She Shoots, She Scores an On-Air Gig

Cammi Granato blushed when the electronic scoreboard at the Great Western Forum announced to the world that it was her birthday last week. As captain of the U.S. women’s hockey team that won the gold medal in the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games and as present-day color commentator for the L.A. Kings, Granato has had her share of professional acclaim. But when the attention is personal, the preternaturally shy Granato would prefer to go unnoticed.

“Don’t tell anyone,” the 28-year-old pleaded with her assistant earlier in the evening. An hour later, there she was--amused if a little self-conscious about the fuss, timidly waving from her perch in the press box to well-wishers in attendance at the L.A. Kings-Dallas Stars game.

If Granato is a reluctant celebrity, it’s not because she is ungrateful, but because fame is a distraction. As the only female color commentator in the National Hockey League, still in her first season with the Kings on their flagship station KRLA-AM (1110), what Granato wants more than anything is to stay focused on the game.

“This is such a huge challenge,” she says of her new position off the ice. “If I wave off for one second, I’ll miss a play, and I just can’t let that happen. I have to focus on one game at a time, one broadcast at a time. Otherwise, it’s just overwhelming.”

It’s hard to imagine that Granato, the all-time leading scorer on the U.S. women’s national hockey team and in women’s international hockey, wrestles with her ability to concentrate. But being a commentator is not easy.

“I’ve had to toughen up,” Granato says of the slams made about her feminine voice. Of complaints that she was awkward on air, she is the first to agree.

“The thing with radio is that everyone gets to hear your mistakes. You have to swallow your pride and learn to live with what is sometimes embarrassing.”

Keeping her eye on the puck anesthetizes the longing for a welcome wagon that the media and some fans have yet to roll out.

“You are always going to have that faction out there where no matter how good a female is, there’s going to be resentment,” laments Nick Nickson, Granato’s mentor and the Kings’ play-by-play announcer. “I think we all realized that when she started. But you just have to play through it. There is no question that with Cammi’s personality and character, this is something she can excel at.”

Though it has been difficult, the petite and genial native of Maywood, Ill., realizes that what the Kings have given her is “the opportunity of a lifetime.” Not only does she have the chance to comment on the game, Granato, as part of her three-year contract with the organization, is allowed to continue playing the sport she loves. Granato and her team recently took the silver medal at the World Championships in Finland.

“Right now, I’m trying to figure out how to balance everything,” Granato says with a laugh. “Lacing up my skates is second nature for me. Learning to call color takes a lot of effort and time. I have to refocus my goals and keep going. It is nice to have gold attached to [my] name, but there is more to life than an Olympic medal.”