Winter Hawks Extend Play by Play Radio Contract and Name New Analyst
Published on July 12, 2004 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Portland Timbers News Release
The Portland Winter Hawks have signed a 3-year contract extension with 970-AM KUPL radio for play by play broadcasts of their games and named Hillsboro native Andy Kemper as the club's new primary color commentator on radio beginning with this 2004-05 hockey season.
This will be the Winter Hawks' eighth season of broadcasting games on the 970-AM frequency, beginning in 1997-98 when the Hawks won the Memorial Cup championship in Spokane.
Kemper replaces long time color analyst Ron Ross, who resigned at the end of last season after 20 years behind the Winter Hawks' microphone. Kemper will work with play by play announcer Dean Vrooman, now starting his 23rd season as "Voice of the Winter Hawks", and part-time analyst John Kirby, who has worked on Winter Hawks' broadcasts nearly every season since 1981-82.
Although Kemper has no prior radio experience, he was chosen due to his wealth of knowledge of Portland Winter Hawks history. He has been very dedicated to learning everything he can about the team and the Western Hockey League while passionately following hockey at all levels. Kemper relates much of this knowledge on the Internet on the Oregon Live "Winter Hawks Fan Forum", posting under the name "PWH Historian". He is also the board monitor for "The WHL List", a league-wide e-mail list made up of knowledgeable fans throughout the Western Hockey League. Kemper routinely uses these e-mail lists to write his own detailed analysis of every Winter Hawks' game he attends and watches with a keen eye.
"That is one of the first things that drew me to Andy," said Vrooman. "I noticed how detailed and accurate he was in these write ups, often catching things that I wish I had seen live so we would have had them on the air as part of our broadcast. Then, when I needed someone to help me as a spotter and with statistics during last year's Comcast CNW-14 television broadcasts, Andy was right there to give me a hand. That is when I learned he has an amazing talent for seeing things away from the puck, which was one of Ron's strengths for all these years. I think he is really going to do a good job."
"This was a very tough decision for us to make because we had several excellent, local candidates who went through an interview process," said Winter Hawks' Director of Operations Kelley Robinett. "Andy has seen nearly every Winter Hawks' game since the franchise came to Portland in 1976-77 and has established himself as a very good student of the game. He is extremely well spoken and knows the league very well. We think he will add a lot to our radio broadcasts."
Kemper, 38, attended his first ever Winter Hawk game at the age of ten in 1976-77. He and his family have had season tickets since 1978-79 and his family was a "host family" to Rob Geale when he played for the Hawks in 1978-79.
"Besides Rob, I consider myself to be good friends of former Winter Hawks Shaun Clouston, Jim Dobson and Brian "Bunny" Shaw", Kemper noted.
Kemper, who works full-time for EMA Design Automation, will work all of the Winter Hawks' home games and may occasionally see some duty on road broadcasts as well, especially come playoff time. His business has allowed him to travel to see NHL games in Ottawa, Vancouver, Boston, Dallas and Anaheim. He doesn't travel as much now, but that has been fine with him because he has always loved the major-junior level of hockey the Winter Hawks play.
"I sell technical software out of my home," Kemper notes. "That will give me the flexibility to schedule Winter Hawks broadcasts around my job."
Kemper has been married since 1987. He met his wife, Vicki, at a Winter Hawks' game in 1986. They are proud parents of a three-year-old daughter, Aiden. Kemper met his predecessor, Ron Ross, about ten years ago when the two ended up teammates on a local ball hockey team. He always joked with him about replacing him on Winter Hawks' broadcasts if he ever decided to leave. Little did he know that those words would be prophetic.
"I am not trying to replace Ron," Kemper relates. "I cannot be the next Ron Ross. He did a tremendous job. He was a fixture among hockey fans in Portland for years and I wish him all the best. I want to just be Andy Kemper and develop my own style of adding to the broadcasts."
The Hawks' 2004-05 schedule is due out in early August. Fans will get to hear Kemper as he appears as a guest on the first "Hockey Update" fan call-in radio show set for 6-7 p.m. on Monday, September 20 on 970-AM KUPL.
USL First Division Stories from July 12, 2004
- Syracuse adds to Charleston's misery - Charleston Battery
- Winter Hawks Extend Play by Play Radio Contract and Name New Analyst - Portland Timbers
- Wave United Weekly - Milwaukee Wave United
- Richmond and Calgary in Town this Week - Toronto Lynx
- A-League Game Preview - Edmonton Aviators
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