Dean College Announces New Academic Partnership with Providence Hockey Club
Dean College is pleased to announce a new exclusive academic partnership with Providence Hockey Club for students in the Sports Broadcasting program. Through this partnership, Dean students will broadcast all 17 of Providence’s home games in 2023-24 live on HockeyTV.com.
“We’re excited to partner with the Providence Hockey Club and create another opportunity for our sports broadcasting students at Dean,” said John Rooke, professor of communications and Director of the Center for Business, Entertainment and Sport Management at Dean College. “What sets our program apart from others is the ability to put students right to work, rolling up their sleeves and gaining experience doing what they dream about – doing what they love.
“Our partnerships with teams and businesses allow our students the chance to gain valuable experience as they prepare to jump into the marketplace,” Rooke added. “We’re all excited to learn through this fantastic opportunity presented by the Providence Hockey Club. Our team will put on an entertaining and informative broadcast for fans, family, and friends.”
Providence Hockey Club is the newest addition to the 23-team Eastern Hockey League, which is “Junior A” level competition for hockey players hoping to move onto play collegiately and professionally. Located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, the EHL will celebrate its 11th season in 2023-24. For the past seven years, the EHL has finished as the leader in the Direct-To-College Advancement at all NCAA levels. This new academic partnership will give current and future Dean students the unique opportunity to grow their broadcasting skills and resumes with valuable professional experience for a prominent amateur hockey league.
Dean student broadcasters are well-versed in the game, having broadcast previously for the Northeast Generals of the NAHL, and select students have also earned the opportunity to join the American Hockey League Providence Bruins’ broadcasts on AHL-TV. Dean’s learning laboratory includes more than 80 campus sporting events in 12 different sports each school year, with numerous outside opportunities for members of the sports broadcast team to call games through internships and part-time positions with other schools and professional organizations.
Dean students will call the action on home ice at the Rhode Island Sports Center, located at 1186 Eddie Dowling Highway in North Smithfield, RI. Their first broadcast of the season will take place on Friday, September 15, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. against the Vermont Lumberjacks on HockeyTV.com. Providence’s general manager and head coach, Jeff Perreault, graduated from Dean in 1994 with a degree in communications.
Learn more about Providence Hockey Club and the Eastern Hockey League and sports broadcasting at Dean College.