DES MOINES- Joe O’Donnell’s radio broadcasting journey started more than two decades ago, when his on-ice career ended like most do. He quickly went to work to figure out how to stay around the game through radio. After college, he found his way to a full-time play-by-play job in the ECHL. He’d eventually land with the Houston Aeros, the Minnesota AHL affiliate that eventually moved to Des Moines where O’Donnell currently takes to the airwaves. It’s been a long journey, and his job isn’t just radio.
Among many hats he wears, O’Donnell helps with player transactions. November of 2019, after all of the moves he’s helped players make, O’Donnell got to make one for him self. He got the call to make the call for four Minnesota Wild games. He got a taste of his dream, to one day be a full-time play-by-play broadcaster in the NHL. Local 5 Sports Director, Jon Schaeffer, has his story.