A familiar voice to many across Western Canada is in Prince Albert this week to call the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Group B Qualifier.
Peter Loubardias has been no stranger to the big stage and the bright lights during his broadcasting career. He has served in a play-by-play and color commentary role with the NHL’s Calgary Flames and called a variety of big moments in other sports throughout his career.
When asked about some of his favorite memories behind the mic, Loubardias says there are plenty of candidates that are memorable for their own reasons.
“There’s been lots and every time I get to do something like this, it’s really important to me and really special for me. Growing up in Saskatoon, I fell in love with the Saskatoon Blades and the Western Hockey League at a very early age. I was lucky enough to do eight Memorial Cups. I watched every single Memorial Cup final from 1974 onwards. To have an opportunity to call that tournament and do it eight times certainly is incredible.”
“I was lucky enough to call eight games at the Winter Olympics in Men’s Hockey in 2010, albeit it wasn’t any of the Canadian games. That was stuff you dream about, you never really think when you start in Estevan, Saskatchewan that’s going to happen for you. Any other time I get to call Team Canada playing in any team sport, that to me is right there as well.”
Six teams from across the world have made their way to Prince Albert for the Group B qualifier, with the top two teams advancing to the 2025 WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup, which is also being hosted in Prince Albert.
Loubardias says he has always been a softball fan for many years and he has called some major events for the sport in the past.
“I love the game. I grew up around the game and (I was) involved in the game growing up. Softball has always been really special to me. I’ve called a number of events over the years, the 2009 Men’s Worlds. I called the 2019 Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Surrey, British Columbia. You start to make some contacts with people and it’s really been my hope and want to be involved in as many of these types of events as possible. I was lucky enough through the WBSC to get this particular assignment.”
Although Loubardias is most well known for his play-by-play of hockey games, he says calling softball presents a new challenge as a broadcaster.
“They’re really different. Preparation for me has always been really important but there’s a lot of downtime when you call a softball game. To me, preparation becomes even more important. The pacing is incredibly different, especially when you have the opportunity to work with someone. When it’s done right In my opinion, it’s very conversational and there’s more opportunity in the course of a ballgame than in a hockey game to be conversational.”
Throughout the week, Loubardias has called up to three games in a single day. It has yet to be determined who will call games at the 2025 WBSC World Cup, but Loubardias is hopeful he will get a chance to return to Prince Albert next year.
“To have had the opportunity to do this in my home province, Canada is one of the better countries in the world, to see the facilities, to run into some people that I haven’t seen for a long time, it’s been absolutely great. I hope I’m lucky enough to get the opportunity to potentially come back for what I think next year might have a chance to be the greatest men’s softball competition that’s ever been held.”
The WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Group B Qualifier runs through Sunday at Prime Ministers’ Park.
sports@paherald.sk.ca
