The Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the most consistent and dominant teams in the National Hockey League over the last decade, winners of four Stanley Cup championships in the last 15 years. If you’re a devoted hockey fan, that statement of fact is obvious, and you would expect the team to be part of any conversation about the Stanley Cup Playoffs taking place on Turner Sports’ studio coverage of the NHL, led by Liam McHugh.
Sometimes though, the conversation diverges from the sublime to the ridiculous – but it is in the ostensible absurdity where, perhaps, the NHL on TNT differentiates itself. In this case, it was discussing what Penguins’ defenseman Kris Letang had dressed up as for Halloween – which turned out to be a grasshopper – and then deliberating on the characteristics of the animal and whether it is considered a predator or prey.
“The intent of that was to show [the team] in costumes, make a comment and then move on – but it just took on a life of its own,” McHugh reflected. “In the same respect, the very next segment what [the analysts] do really well is they can then break down the game really well. They can hit a key moment; they can interview someone really well and bring some personality out of them.”
The enigma of taking different approaches to covering sports – ranging from shootout contests to musical performances by studio analysts to dropping teddy bears from the ceiling to displaying tweets in real time – captivates and engages the audience. It is, according to McHugh, a “smart, entertaining and fun” way to bring out the personalities of the studio crew, and, in turn, helps augment the reach and popularity of hockey.
The approach is straight out of the playbook of Inside the NBA, the broadcast entity’s signature studio program for its coverage of the National Basketball Association, and something McHugh learned from its host Ernie Johnson.
“You want to just put something out there because you know your co-hosts are going to react to it,” he said. “You’re not exactly sure what the reaction might be, especially when we have [Paul Bissonnette] – I can ask him a basic question and I don’t know what the reaction’s going to be – but you want to put something out there that you know they’re going to react to and see where it goes.”
Working as a lead studio host for broadcast coverage of the NHL was never an obvious landing spot nor something McHugh planned for. His mother worked as a librarian and his father taught English, making the command of language through reading and writing a vital part of McHugh’s upbringing. It turned out he gravitated towards writing and subsequently pursued a career as a print journalist upon matriculating at the University at Buffalo.
Even after McHugh joined ESPN The Magazine, he did not think of himself particularly adroit as a print journalist, and conversations with his editors suggested that focusing on a different niche in the industry was likely the most suitable option. Despite possessing a taciturn demeanor which was, at one point, uncomfortable with public speaking, McHugh decided to build a career in broadcast journalism and attended Syracuse University to attain his master’s degree in the craft.
“I remember there were plenty of people there who were, on day one, sitting there saying, ‘I’m going to be a SportsCenter host,’ or if they were in news, ‘I’m going to be a nightly news anchor,’” McHugh recalled pertaining to his time as a graduate student. “I was really at this point trying to make a career, enjoy it, make enough money to live on and have some success.”
After local television stops in Terra Haute, Indiana and Oklahoma City, the Versus Network came calling for him to be the host of The Daily Line, an evening sports news show focused on fan engagement and banter. McHugh worked with professionals in different sectors of the industry on the program, including comedian Reese Waters, blogger Jenn Sterger and handicapper Rob DeAngelis.
Although it was canceled after seven months because of low viewership, it led to a new opportunity following the merger of NBCUniversal and Comcast (then-owners of Versus Network) related to covering hockey.
McHugh grew up as a fan of the New York Islanders; however, he had not closely followed the sport for many years. At this moment of his career, he was grateful just for the fact that he was still employed after the show cancellation and would be able to make ends meet. Make no mistake about it though – McHugh desired to comprehensively learn hockey, leading him to fervently read and watch games while receiving guidance from Keith Jones, a studio analyst and trusted colleague.
“He was the guy who saw something in me, thought I could be a solid show host and someone that he could mesh with and be able to produce good content with,” McHugh said of Jones. “At the same time, he knew I was light on sort of the inside-hockey knowledge, but he was willing to sort of work with me and have conversations with me and educate me throughout that process.”
McHugh’s first role would be as the host of NHL Live, the studio-based show airing before and after each of NBC’s nationally-televised hockey games. Being present among a team of established professionals with an abundance of skills took the pressure of McHugh to be preoccupied about anything other than performing his primary job. He had never worked at a national level in broadcast media before; therefore, he felt an immense amount of pressure to make sure he continued to earn his place and the trust of his bosses and colleagues.
“I had basically done everything myself from editing and shooting and writing to all of a sudden, there is now a machine behind you and you don’t have to think about every little thing in the show,” McHugh said. “You get to focus a little bit more on your role [and], to me, that was a big change and part of that change was being able to trust people…. they’re going to make the show look good.”
When McHugh was at NBC Sports, he was also hosting the wrap-up show College Football Talk and, eventually, worked as the on-site host of Football Night in America. These broadcasts lead up to Thursday Night Football produced in tandem with NFL Network and, for McHugh, took place on the road amid raucous crowds filled with energy and excitement. The pacing of the show and types of conversations that appealed to the audience quickly became apparent to him, along with how to best encapsulate the atmosphere; that is, until everything changed.
“I was doing that role during the COVID-moments,” McHugh explained. “Now you’re talking about like, ‘Hey, let’s go out to Liam McHugh; he’s at an empty stadium’…. The atmosphere is grim and it’s depressing and it’s hard to deliver the things that you want to deliver on-air. It was a lesson in how to do those reports from those places.”
Following the conclusion of the 2020-2021 season, the NHL negotiated new media rights deals with ESPN and Turner Sports, working with multiple broadcast entities to grow the game of hockey and deliver a stellar broadcast product. Subsequently, McHugh departed from NBC Sports and joined the team at Turner Sports to host its studio coverage, working alongside Anson Carter, Rick Tocchet, Paul Bissonnette and “The Great One”, Wayne Gretzky.
