Mike Maniscalco will handle play-by-play duties for all games, and former professional goaltender Tripp Tracy, who is in his 22nd season in the broadcast booth, will provide analysis. Abby Labar will serve as reporter as well as the host of the network's pre- and post-game flagship show, Hurricanes LIVE, and former Hurricanes player Shane Willis will continue to serve as an analyst for the show.
"Mike is a popular figure with our fanbase and was given an opportunity to earn this role in the postseason," said Waddell. "He stepped up in a tough situation, calling the qualifying and first-round games off a screen and did an excellent job. Likewise, Abby acquitted herself admirably as host for the playoff games and is ready to take this next step and join the game broadcasts permanently.
"They both have terrific chemistry with Tripp and we are confident in their abilities to continue to make the games entertaining for our fans."
Maniscalco is entering his fifth season with the Hurricanes after serving as reporter on FOX Sports Carolinas and the team's web host for the previous four years. The Buffalo native has nearly 25 years of on-air experience and has covered the Hurricanes since 2007, when he began hosting the popular pre- and post-game shows on the team's flagship radio partner, 99.9 The Fan. Prior to arriving in North Carolina, Maniscalco served as the afternoon drive show host at WRNL in Richmond, Va. from 2001-2007. A 1997 graduate of Buffalo State College, he began his broadcasting career at WGR 550 in Buffalo, serving as an on-air host and assistant production director from 1996-2001.
Labar is in her fourth season with the Hurricanes, after first joining the organization as in-game host in 2017. In addition to hosting the team's pre- and post-game shows on FOX Sports Carolinas during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Labar has gained on-air experience covering ACC football for FOX Sports South and regional sports networks nationwide. Prior to joining the Hurricanes, the Denver, N.C., native served as digital media reporter for PackPride, a syndicated publication of 24/7 Sports focused on NC State athletics. A 2017 graduate of NC State, Labar worked as an intern in the Wolfpack athletic department as an undergrad, as well as covering baseball in the Coastal Plain League and serving as the inaugural Jim Connors Memorial Intern at Spectrum News.
FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports Tennessee and FOX Sports Southeast are Sinclair-owned Regional Sports Networks. They form the largest RSN in the United States, delivering coverage to more states than any other RSN, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. As rightsholders for the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Dream, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta United, Carolina Hurricanes, Charlotte Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies, Nashville Predators, and Atlantic Coast Conference, the networks produce 750+ live events while televising 2600+ live events and studio shows annually. The content can also be streamed on FOX Sports GO, currently available on mobile and tablet devices, including iOS and Android, as well as
foxsportsgo.com
.
