For Florida Panthers broadcasters Jessica Blaylock and Ed Jovanovski, game day is anything but a last-minute scramble. The Scripps Sports duo spends hours preparing before the cameras ever turn on. On days when the Panthers are playing at home, the preparation begins with morning skates. When the team is on the road, Blaylock and Jovanovski rely on broadcasters Katie Engleson, Steve Goldstein and Randy Mohler to provide updates and information from wherever the team is playing. The two prep individually before arriving at the studio, making their time on-site more focused.
"Once I get here, there's not really a ton to do. I'll order some food, hang out, and just kind of go through the game plan to set. Really, the most important thing is Jov and I going over the pre-game format with our producer," Blaylock said.
Once at the studio, the team works through the format for the night. "This is an overhaul. This is an A format we do get to set during the day. So I do have a general idea on topics. We will cover how the team has gone, who's gone, who's not gone. And then before you know it it's already six. Dang. And it's time to give the fans a pre-game show," Jovo said.
For Jovanovski, the path to the broadcast desk came after his playing career ended. The former Panthers player said he stepped away from the game before finding his way back through broadcasting. "When I retired, I take a couple of years off and like, okay, what am I doing in my life? Couldn't play golf every single day. Wanted to be around the game. And I think when I had the opportunity to kind of jump into broadcasting and be an analyst, I enjoyed it. And especially covering a team that I played for, and I got my initial start with in the National Hockey League. I thought it was pretty cool," Jovanovski said.
The success of the Panthers has made the job even more rewarding. Jovanovski said winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships added something extra to the experience. "I got two cup rings out of it. That was special," Jovanovski said.
But beyond the wins, both broadcasters say the people they work with are what make the job worthwhile. "I think that my favorite part of being in the studio, to borrow a quote from Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec, I get to hang in the studs’ with my dudes’. It just really does feel like an extended family, because we've all worked together for so many years, so it's all the little kind of like behind the scenes stuff that helps contribute to what makes the job so much fun," Blaylock said.
Jovanovski echoed that sentiment, pointing to the team behind the scenes. "I work with great people. Everyone that's in the back to kind of firing up everything and make sure everything goes smooth. To Jessica, who I worked with for seven years now.” Jovanovski said.
Once the game begins, the work does not stop. Blaylock and Jovanovski watch the action closely, taking notes throughout to prepare for intermission reports and the postgame show. When the final buzzer sounds, they cap off the night with a Panthers postgame show before signing off until the next game day.
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