EP 69: The Voices Behind The Game

The 2020 hockey season was like no other – and the Tampa Bay Lightning ended it as the Stanley Cup winners! But what was the road to the championship really like for the team during this global pandemic? Brian Breseman, Senior Director of Broadcasting, Programming, and Communications for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and US Air Force Retired TSgt Sonya Bryson-Kirksey, the team’s anthem singer, are "On The Record With Sarina Fazan," sharing their experiences during the unprecedented 2020 season and their hopes for this year. And, just like TSgt Sonya Bryson-Kirksey kicks off home games with the national anthem, she begins this podcast with a beautiful rendition of "America The Beautiful” – live from Red House Streaming studios at CP Communications!

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 National Hockey League (NHL) season was certainly like no other – and the road to the finals was hard fought. After a delay in the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning spent more than two months in the NHL’s bubble in Toronto, a secure zone where the team was sequestered and tested daily for COVID-19. TSgt Sonya Bryson-Kirksey couldn’t even join them for games – instead, her voice was brought into the bubble through recorded versions of the U.S. and Canadian national anthems. Playing in an empty arena, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars to win the 2020 Stanley Cup!

And the NHL was the last of the four major U.S. sports to return to a non-bubble regular season. Due to concerns about rising COVID-19 cases in Central Florida at the start of this year, the defending Stanley Cup Champions made the decision to hold the first 10 games of the 2021 season without fans in the stands. On March 13th, fans were welcomed back to Amalie Arena in Tampa under new health and safety guidelines (www.AmalieArena.com/plan-your-visit/fansafetyguidelines) and at limited capacity. Now, the Tampa Bay Lightning is heading into the longest home stand of the season, taking place from April 15th to April 25th with six games, to the delight of fans, including Sarina and her daughter Sammi!

Learn more about the Tampa Bay Lightning: www.NHL.com/lightning

Learn more about TSgt Sonya Bryson-Kirksey, the Lightning’s national anthem singer, and her new Sonni Reading Project: www.NHL.com/lightning/news/color-of-hockey-tampa-bay-lightning-anthem-singer/c-323197964

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To request a transcript of this podcast, please email info@sarinafazan.tv.