Livestreams fuel Fredericton Express hockey fanbase

Corey Kavanagh prepares his stream for the second game of the Fredericton vs. Miramichi playoff series. (Credit: Lucy Francis)

Standing in the media box at the Grant Harvey Centre, Corey Kavanagh sets up his three cameras while sipping from a large cup of Tim Hortons coffee. Kavanagh is about to begin his livestream of the second game of the first-round playoff series between the Fredericton Express and the Miramichi Northmen. 

Fans are already filling up the stands for the Beausejour Senior Hockey League game and many, like Kavanaugh, are dressed in white.

The white clothing is no mistake. Earlier, Kavanagh posted a video to his page explaining the reason behind a team’s “whiteout,” which is to rally the crowd and bring a sense of unity among fans. 

Kavanagh does both the livestream and promotional video for the Express.

He began sports videography when he played softball with the Fredericton Royals. He streamed the games on YouTube while he played.

“I used to take my phone and zip tie it to a fence,” said Kavanagh.

When the Express offered him a role as a media representative, he changed his setup. He has a main camera, an iPad that he uses to update the score graphics and to display the team’s sponsors during intermissions and a third camera for close- ups.

“It really helps [the Express] out and I think it helps boost a little bit of that hype each week, versus just the Express saying, ‘Oh, it's game day. Yeah.’ I mean, it just keeps that energy alive a little bit and it gives fans the chance to connect and see players more,” said Kavanagh.

The Fredericton Express made a booming debut in their first season in the Beausejour Senior Hockey League, selling out every home game while streaming most games for fans who can’t make it to the rink.

These livestreams, along with promotional videos and social media posts, have helped rally fans and keep them connected to the team. This would not have been possible without the work of Kavanagh and other volunteers, who devote time to sustaining the Express’s loyal fan base.

Preparation before puck drop

Before hitting the “go live” button, much preparation happens behind the scenes. 

Kavanagh posts on Facebook and prepares graphics during the week. On game days, he is at the rink all day testing his equipment and making sure everything is working. 

During the first game of the series, the stream on KSports Live had about 1,000 live viewers, with roughly 10,000 viewers tuning in throughout the game.

This livestream is an integral part of the team’s outreach to fans. Those 1,000 live viewers are roughly half of the 2,200 fans watching the game in person.

Kavanagh said he enjoys his work, but there is pressure that comes along with the playoff excitement.

“If something goes wrong, it feels like you, deep in your heart, that you're letting a whole bunch of people down, so you don't want to do that. You do your best to come early, get everything prepared and make sure that it's great,” said Kavanagh.

The other Express volunteers also make a big commitment to helping run the team, but they all support each other. 

“It’s like a family,” said Rikki Lyons, the team medic. 

Players feel motivated

Zach Bishop is a player on the Express and runs their Facebook page. 

When Bishop steps onto the ice, he can feel the impact of the labour that goes into maintaining the online presence.

“I think it helps bring people into the stands too. I think, without the social media and the work that Corey does, with all the videos and the live streams and everything that we've done behind the scenes, we wouldn't be getting 2,200 fans a night, having to turn people away,” said Bishop.

For him, it was a dream to play in front of sold-out crowds. He has never played on a team that worked so intentionally to connect fans to players.

“There was so much hype built up around the team and we didn’t really know what to expect … coming out onto the ice for warmup, seeing the place completely sold out … it was kind of like, ‘Whoa … this is actually happening.’”