history of the . on the call 馃帣锔�
Cybulski乌鸦传媒檚 game call isn乌鸦传媒檛 for everyone, and he knows that. He brings an energy some find too over-the-top,
乌鸦传媒淚 think broadcasting is subjective, right, and for a broadcaster, you乌鸦传媒檙e providing that soundtrack for people,乌鸦传媒� he suggested. 乌鸦传媒淵ou know, some people like something more subtle, but for me, personally, I乌鸦传媒檝e always been drawn to the energy. To me, from a broadcasting standpoint, I乌鸦传媒檓 kind of a salesman, I乌鸦传媒檓 selling an event.
乌鸦传媒淲hen I look at it from an NHL video game standpoint, I want it to be exciting because quite frankly, it乌鸦传媒檚 the biggest thing in your life at that very moment, your focus. So I want people to feel like it乌鸦传媒檚 the biggest game of their lives, in that world, in that moment. That乌鸦传媒檚 the approach I go for, to have that feeling of it being the biggest game. It乌鸦传媒檚 about being entertained.乌鸦传媒�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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