After six years as the play by play announcer of the Brandon Wheat Kings Branden Crowe has taken on a new job doing communications work with Hockey Canada.

Crowe,who grew up in Boissevain, joined the Wheat Kings as the Play-by-Play Broadcaster following the 2016 WHL Championship season. After calling the 2021 Subway Cup Championship season in Regina, he accepted a full time role in the Wheat Kings front office as the club’s Director of Strategic Marketing and Social Sales.

His last broadcast was on Saturday night.

“I got the offer from Hockey Canada to be communication coordinator and it’s pretty broad. I’ll be doing work for both the men’s and women's national teams and all of the events that Hockey Canada hosts whether that be the Esso Cup for the u18 girls of the world juniors and everything in between. It’s a pretty cool opportunity.”

Crowe was in a broadcast booth for 13 years and says it will be hard to step away from the microphone. However he isn’t closing that door forever.

“I’m hoping that through the next couple of years with Hockey Canada I can make some new connections and if an opportunity arises to get back into a radio or television booth I’ll certainly consider taking it.”

Branden Crowe called the Wheat King job his dream job and enjoyed his time with the team. Although the start to his six year run in the booth was less than smooth.

“My first two weekends on the job we had a game canceled half way through because of fog and the following weekend I had to call a game on my phone because we lost internet service. Right from those first two games to the two months I spent in a hotel in isolation in Regina to seasons being canceled and players missing due to mumps. These were situations you just had to adjust and even laugh about it.”

Crowe says when you look back at the past six years in the team’s history you wont find any other time with so many obstacles and challenges including the pandemic.

“It was sometimes a hard pill to swallow but in the end it made all of us a little bit more appreciative of what we were doing every day.”

Branden Crowe says he’s still involved with hockey but just working with a different team. “The one thing I’m taking away is that I’m not working a 68 or 70 game schedule anymore which I think will help me be around home more and not quite as busy. I’d like to get to a point where a Friday night means the same to me as it does to most other people.

“This was a job opportunity I couldn’t turn down. I keep a job and still stay involved in the game”

“I’ll be back behind a microphone as I’m doing some work at the Telus Cup regional event in Virden later this month. I’ll be doing public address work for night games and into the semi-finals and finals. I’m excited to watch the SW Cougars and hope to see some good local hockey here in Virden” said Branden Crowe.