When it comes to broadcasters who don’t take themselves too seriously, there are few with a more apparent sense of humor than Randy Moller.
But during an interview with WQAM’s Hochman and Crowder, the play-by-play voice for the Florida Panthers found himself caught off-guard as the show’s hosts tried to pull a fast one on him.
During a discussion regarding the Panthers’ ongoing postseason run, Marc Hochman noted that star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, which is presented annually to the NHL’s top goaltender. Only Hochman didn’t use the proper pronunciation of “Vez-na,” opting instead for the less accurate “Vaz-eye-na.”
“The what?” Moller replied incredulously.
“It’s the Vaz-eye-na,” Channing Crowded responded fighting through laughter.
“The Vezina? OK,” Moller said.
Hochman and Crowder attempted to keep the bit going, but neither host could contain their laughter.
“We said that we were going to do that to you,” Hochman said. “He’s won the Vaz-eye-na twice, correct?”
“Correct. And the Vezina twice as well,” Moller responded. “Nobody butchers the English language more than I do, but I’ve never done that one.”
“That was the exact reaction we were looking for,” Hochman said.
“Dead air?” Moller replied. “That’s the best content you guys have is dead air.”
The reaction we got from Florida Panthers broadcaster Randy Moller on our mispronunciation of the Vezina award was absolutely perfect. #TimeToHunt #NHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/eRVverOOmv
— Marc Hochman (@MarcHochman) May 1, 2024
For longtime listeners of Miami sports talk radio, this was classic Hochman, who previously made a habit of calling into other sports stations as his alter ego, Marc Hackman. And in this particular instance, he had a willing partner to play off of, as Moller has never had any issue working his own humor into broadcasts.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.