Pounder on new role as NHL 24 commentator: 'I was almost pinching myself'
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On Thursday, TSN hockey analyst Cheryl Pounder was named the new colour commentator for EA Sports NHL 24 video game. The two-time Olympic gold medallist is the first female commentator for the franchise, which began in 1994.
The 47-year-old will replace Ray Ferraro, who had been the franchise’s colour commentator since NHL 15.
Pounder credited her predecessor’s mentorship with giving her the confidence to earn was she called an ‘amazing opportunity’.
“It was surreal. I was almost pinching myself. The last 24 hours in particular I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on my career,” Pounder said on Sportscentre. “Two years ago I transferred to [broadcasting] the NHL with so many amazing colleagues, including Ray Ferraro, who was a great mentor.
"They all offered their knowledge and wisdom, which gave me great confidence. With that, I was able to walk in into the interview with EA and go in head first.”
Pounder has appeared as a colour commentator and analyst for the 2014, 2018, and 2022 Winter Olympic Games as well as TSN's regional coverage of the Ottawa Senators. She also appears on TSN's NHL panels and Tradecentre broadcasts.
The Montreal native also discussed the process of recording commentary for the long-running franchise.
“It was very interesting and unlike everything I’ve ever done before,” Pounder told TSN1050. “They came and set up a small studio in my basement with appropriate acoustics to make sure the sound is good. The solo sessions are more difficult than the dual sessions with James, where we can banter and play off of each other.
“It is so different [than a real game]. At the very beginning, it was kind of uncomfortable because when you’re doing this game you see absolutely nothing. There’s no visual. You just have to go with it. You have to find a way to fill these buckets and say the same thing multiple times, in different ways.”
As the first female commentator in the franchise's history, Pounder re-iterated the enormity of the opportunity and hopes that her voice can show a path of opportunity for young women.
“I know this is going to be an unfamiliar voice to many, and let’s face it you cannot replace the legend of a man in Ray Ferraro. But for many, it will be familiar because there are a lot of young women and girls that play this game,” said Pounder.
“It’s been an amazing opportunity. I’m grateful for it and grateful that I can be authentically myself. But for a lot of young women out there to see there’s a path and that it continues to grow, it’s been an unbelievable feeling.