During the Manitoba Junior Hockey League team’s 2-1 overtime victory versus the defending champion Steinbach Pistons on Dec. 7, the Virden Collegiate Institute teacher and coach excitedly called Roux Bazin’s dynamic game-winning goal.
Roach’s call got some attention when the team and league posted video of Bazin’s highlight reel goal on social media. A few days later things escalated … the audio has been paired with video of impressive goals by Chicago Blackhawks rookie standout Connor Bedard and Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and shared on social media. Roach noted he saw it on TV and said he is “very surprised at where this has got to.”
“I think it’s funny and I have to laugh when the audio is matched with Bedard's goal … Good thing my kids are on social media otherwise I wouldn't know much about it,” he said. “It wouldn't be possible if I didn't have such an exciting home team to announce for.”
On Dec. 11, BarDown’s X (formerly Twitter) feed featured the Bazin goal and Roach’s call. The post stated “This is LEGENDARY.” A caption on the video of the goal read, “This might be the single greatest call in the history of hockey” and asked viewers to turn the volume up.
That same day Spittin’ Chiclets’ X account reposted the video from the MJHL. In a reply to that tweet, Peace and Love Sports posted a video of a McDavid goal substituting Roach’s audio for the actual call.
On Dec. 12, the Spittin’ Chiclets X account again showed love for Roach’s call. A tweet matched Roach’s audio with video of Bedard’s goal versus the Oilers that night. The post stated “The goal call we deserved for that Bedard goal.”
After Bazin scored against the Pistons, Roach said in his call “look at this, look at that.” The phrase has quickly attracted attention. His son, Logan, used the hashtag “#LookAtThisLookAtThat” when joking on a repost of the “Bedard” video that “Papa Roach gunna need to start getting royalties from this call.” In a Dec. 13 tweet announcing that the Oil Caps topped the MJHL Power Rankings, the league stated, “Look at this, look at that…We’ve got a new #1.”
“First time I've said, ‘look at this, look at that,’ it just came out. Growing up we (my siblings) had a lot of silly sayings. My daughters (Mackenzie and Brooklyn) and I have made up our own language as well,” said Roach, who joked about maybe channeling his “inner Dr. Seuss.”
Roach has long been a fixture on the Virden sports scene. He has coached and been an administrator for various sports such as hockey, football and softball. Roach is a former junior hockey and Brandon University goaltender. To keep engaged in games he was playing, Roach would do play-by-play to himself when the action was taking place at the far end of the ice.
He recalls filling in as the Oil Caps play-by-play announcer at the end of the season a couple of years ago. Roach took on the role fulltime last season and has continued that this campaign.
“I enjoy everything about it. Great seats and great team to watch. Having played, coached and reffed the game, I believe my experiences help with what I'm calling on the ice. … I like to throw in some 'spice' on the calls. Sometimes my mouth can't keep up with what I'm seeing,” he joked.
