Paul Hendrick Appreciation Thread (no longer covering Leafs)

[member 300185]

His was the only the only voice I could recognize in the scrum. A king amongst idiots.

 

[hockeywiz542]

‘It was an emotional decision’: Paul Hendrick on leaving Leafs Nation Network – The Athletic

“It was an emotional decision,” he said in an interview a few hours later. “But my iPad and phone have been dinging consistently for a couple of hours now.”

Hendrick has been with the channel from its earliest days, from when it carried live games and marathon pregame shows to its evolution into the digital media space. He broadcast from morning practice, from postgame scrums and from everywhere in between.

Part of his decision was borne from a need to slow down. His wife, Dr. Alicia Sarabia, has been living with cancer. She is an infectious diseases specialist, and in a normal world, Hendrick said she would be busy in her field right now, while he followed a young team into a playoff run.

Except, there was a recurrence in September.

“She’s worked so hard to endure all these challenges, and is doing well,” Hendrick said on Wednesday. “We want to take advantage of this time together.”

He covered the Leafs in March and initially hoped to wrap up the season on the beat. He was hoping to sign a six-month contract with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.

“But logistically, it wasn’t a good fit for MLSE,” he said. “They’ve got a business to run, and a network to run. And so we mutually agreed to part company and go our separate ways — with heavy heart on both sides, because it’s not an easy thing to do.”

 

[Cleetus]

gonna miss Henny, he had that kind of voice that made everything seem ok, even if a building was on fire lol

 

[meefer]

A fitting tribute before it's time.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

I still recall when he upset Raycroft after Raycroft tied or beat his wins from the previous season(cant remember the context exactly). It was such a softball and Raycroft absolutely whiffed on it and acted like a little sulky baby.

 

[BertCorbeau]

‘It was an emotional decision’: Paul Hendrick on leaving Leafs Nation Network – The Athletic

“It was an emotional decision,” he said in an interview a few hours later. “But my iPad and phone have been dinging consistently for a couple of hours now.”

Hendrick has been with the channel from its earliest days, from when it carried live games and marathon pregame shows to its evolution into the digital media space. He broadcast from morning practice, from postgame scrums and from everywhere in between.

Part of his decision was borne from a need to slow down. His wife, Dr. Alicia Sarabia, has been living with cancer. She is an infectious diseases specialist, and in a normal world, Hendrick said she would be busy in her field right now, while he followed a young team into a playoff run.

Except, there was a recurrence in September.

“She’s worked so hard to endure all these challenges, and is doing well,” Hendrick said on Wednesday. “We want to take advantage of this time together.”

He covered the Leafs in March and initially hoped to wrap up the season on the beat. He was hoping to sign a six-month contract with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.

“But logistically, it wasn’t a good fit for MLSE,” he said. “They’ve got a business to run, and a network to run. And so we mutually agreed to part company and go our separate ways — with heavy heart on both sides, because it’s not an easy thing to do.”

Didn't know about his wife, that's awful. f***ing cancer.

All the best Paul.

 

[meefer]

Catching up on the Leafs Report, Mirtle and Seagle with the Athletic, a podcast from Dec 10, with Paul as the guest. Just such a nice person, the world needs more like him. The Leaf Report: The first question with legendary Leafs rink side host Paul Hendrick - The Athletic

 

[Superstar]

Who's Henny's replacement? Steve Simmons?

 

[Leaf Fans]

Who's Henny's replacement? Steve Simmons?

I am confident the would prefer someone who is a journalist.

 

[justashadowof]

I hope this was a decision on his part. He did everything he was supposed to do. I like that he asked transparently leading questions so that media scrums weren't entirely confrontational. Frankly, softball questions are the ones that get answered not the "gotcha" questions.

 

[Menzinger]

I hope this was a decision on his part. He did everything he was supposed to do. I like that he asked transparently leading questions so that media scrums weren't entirely confrontational. Frankly, softball questions are the ones that get answered not the "gotcha" questions.

It was. His wife has been dealing with health issues and he didn't want to be on the road with the team for several months every year.

Hes got a podcast now that id recommend checking out. He also recently did a guest spot on Mirtle's Leafs Report podcast, and it was great to hear him talk hockey again.

Always liked the gjy

 

[fahad203]

I was not a fan. Always seem to over simply plays and situations. Especially with his interviews. He never asked the tough questions just always the obvious ones. Too much on the fence

wish him the best