Size doesn’t matter. Just ask Darren Pang, one of TNT’s Inside the Glass analysts for its coverage of the National Hockey league and also the St. Louis Blues. He was the second shortest goalie in league history standing just five foot five. But his weight was listed at 155 pounds.
“If we want to go on the all honesty side of this podcast, I still don’t weigh 155 pounds! I cheated in major junior A during the first weigh in,” Pang tells us in the show.
Pang weighed all of 128 pounds so he stuffed sand weights around his waist and ankles. But he never weighed more than 135 pounds during his 2 year career in the NHL. So why does size not matter? During his first full season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987 Pang finished second in rookie of the year voting! But along came the notorious Mike Keenan and Pang’s playing time was done.
So he ventured into the world of media running the Blackhawk’s hotline for a few years. Then came 1993. “I got a call to audition for ESPN and got the job to be an analyst. All my friend were still players in the NHL and it was a real nice transition because I got a lot of insights a lot of people didn’t since I just came out of a locker room.”
Now a days, Pang is flourishing with TNT and the Blues not only during games but on the set. And recently he offered his thoughts on the trade of sure fire hall of famer Patrick Kane from the Blackhawks to the New York Rangers.
“This has to be very difficult for Kane. He just didn’t look like he had that fire in the belly and I’m wondering if there’s anything left in the tank and low and behold the next two games he had 5 goals!”
Kane spent 16 seasons in Chicago winning three Stanley Cups amassing over 1,000 points while providing some incredible highlights.
Pang says he loves his role with TNT but he’s also considering another possible path.
“The thing I’d like to tackle after broadcasting is to join a team in some kind of management position and see how good I am and help them win a Stanley Cup.”
Darren Pang: short in size, tall in stature.
Hear the full conversation on “Tell me a story I don’t know” with George Ofman as part of the “Last Word on Sports Media” podcast feed by clicking below, And, make sure to follow or subscribe where ever you get podcasts and find us www.lastwordonsports.com/podcasts