Brent Pope

For the New Zealand rugby union expert, see Brent Pope (rugby analyst).
Brent Pope
Born (1973-02-20) 20 February 1973
Hamilton, ON, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Cardiff Devils
Romford Raiders
Slough Jets
Sheffield Scimitars
London Racers
Basingstoke Bison
Hull Stingrays
Solihull MK Kings
Nottingham Panthers
Florida Everblades
Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
London Knights
Wheeling Thunderbirds
Cape Breton Oilers
National team  Great Britain
Playing career 1993–2008

Brent Pope (born 20 February 1973) is a retired ice hockey player, and former Managing Director at the Cardiff Devils in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Pope is the current Host of the Champions Hockey League Centre Ice Programme, the former Hamilton Steelhawks (Sr AAA) Director of Hockey and the VP, Business Development of The Ice House ice hockey training facility in Burlington, Ontario. Pope is still currently the Head of English Commentary at the European Champions Hockey League. whilst maintaining his active freelance broadcaster and real estate career.

Playing career

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Pope started his professional career playing for Cape Breton Oilers and Wheeling Thunderbirds as a Free Agent signing of the Edmonton Oilers organisation in 1992. In 1996, Pope moved to the United Kingdom signing for the Cardiff Devils.[1] He spent three seasons with the Devils, helping them win the 1996–97 Ice Hockey Superleague championship and the 1998-99 Ice Hockey Superleague Playoff Championship. He went on to play for the GB National Men's Hockey programme between 2002-04 at World Championship level as well as various clubs in England and North America.

Post-playing career

In May 2007, Pope was appointed as Cardiff Devils general manager after helping the 2006/07 Devils win the Challenge Cup as Co-Coach with Gerad Adams of the Cardiff Devils.[2] He spent time in various roles at the club, and replaced Gerad Adams as head coach in October 2013.[3] Pope created the UK registered charity the Devils Community Foundation Devils in October 2008 incorporating the Junior Devils development programme and professional Devils community outreach programme. As Head of the DCF until 2013 Pope coached at both the England U14 & U16 age levels whilst overseeing all junior Devils teams and junior player & coach development. The DCF is helped out by current Devils players and operates as its own charity foundation. In 2010, Pope completed his MA in Sports Development & Coaching at Cardiff Metropolitan University formerly known as University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC). In 2013, Pope became Managing Director of the professional Cardiff Devils whilst maintaining his Devils play by play commentary duties for the club from 2007-2013. In October 2013, Pope fulfilled the role of Head Coach for the Elite Ice Hockey League Devils winning at over .600% before resigning from his position as Cardiff Devils Director of Hockey in April 2014.

Media work

Pope is also a sports commentator and voice over artist. He was a BBC Sport commentator for ice hockey at the 2006 Torino Olympics, 2010 Vancouver and Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.[1][4]

Pope additionally worked for the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) during the London 2012 Olympics commentating on Hockey, Handball, Table Tennis, Fencing and Water Polo. Pope also commentated as venue announcer for the Wheelchair Rugby event during the London 2012 Paralympic Games as well as Sledge Hockey Commentator for the OBS during the Torino 2006 & Sochi 2014 Paralympics. In January 2011, the Canadian/Brit commentated for the OBS at the Asian Winter Games Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in Astana, Kazakhstan. Pope worked on behalf of Honorary Patron HRH Prince Harry of Wales during the Invictus Games Wheelchair Rugby competition as commentator. The event was hosted in recognition of injured, sick and wounded service men & women from around the world at London's Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park in September 2014. In 2015, Pope commentated for the ISB (International Sports Broadcasting) at the Baku, Azerbaijan European Games and Toronto's Pan Am Games on Men's and Women's Waterpolo, Volleyball, Fencing, Beach Volleyball and Wheelchair Rugby. Pope worked as Head of English Ice Hockey Commentary for the newly formed Champions Hockey League in Europe in 2014/15 and now Host of the CHL Centre Ice Online Programme in 2015/16. Pope will work for the OBS to cover a wide variety of Sports for the OBS Olympic Broadcasting Services at both the Rio 2016 Olympic & Paralympic Games.

Personal life

Pope was born in Hamilton, Ontario in Canada and holds both a Canadian and British Passport. The dual national is a former Captain of the GB Men's Senior Ice Hockey Team and was a member of the GB National Programme at World Championship level between 2002-04.

References

  1. 1 2 Phillips, Terry (12 February 2010). "It's ice work if you can get it! Devils star is voice of Olympics.". South Wales Echo. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  2. ↑ Phillips, Terry (11 May 2007). "Devils elect a Pope for top job". South Wales Echo. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Brent Pope replaces Gerad Adams as Cardiff Devils head coach". BBC Sport. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games on the BBC". BBC Sport. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2014.

External links

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