Edmonds takes over as Jets’ radio voice

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This article was published 15/08/2014 (4102 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TSN 1290 has installed Paul Edmonds as the new full-time radio voice of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets.

Edmonds had been contributing periodically to Jets hockey broadcasts over the last couple of seasons but left his 19-year gig as the voice of the Winnipeg Goldeyes after the 2013 baseball season to join TSN 1290’s morning show this past February, as well as to continue filling in on hockey broadcasts.

His last day on the station’s morning show will be Aug. 29. Brian Munz, radio play-by-play man for the majority of Jets games in the first three seasons, will remain with the station and move to the colour/analyst chair for about half of the team’s games in the 2014-15 season.

The station said the Munz will become the station’s regular Jets reporter this season.

“It’s a very exciting day for me and my family,” Edmonds told the Free Press Thursday. “It’s something I have thought about since I was eight years old and got a transistor radio for Christmas one year then listened to Ken Nicolson call Jets games in the WHA.

“I said to myself way back when, ‘I think I’d like to do that.’ It’s finally happened.”

Edmonds, who turns 48 this fall, said he has had many thrills and much satisfaction through a career that along with baseball, has also seen him call the WHL’s Regina Pats (1993-95), the WCHL’s Colorado Gold Kings (1997-98), the WCHL’s Phoenix Mustangs (1999-2000), assist CJOB’s broadcast team and even call a few games for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose (2001-04), and call the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers on a local station the last three seasons.

“I got to the point where I thought it was never going to happen, that I’m not going to get to the major-league level in baseball or hockey,” Edmonds said. “I would have been fine with that and ride off with a successful career in minor-pro sports.

“Now this opportunity has come about and I wasn’t going to turn it down.”

TSN 1290 also announced Thursday that former NHLer and Stanley Cup winner Shane Hnidy will continue as the station’s radio colour/analyst when he’s not working Jets on TSN television broadcasts, which the station says will be at least half the time.

— Campbell