Fans who listen to Vegas Golden Knights radio broadcasts are familiar with how Dan D'Uva paints a picture with his description of the game.
Originally from New Jersey, the radio play-by-play announcer for the Golden Knights is living out his childhood dream while passing his tips and knowledge down to the next generations of broadcasters. At the same time, bringing his passion into the booth and outward to all fans.
What was your journey like to where you are today?
Dan D’Uva: I knew that sports broadcasting was a future for me when I was probably about 11 or 12 years old and listening to announcers in all the sports in New York City. I loved sports and had a propensity for storytelling. In high school, we were broadcasting everything from football to hockey, and lacrosse. You name it. My friend Guy Benson and I did everything. It turned into a big thing. I went to school in Syracuse and during that time my friend Benson and I decided to announce the Cape Cod Baseball League. We did the games together for four years there, while we were in school. After college, I was looking for my first full time job, and the New Jersey Devils had an opening in the ECHL, so I applied and got the job. I then spent five years in the AHL with Syracuse Crunch, then eventually I landed with the Vegas Golden Knights to be a part of the first broadcast team.
What was the biggest lesson that you learned?
Dan D’Uva: It's what you put into the experience that makes it worthwhile. I feel that was always in my DNA, but to have it crystallized in those words from a mentor of mine, Ian Eagle, helped me channel and focus on what I wanted to do, sometimes to the detriment of other aspects of my life. When you start something, you care so much about its success and lessons that you learned, and you like to pay it forward to people, and I'm still so much involved in mentoring young broadcasters because of what a lot of those people had done for me early in my career.
What qualities do you think make a great radio announcer?
DD: I think the number one item to remember is that we are first and foremost reporters. People want to know what's happening, not to hear me. I strive to be objective, accurate, and fair. My opinions are secondary to the facts. No one wants to be told what to think; they want the facts to reach their own conclusions. I always strive to paint a picture accurately, fairly, and objectively, capturing the excitement and drama. I believe in recognizing achievement, even of the other team. Simple advice is to just be real. I like the Golden Knights, but I won't diminish other teams; trust is crucial. I try to avoid labeling plays as good or bad and instead show what makes them so. I strive for accuracy and objectivity, avoiding personal feelings in the broadcast. If I can trust an announcer, I believe they can be excellent.
What have been some of your favorite memories throughout your entire time here?
DD: One of my favorite memories was the first home regular season game in Golden Knights history. After the tragedy of 1 October, we had this home game where we had not only a hockey game and the launch of major league sports in Las Vegas to cover but also to honor the memory of the people who died, and the service of the people who responded. It was about how to celebrate what was happening that people were looking forward to while at the same time remembering those people. It was just a cathartic community formation right then and there that has sustained this franchise now for seven going on eight years. And while they have since won a championship, "A devotion to destiny. Misfits to champions. The Vegas Golden Knights, win the Stanley Cup in 2023" - I'll always be very proud of that. Always be very proud of the first Stanley Cup final game in 2018 which was a thrilling game, maybe the best single game in all of our years. I hope that there are many others, but for now, it's the best one.
What is a fun fact about you that people may not know?
DD: I have a 1993 Nissan 300 ZX. I've owned three cars in my life, and two of the three I still own. I love to travel, traveling with sports. I'm a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, when you're born in New Jersey, it's like in your DNA. I love history and reading. I love the art of storytelling.
What are your go-to travel essentials?
DD: Card stock is number one. Before a game I will tweet a photo of the view from the booth, which includes my charts, roster cards, one for each team. It's numerical, with notes on every player. And then there are two other cards. One is a lineup card that has the lines for both teams. And then there's a scorecard that I fill in during the game. So those four things. With that I need to make sure I always have cardstock, chapstick, white out, and pens always with me.
What is your favorite restaurant?
DD: Oh Ferraro’s Ristorante without a doubt. When people come to visit, it's more than likely that's where I'm going.
What are you most looking forward to for this upcoming season?
DD: I look forward to continuing being a part of this group. We talk about hockey, music, other sports, and poking fun at each other, sharing stories, sharing meals. I really love how we get down to business, and there's nothing quite like working with other people who care as much about the product as you do. That's number one. Number two is being around so many other people, players, coaches, fans, because everybody has a story. Every game is new, and the outcome is always different. I love being surprised and I am looking forward to seeing what surprises are in this upcoming season.
Stay up to date with Dan D’Uva and listen in to his calls throughout the season on Fox Sports Las Vegas 98.9 FM/1340 AM.