“He clearly does not have to do this and I thought he’d come in week one, sit with us for five minutes and be like, ‘Why am I here? Why would I want to do this?,’” McHugh said of Gretzky. “But instead, [he was] very much a hockey player in that he wanted to be a part of a team [and] wanted to be a part of this group.”
In working with two broadcast entities, viewers may perceive a sense of competition between each to present the best coverage of hockey. McHugh does not refute that assumption, although he does not feel that way. Conversely, he is sure the analysts, many of whom are friends with one another, have felt it. In the end though, aiming to be the best hockey broadcast on television is all for the benefit of augmenting the reach and allure of the game.
“It was different because at NBC, we had all of it for so long,” McHugh said. “In the end, it’s probably healthier for the game — healthier for all these broadcasts — if it’s on multiple networks. I think a little healthy competition is not a bad thing.”
McHugh and the NHL on TNT studio broadcast look to highlight the personalities of hockey players in order to facilitate the growth of the game in key demographics. Additionally, hockey has grown in popularity among young athletes with people taking the ice in all different parts of the country. Thus it is essential to maintain interest and, consequently, the growth trajectory through humanizing standout players and personnel.
“Pregame interviews are tough – guys don’t always want to talk; they want to get warmed up [but] I think we brought a different dynamic here where we brought out some of their personalities,” McHugh said. “Postgame interviews are usually better for us where it’s conversational and guys are joking around with us and showing their personality. Now you want to know more about that team; now you want to buy that guy’s jersey; now you want to root for that team.”
Turner Sports will broadcast the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time within the new seven-year national media rights deal and have comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a whole. McHugh covered the Stanley Cup Finals several times while working with NBC, but what he did not have was the man widely regarded as the game’s greatest player on his panel.
He believes the presence of No. 99, the league’s all-time leader in goals, assists and total points, not to mention a key member of four Stanley Cup championship teams, will captivate fans and alter the way people view the game.
“Some captain is going to take that Stanley Cup and we’re going to all sit there and watch it,” McHugh said. “To have the first voice to speak about that be Wayne Gretzky who hoisted that cup; who was handed that cup as a captain, a superstar and a legend – that he’ll be the first person commenting on that; there’s nothing better than that.”
McHugh also continues to step outside of his comfort zone, recently signing on with Apple TV’s Major League Soccer Season Pass package as its lead whiparound studio host. His role with the NHL on TNT remains his priority, though, and he is grateful that Turner Sports executives did not encumber him when the circumstance arose. Just as he believes hockey has a chance to continue to grow its consumer base, soccer, which he played in college, is another sport drawing new viewers and imploring fans to keep tuning in.
“I love the game – I really do,” McHugh said. “I think it’s growing here in America and I think this is a league that’s getting stronger.”
Apple and Major League Soccer announced last November that they had reached an agreement to launch a subscription service to soccer fans in over 100 countries and regions. Fans can begin subscribing to MLS Season Pass on Feb. 1 for $14.99 per month or $99 per season and enjoy live games, highlights and an exclusive whiparound show among other features. McHugh is excited for the kickoff of the regular season on Feb. 25 beginning with a late afternoon matchup between New York City FC and Nashville SC.
“It’s a different type of show,” McHugh expressed. “Twelve years ago, it would have very much intimidated me and scared me – and I’m still a little scared – but I think, again, it’s out of [my] comfort zone and trying something different. It’s a cool opportunity to do all those things.”
The technology company continues to move into sports media and live game broadcasts with the addition of Major League Soccer as it prepares for a second year of Friday Night Baseball. It is a component of a larger implementation of streaming into the consumption experience, underscored largely in the National Football League with exclusive game broadcasts on ESPN+ and Peacock; Amazon Prime Video’s presentation of Thursday Night Football; and YouTube TV securing the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket out-of-market package.
Covering hockey, soccer or most other sports, McHugh brings versatility and experience to programs on which he appears and looks to continue providing fans informative and entertaining talk. While having fun is certainly an important aspect of each broadcast, being able to maneuver in and out of moments of poignancy or earnest gravity is an indispensable part of discussing all subject matter. He learned how to do this by conversing with Ernie Johnson and Bob Costas, while also watching late night television hosts; that is, those who do not primarily focus on sports but rather entertainment and pop culture at large.
“Sitting there whether I was watching Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert or people like that and realizing how you can have serious moments in a show; then you can pivot and have a light moment; and then pivot right back to something serious,” McHugh said. “That’s something that I really wanted in a show and I wanted to know how to do that. It’s not an easy thing and I’m still learning. Those are people that I watched because they were the best at that, and I think it’s something we’re trying to bring to the table on this show.”
Embracing spontaneity with the ability to take on new roles or to create a memorable moment based on free-flowing conversation is an aspect of hosting Liam McHugh has worked to master over his time in sports media. He takes his job seriously but does not take himself too seriously, allowing him the freedom and flexibility to enjoy his work and develop amicable working relationships with the studio analysts. He has also had to make sacrifices and now looks to attend more of his childrens sports games since he missed many of them over the years.
In covering Super Bowls, Stanley Cup Finals and Olympic Games throughout his career, he has taken calculated risks in sports media and is trying to enjoy the journey on the “long, twisting road.”. His previous experience as a multimedia journalist, print reporter and athlete have rounded him into the professional he is today – providing an assist to showcase hockey and soccer as a host.
“I’m thankful for the fact that I’ve got to do so many things that I never expected to,” McHugh said. “In the end, they make you so much better at the things that you do know – they just do.”
