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September 7, 2023 by Ryan Lotsberg
Wednesday was a monumental day for the Heavy Hockey Network and for Edmonton Sports Talk. Edmonton Sports Talk (@yegsportstalk) announced that the Heavy Hockey Network (@HeavyHockeyNet) will be a “Friend of EST”. Two Heavy Hockey Network podcasts, Oilerslive and Fantasy Hockey Hacks, will be available on Edmonton Sports Talk starting next week.
The Edmonton sports media landscape has undergone a seismic shift since TSN 1260 was unceremoniously shut down on June 14, 2023. Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260), Lieutenant Eric (@Lieutenant_Eric), Matthew Iwanyk (@matthewiwanyk), and Tom Gazzola (@TomGazzola) have banded together to form a brand new digital radio station called Edmonton Sports Talk that officially launched on Wednesday morning. This is the aim of the station according to their website:
“Edmonton Sports Talk aims to speak to and with the people of the community, sharing stories and insights into both the local Edmonton sports scene and beyond. Bringing a focus and light not only on the heavy-hitters but also teams and players that call Edmonton home.”
The station will feature live shows including The Nielson Show, The EST Hangout, The Lock Shop, The Oil Stream, 2 Guys and a Goalie, Hello Hockey, The VIP Golf Show, and the Pit Stop Pals. The content will be available at edmontonsportstalk.com. There are options to listen or watch live, and the shows will be available in podcast form to watch on demand.
“It’s 2023. Everything operates on your computer or your phone, so we figured that’s the best place for sports content to be” said Nielson while appearing on Oilerslive on August 22, 2023. “Canada in general, but specifically our market… I think we’re a little bit behind in how sports content is being consumed. I think this is an opportunity to take a step towards something where like ten years from now, we’ll be like ‘how did we ever consume sports content any other way?’”
Edmonton Sports Talk will also feature other local shows that they’re calling “Friends of EST”. The list includes the Achy Breaky Podcast, MCTV, The Elks Call, The Pipeline Show, and The Turf District. Heavy Hockey Network shows Oilerslive and Fantasy Hockey Hacks were added to the list on Wednesday.
“Edmonton Sports Talk, we’re hoping, will end up being a hub for, you know, all Edmonton sports podcasts and things along those lines. To me, it’s an opportunity to promote others and not feel like there’s this sort of greasy vibe of competition. I think that’s the way to build a community, and you know, there’s sort of four of us that are starting Edmonton Sports Talk, but in the end, you know, we’d love for people to feel like everybody sort of belongs and has a place there if you want to do sports broadcasting, or if you want to give it a try” said Nielson.
Oilerslive is a fan based podcast that is dedicated to covering the NHL and hockey around the globe with an Oilers lean. Michael Hebert (@oilserlive) released the first episode of Oilerslive on December 27, 2017. He launched the Heavy Hockey Network on October 4, 2021.
Hebert has done a lot to connect Oilers fans from all over the world and create a sense of community in the Oilers Twitterverse. Everyone here at the Heavy Hockey Network is a fan of the game and was brought on by Hebert because he saw value in what everyone could add to the team. Hebert has spearheaded five charity hockey games since starting his podcast. Last year’s Heavy Hockey Showdown, in conjunction with the Oilers Girl’s Night Out Event, raised over $25,000 for the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton. The next Heavy Hockey Showdown in support of SACE is scheduled to be held on February 25, 2024, so keep your eyes and ears open for information on that as it becomes available.
I’d be remiss in forgetting Oilerslive Associate Host (or whatever he’s calling himself these days) Dash (@dashinthepark) who did a lot of work behind the scenes to make this possible. He’s a vocal leader and a glue guy in the Heavy Hockey locker room. He regularly appears on Oilerslive, and he will be a part of another fun project for Heavy Hockey in the coming season. I’ve said too much already!
Fantasy Hockey Hacks is a weekly podcast that provides information to help fantasy hockey players get an edge such as projections, draft strategies, waiver wire targets, daily fantasy sports, and the latest news and injury reports. They also run their own blog with tons of helpful information. You can learn more about the Fantasy Hockey Hacks by checking out their website. Hosts Devon Davidson (@FHHacks), Bruce Guenther (@bruceguenther), John Ens (@ItsFoShoJohnnyE), and Tyler Hollman (@tai_chi67) released the first episode of the Fantasy Hockey Hacks on April 18, 2021. The group became a part of the Heavy Hockey Network on June 30, 2023.
Oilerslive will air on Edmonton Sports Talk at its regularly scheduled time of Tuesday nights at 9 pm MST, and Fantasy Hockey Hacks will air on Wednesday nights at 9 pm MST starting next week. The full schedule of Edmonton Sports Talk programming can be found on their website.
Wednesday marked the beginning of something that stands to be amazing. It’s exciting for the Heavy Hockey Network to be a part of Edmonton Sports Talk. Nielson and company are all tremendously talented at what they do, and they’re great guys as well. Giving back to the community is an important part of the culture at the Heavy Hockey Network, and that aligns with Edmonton Sports Talk’s vision. I’m looking forward to seeing both Edmonton Sports Talk and the Heavy Hockey Network grow in the coming years!
