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02/06/2023 09:55 AMWhen East Haven sophomore and boys’ ice hockey color commentator Nick Vocatura was calling a game, and Yellowjackets senior forward Joey Vocatura got physical with an opposing player, Nick said he knew just what to say.
“I said, ‘I know a lot about that anger,’ “ Nick said, followed by a laugh.
Nick has been up in the press box calling his big brother Joey’s hockey games all season this year. Despite the fact that Joey has been playing hockey for a long time, his senior season, in particular, is even more special than usual because of the relationship the two have with each other.
“We’ve always been close, and he’s always come to my games when I was younger,” Joey said. “We’ve always been really close with each other.”
Not only does Nick feel honored to get to call his brother’s games from the press box, but other people around the hockey team have noticed how close the two brothers are, too. Yellowjackets Head Coach Lou Pane said even though the brothers already get along exceptionally well, hockey has made their bond even tighter.
“It puts them on the same page with hockey,” Pane said. “They’re both performing during the games, one in the media and one on the ice.”
Nick performed in media for East Haven hockey as a freshman, too, from behind the scenes. In his freshman year, Nick said he wanted to join a club at the school and chose the Media Club. He said he’s always enjoyed attending Joey’s hockey games, and Media Club provided him the opportunity to have a press booth seat at his big brother’s games. After filming games last season, he stepped from behind the camera to in front of the microphone.
“Last year, I was filming the games, and then it progressed into me announcing because the person that runs it, Robert Becker, had the idea of me announcing the games, and I started doing that,” Nick said. “I started in the scrimmages, and it progressed to real games and livestreamed games.”
Nick credits Becker with helping to acclimate him to the media space. He said around East Haven, Becker is revered.
“The press box we film in is dedicated to him,” Nick said. “Which shows the kind of impact he’s left on the school community and the hockey community.”
Nick also added that after Becker got him set up in the booth with longtime East Haven hockey commentator Mike Amento, the thought of calling his brother’s senior season games, contests that his high school peers would hear, was a daunting one. However, despite the task of being a color commentator for the first time, Nick said he locked in and focused on calling a great game.
“I knew being nervous would be my downfall; my voice would sound shaky, I might miss calls,” Nick said. “So I just tried to envision myself broadcasting the game normally, not talking to anyone, thinking no one is going to watch the video, and just observing what I see in the game.”
Nick’s calm, poised approach is not dissimilar from his brother’s demeanor on the ice, according to Pane. Pane said Joey has been dependable and a leader for his Yellowjackets group.
“He brings leadership through his hard work,” Pane said. “No matter what the situation, whether it’s practice or the games.”
Joey can’t hear what his brother is saying while he’s playing, but after a contest in which his hard work was rewarded with him scoring a goal, he found out his little brother gave him a shoutout.
“I scored, and he said, ‘that’s my brother,’ “ Joey said.
Nick says he remembers that call, and Amento admires Nick for having displayed wit and the ability to keep the games fun, lobbing in a joke or interesting observation.
“He picks up on things that, if I’m doing play-by-play, I don’t see,” Amento said. “For a young kid, he’s got a wit about him, and he’s not shy. I think that’s important starting out; he’s not afraid to crack a joke, that’s for sure.”
Amento said Nick has impressed thus far and transitioned well to the color commentator role. He said Nick’s wit was on full display when some routine pushing and shoving transpired between the Yellowjackets and an opposing team, just in front of the East Haven cheerleaders.
“(Nick) said, ‘I don’t know if he was trying to impress the girls or what he was trying to do,’ “ Amento said. “It was like, (Nick) gets it. It wasn’t offensive or over the top, but he gets the situation and that it doesn’t have to be serious all the time.”
Although Nick has shown he can stick with the fast-paced action of varsity hockey while staying loose and keeping the broadcast light, he has developed a real appreciation for broadcast journalism.
“I love the objective standpoint of it, to see what’s actually happening in the game, and the objective breakdown of the game,” Nick said. “I love to see the game observed and delved deep into.”
Joey said he’s also developed a deeper appreciation for what commentators do, with his brother calling some of the last games he’ll play in a Yellowjacket sweater.
“It’s nice seeing him at my games and announcing them for my senior year playing hockey,” Joey said.
Once the teams hit the ice and the puck drops, Joey and Nick are separated by the glass and rows of bleachers. However, despite younger brother Nick spending his time in the booth while Joey plays, Nick said the two are inseparable.
“I feel really honored to be able to announce his games,” Nick said. “It’s his last year doing something that he enjoys a lot, and it means a lot to him. I value that, and it helps our bond become even stronger because I’m learning a lot about what he does and breaking it all down. I know exactly how his team operates, and I know exactly what kind of player he is and what he does. I had never really thought about it until now, but I know a lot more about something he really loves doing.”