James Cybulski鈥檚 voice can be heard in basements and bedrooms of hockey fans around the world, and he still can鈥檛 quite believe he鈥檚 in his third year of being the play-by-play guy of EA Sports鈥� 鈥淣HL鈥� video game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a total dream come true,鈥� the Delta-based broadcaster said with the kind of enthusiasm he brings to the popular game.
The latest edition, was released in mid-October with Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews on the box cover 鈥� again, for the second time since 2020.
鈥淚鈥檇 say you aren鈥檛 the only one saying, 鈥榃hat, AGAIN?! He was on the cover just two years ago!鈥� Cybulski said with a laugh, in a phone call.
鈥淢y vote for Ryan Reaves was clearly ignored,鈥� he deadpanned on Instagram back in August.
The video game offers 鈥渁 huge leap forward in graphics鈥� and the arrival of Superstar X-Factors, which 鈥渦nlocks the unique skills of the league鈥檚 most elite players,鈥� raves . 鈥淭his is breakthrough hockey.鈥�
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EA鈥檚 NHL title has been part of Cybulski鈥檚 life for more than a quarter-century, starting in his old Ottawa 鈥榟ood.
鈥淚 played the game as a kid, in the early- to mid-鈥�90s,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚 played 鈥楴HL 94鈥� on my Sega Genesis (game system), then evolved to playing on the PC around 鈥楴HL 98,鈥� then converted myself to become a PlayStation guy. It鈥檚 funny, I鈥檝e always been an NHL video game guy, whether it鈥檚 playing as a teenager, or you know, playing in the my 20s and then even into my 30s, coming home after having way too many with my buddies and than trash-talking. You know, 鈥極K, let鈥檚 turn on the (game system) and let鈥檚 go, let鈥檚 settle this!鈥欌��
The game graphics have come a long way since those early days, of course 鈥� and so has Cybulski.
He stick-handled his way into sports broadcasting and show hosting for TV and radio outlets over the past couple of decades, both here and in Toronto, and recently landed a job calling games for the AHL鈥檚 Abbotsford Canucks.
Turns out, being a play-by-play broadcaster was Cybulski鈥檚 desire all along.
鈥淭he whole reason I wanted to get into the (broadcasting) business was to be a play-by-play guy, that was always the dream,鈥� he explained. 鈥淥ut of school, I had a chance to call Ottawa 67s games, on the radio for awhile. The whole time through high school, I volunteered at community television while going to school and working, for about six years there.
鈥淚 did it to get my reps, and any opportunity that presented itself, I would do,鈥� Cybulski added. 鈥淚 called ringette championships, university football games, basketball, karate tournaments, a pre-Olympic boxing tournament in 1992. I did minor hockey games, touch football, lacrosse games 鈥� a whole bunch of different sports, and I was young, all between the age of 17 and 23, in Ottawa, growing up.鈥�
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Three years ago, Cybulski auditioned for EA three times and ultimately got the gig as voice of the company鈥檚 鈥淣HL鈥� game.
鈥淚t was honestly the most amazing moment,鈥� he said. 鈥淭om, I鈥檝e been honoured to do some pretty cool, amazing things in my career, experiences and opportunities in my life, but man, this opportunity to be the voice of a video game franchise I grew up playing, so iconic, it鈥檚 just amazing to me.鈥�
He follows in the footsteps of some broadcasting 鈥渓egends,鈥� including Jim Hughson, Gary Thorne and Mike 鈥淒oc鈥� Emrick.
鈥淎nd then it鈥檚 like, 鈥榃hat the hell鈥檚 Cybulski doing here?鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淏ut the feedback has been really good, very positive. It鈥檚 a lot of fun, but a lot of work, too.鈥�
Cybulski鈥檚 voice work for the latest game was all done at his Tsawwassen home, due to the pandemic. Basically, he cleared out a bunch of kids鈥� toys and covered the office walls with foam.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I scream and shout a lot,鈥� he noted.
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PICTURED: Broadcaster James Cybulski at his Delta home with a framed copy of the 鈥淣HL 22鈥� video game autographed by Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews, who is on the box cover. (submitted photo)
His contract with EA calls for up to 300 hours of voice work annually, which translates to a couple days a week, usually four-hour sessions, adding content where needed.
鈥淥ne day it might be a 鈥榩hone book,鈥� as they call it, which is essentially going through name after name. Not long ago there was a day where we added close to a thousand names to the game, and it鈥檚 making sure you have, A, the right pronunciation, and B, the consistency in energy level,鈥� Cybulski explained.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e going, 鈥楶asses the puck to Singh, passes the puck to Jones, passes the puck to Zillich,鈥� you know, you want to make sure your energy level is the same all the way through, so that it doesn鈥檛 sound like a 1990s version of movie phone, that old automated voice 鈥� 鈥�Please press 1.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 maintaining the baseline of energy to be consistent,鈥� he continued. 鈥淪o we do those, and one day it might be rattling off names, another day might be all goal calls. All those situational plays in hockey that are so common that you don鈥檛 even think about, we do all those 鈥� entering the offensive zone, gaining the line, but saying that 10 different ways without sounding the exact same. You can be a little cheeky sometimes while also being mindful to stay consistent with the traditional broadcast. We can kind of pick our spots to have some fun, too.鈥�
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WHAT A MOMENT!
鈥� Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks)
Justin Bailey's 100th career AHL goal and the first home goal in the history of the . on the call 馃帣锔�
Cybulski鈥檚 game call isn鈥檛 for everyone, and he knows that. He brings an energy some find too over-the-top,
鈥淚 think broadcasting is subjective, right, and for a broadcaster, you鈥檙e providing that soundtrack for people,鈥� he suggested. 鈥淵ou know, some people like something more subtle, but for me, personally, I鈥檝e always been drawn to the energy. To me, from a broadcasting standpoint, I鈥檓 kind of a salesman, I鈥檓 selling an event.
鈥淲hen I look at it from an NHL video game standpoint, I want it to be exciting because quite frankly, it鈥檚 the biggest thing in your life at that very moment, your focus. So I want people to feel like it鈥檚 the biggest game of their lives, in that world, in that moment. That鈥檚 the approach I go for, to have that feeling of it being the biggest game. It鈥檚 about being entertained.鈥�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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