Penguins Welcome a ‘Brand’ New Voice to the Radio Booth

When new Penguins radio play-by-play broadcaster Joe Brand was in town during the interview process, he grabbed dinner at a Chinese restaurant across the street from PPG Paints Arena.

While ordering at the counter, Brand noticed two Mike Lange bobbleheads behind the cash register. Brand thought that might be a good sign, especially since the Chicago-area native used to cut the Hall of Famer’s legendary calls while working as a producer on Blackhawks postgame shows.

Turns out that it was, as Brand landed a dream role, one he’s been working toward for a long time.

“Phil Bourque gave me a call right after I got the gig and the first thing he said was, ‘welcome to the show, kid,’” said Brand, taking over for Steve Mears, now the TV play-by-play voice for the Columbus Blue Jackets. “That was just really cool. I mean, you kind of wait your whole life for a call like that… the fact that it's all actually happening now is still almost too good to be true. It doesn't feel real. Just a dream come true, for sure.”

Brand has wanted to be in a booth since he was 10 years old, with his wife Ally posting a sweet home video from Joe’s childhood of him “calling” a Cubs game on social media. He’s always loved sports, but “I was never good at them,” the 33-year-old said with a smile. “This was the best way to feel involved in the game without actually being in the game.”

Brand found himself looking up to broadcasters like John Wiedeman (Blackhawks radio), Pat Foley (Blackhawks TV), Pat Hughes (Cubs radio), Len Kasper (currently White Sox radio, formerly Cubs TV), and Jeff Joniak (Bears radio) for how they reacted in real time and nailed big moments. Though at first, Brand didn’t realize there were typically separate announcers for radio and TV until he listened to the remainder of a Cubs game with his dad in their garage after watching the first few innings indoors.

Brand loves that they’re two completely different mediums, and became a student of both while attending Illinois State University, starting to call games his freshman year. “That desire, that passion, never really died. Now, I can't believe I get to do it on a daily basis for a team and a fanbase as strong as the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Brand said.

Brand worked incredibly hard over the last decade-plus to be ready for his opportunity when it came. Despite his young age, Brand has compiled a wealth of experience calling hockey, baseball, football, basketball, and other sports at both the professional and collegiate level, along with working as a sports intern, reporter/anchor, director, and producer. He’s spent the past three seasons with the Blackhawks as their studio host and fill-in play-by-play broadcaster on WGN Radio 720 AM.

Now, as the radio play-by-play voice of the Penguins Radio Network, Brand is thrilled that he’ll be covering a team that features Sidney Crosby as its captain. “I just feel so lucky and so honored to be a part of all this,” Brand said. “I understand how prestigious of a role this is.”

Brand’s approach to the job will center around trying to match the intensity of the game with the tenacity of his voice, “because there's a different feeling when it's a one-goal game versus a five-goal game,” he said. “I'm not going to sugarcoat things when things aren't great, but I'm definitely going to give the fans what they deserve when it's a tight game and we're down to the final seconds heading to overtime or in overtime.

“I like to be the bridge from the game to the fans, and try to create that illusion that they're actually in there. If it’s a bit of a dull game, I would love to lean on (my partner) and get some talking points and have a conversation, because I feel like the people tuned in at that point are looking for that. They're not waiting to hear a four-goal comeback. They just want to be entertained or informed about what's happening with the team. I'm very grateful that I get to kind of be the traffic cop in that regard.”

Brand will be primarily joined by Bourque, longtime color analyst and two-time Stanley Cup Champion. As he’s started to become acquainted with the Ol' 29er, Brand has a huge appreciation for his authenticity.

“You know what you're going to get, and that's awesome,” Brand said. “That's kind of how I try to present myself. In this business, you are kind of on stage – so there's a part of you that feels like you’ve got to break away from your personality a bit, but you never want to do it too much. I think he’s a perfect example of how to do that in a positive, authentic way, just being himself. He just has a way of making you feel comfortable even though you only met him 20 minutes ago. I’ve felt right at ease. The fact that he's so experienced doing this helps out a ton, too. I feel like I can lean on him as much as I need to.”

Brand is grateful for how welcoming Bourque and the rest of the organization have been, particularly President of Business Operations Kevin Acklin and Chief Communications Officer Jen Bullano Ridgley. He also appreciates the outpouring of support, with fans and colleagues in Chicago calling Brand a home-run hire for the Penguins. While he'll miss the town he grew up in, Joe and Ally – along with their one-eyed cat named Plankton, a COVID adoption – are eager to get to Pittsburgh and start settling into their new home.

“I don't know a lot about Pittsburgh, but every time I bring it up, people only have fantastic things to say about it,” Brand said. “I'm kind of enthralled that it's going to be someplace I get to completely learn from scratch. I'm excited to try everything and do everything. Everyone has been so gracious with helping out with getting acclimated and finding out where to live. I just can't wait to check out everything. I want to soak it all in. My wife and I are excited to live in the city and just kind of embrace it all and turn this page to the new chapter. I'm just very eager and excited for it all.”