As you watch the Golden Knights play on the ice in full amazement with the fast pace game, you may zoom in right by the ice and see Ashali Vise scribbling down notes and keeping tabs on the energy of the team behind the bench. Vise, the rinkside reporter takes pride in adding depth and elements to the team's television broadcast. Highlighting special moments involving the players and unveiling the curtain little by little every game are what make the games a can't-miss experience.
While Vise can be seen asking players questions on air during intermission, she didn’t start that way. She began by learning every single part of what makes a production work behind the scenes. Now, she continues to ask those questions and create moments for the viewers at home.
What was your journey like to be where you are today?
Ashali Vise: Fun is the first word I would use to explain the journey to get where I am today. It all started pretty much in college. I've always been a huge sports fan and someone who enjoyed talking about sports. It wasn't until college that I realized that it could be a career. I took every sports broadcasting class that the school offered, and started interning at a local news station, learning to shoot and edit videos myself, and then got an internship with another NHL team. They then hired me full time as a video producer and then slowly I started putting myself on camera just to get reps, and they were crazy enough to start using it by the end of my internship. I noticed that a rinkside reporter job was going to be open here with the Vegas Golden Knights. It was my dream job, so I reached out and went through the audition process and was lucky enough to land the job.
What did you learn while being a production assistant behind the scenes that you still carry on to this day?
Ashali Vise: I think it's super important to learn every aspect of journalism. It really helps you understand how important the roles are of every single person that's behind the camera, every single person that's in the production truck, every single director, technical director, producer, truly nothing happens without them.
Who do you look up to and why?
AV: Daren Millard has become such a big role model of mine, because I think that he's just so creative and such a good writer and just brings things. There's never a show that he does where it's a cookie cutter. So I really admire that. There's many, many more, but he's the first one that jump out at me. Daren is someone who I very much look up to. He's one of the best, if not the best in the business at his job. Everyone will give him a hard time around the office. He admittedly is an over-preparer, but that's what makes him as great as he is, and so I think, honestly, watching him and the way he goes about everything and the way he goes about his writing, even makes the show so entertaining.
What are your Road Trip essentials?
AV: Oh, gosh, road trip essentials. It’s about stuff that I have to make sure I get when I'm on the road. Like morning coffee is a non negotiable before morning skate. Our producer, videographer, and myself go and get coffee together every game day morning. That's our opportunity to not only get the caffeine for the morning, but to plan for the day. That's when I literally come to Tavis Strand, our producer, with a million ideas and questions, and he hasn't even had a morning coffee yet. I'm very much into sweets, so when I go to Canada, I need to get Canadian candy like Coffee Crisp and Cherry Blasters.
How would people closest to you describe Ashali Vise?
AV: Quirky. There's definetely a lot of things the people like to give me a hard time about. I worry about everything too much. I think people would like to describe me as positive as well. We always joke about Shane Hnidy is the grumpy one of the crew and I am always smiling. Even though he's a big teddy bear and not actually grumpy.
If you could have any superpower what would it be?
AV: Reading minds. Why not?
Favorite memory since being a part of the team?
AV: It is hard to beat the team winning the Stanley Cup. The best thing about the job we get to do is witness peoples dreams come true. There is nothing better then getting to see that. You get to know these athletes as people because that's what they are. It's hard to put into words how rewarding it is to see them living their dreams and sharing those stories as well.
What if your favorite thing about the city?
AV: It is beautiful here. I still love seeing the palm trees and the mountains while driving to work, I have to pinch myself that it is real. The city's support of the team is also just super special. It is a very tight-knit community.
Listen in to Vise's questions throughout the season on Vegas 34 and partner channels and on KnightTime+.
