Friday Q & A with Anaheim Ducks PA Announcer Phil Hulett

Anaheim Ducks fans know the voice. Whether you are at the Honda Center, watching on TV or listening on the radio, you can hear the very distinct Anaheim Ducks Goooaaalll! Today we meet the man behind the voice, Ducks public address announcer, Phil Hulett.

Q1) You’ve been the PA Voice of the Anaheim Ducks since 1996, what is your favorite moment from Ducks History that you called?

By far winning the Cup in 2007. The exact moment that is indelible on my mind is when, by chance, I snapped a photo of Teemu Selanne just as he let out a triumphant yell and skated forward with speed. Now, I am not a professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but as I moved the camera to match Selanne’s forward motion, I snapped the shot and captured what I can only describe as a magical moment in sports history.

Selanne frozen in that moment, and the fans in the background looking as if they are moving at 40 miles per hour. There are only two large format prints of this photo, both autographed by Selanne, 1 of 2 and 2 of 2. I have one, he has the other. I promised him it would stay that way and I would never sell. You will never see this photo unless of course, Selanne shows it to you!

Q2) What is your interaction like with the officials during the game

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My interaction with the on-ice officials is purely business. Sure there’s the occasional “hello,” or nod, or punch of the glass, but for me, there is no interface outside of the context of a game.

It’s different with the off-ice officials. I sit with them during the game as well as prior to the game in the press dining room. From time to time we gather for barbecues and the like. As such, we are friends.

Q3) How do the 2017-18 Ducks stack up with the ones from the past few seasons?

It is difficult to compare this team to those of previous seasons simply because of the ridiculous amount of injuries they’ve had this season. It’s been a struggle for sure. That said, as the regular season winds down, I think they have as good a chance as anyone to go deep into the post-season. And even though some teams may look more dominant than the Ducks right now, we’ve been there, done that. Each game is for winning, and when a single-minded Ducks team shows up to win, they are as good a team as you will ever see on the ice. I like their chances.

Q4) Can you tell us about a funny on-ice incident that people in the arena probably didn’t see that you still laugh about?

I’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating only because I was very surprised when it happened. While the Ducks were celebrating their Stanley Cup win in ’07 on the ice, one of the team’s rookies skated over to me with a question. It was Ryan Getzlaf. He asked if I could get the house DJ to play the Ducks “team song.”

I don’t know what I thought the boys listen to in the locker room to get pumped up for a game, but I certainly did not expect this. When I asked, “Which song is that?” Getzlaf said, “Glamorous” by Fergie. I told him I’d put in the request. We found it and we played it.

Bonus Question) You were also the PA Voice of the LA Kiss, what was it like working with the band?

Folks who know me are fully aware of my heavy metal pedigree. It was an honor to work with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. They are consummate professionals. Each in their own way, on a different day, complimented me in the middle of my in-game performance. Both times I was blown away by performers of their stature taking a moment to recognize what I do. Incidentally, working those LA Kiss games was about as much fun as a PA Announcer can have!

Phil is more than a hockey or sports guy. “My podcast, Phil Hulett and Friends is a variety talk show. We talk about everything EXCEPT politics. It’s available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and just about every outlet you can think of. When in doubt, visit http://philhulettandfriends.com“

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