The cinema and television arts major served as a technical director for a St. Louis Blues broadcast, helping execute a live NHL broadcast in a fast-paced control room.
Philip Doherty ’26 arrived at Elon without knowing a single role inside a broadcast control room – not the technical director, not the replay operator, not even how the production itself came together. Four years later, the cinema and television arts major now operates at the highest level, having stepped into an NHL television broadcast.
“Since my first year, I’ve tried to immerse myself in Elon Sports Vision as much as possible, attempting to absorb and learn if 1, this is what I wanted to do, and 2, if I found it fun,” Doherty said. “Ultimately, I fell in love with broadcasting sports.”
That immersion opened the door to a rare opportunity: Doherty served as technical director for a March 12 St. Louis Blues NHL broadcast, managing the live production from a FanDuel remote truck outside Lenovo Center as the show was delivered back to St. Louis. Assistant Professor Max Negin, who worked the same game as a replay operator and editor, said the opportunity reflects just how unique Doherty’s rise has been.
“It’s truly rare for someone this early in their career to work a professional hockey game for a regional network,” Negin said.
Even more remarkable, Negin noted, was how Doherty prepared for the role – teaching himself to operate one of the industry’s most complex switchers while learning to manage the pace and precision required at the professional level.
“Learning a very complicated switcher, basically on his own, is something I’ve never heard of anyone doing in my 30-plus years of television,” Negin said. “But beyond the equipment, Philip also was able to build a show and work in a high-pressure environment without making any major mistakes – again, something that seasoned and very experienced TDs don’t do.”
Doherty’s path to that moment was built through hands-on experience and initiative. After gaining early experience with Elon Sports Vision and working as a technical director for Elon football broadcasts, he began building connections that opened doors to freelance opportunities on college football broadcasts across ESPN platforms.
“The biggest thing I learned at Elon isn’t my technical skill, but rather the people skills,” Doherty said. “Building connections and relationships by far has been the most important component. If I hadn’t attempted to talk to people in the real world, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything I have gotten to do.”
Doherty credited a group of Elon mentors and collaborators – including Quintin Brenner, John Spitznagel, Annika Cronin, Patrick Cunningham and Negin – for helping him develop his skills and navigate the industry.
“I couldn’t have gotten to where I am today without the people at Elon helping me out along the way.”
– Philip Doherty ’26
Those connections became critical in preparing for his first NHL assignment. After being hired, Doherty reached out to the broadcast’s director in advance, studying materials and workflows so he could step into the truck prepared.
Instead of focusing on visual flair, he concentrated on the fundamentals – building the elements needed to get the show on air – from sponsored segments to in-game transitions.
By the end of the broadcast, the feedback was immediate. Negin said professionals on site – from crew members to network leadership – were impressed not only with Doherty’s performance, but with how seamlessly he operated.
“Everyone involved said he did a great job and wants him back the next time St. Louis comes to town,” the professor said.
For Negin, Doherty’s trajectory is almost unheard of. “To me, this is like an Elon baseball player jumping from Division I baseball games, and within a year, starting in the major leagues and making an all-star team,” he said.
Now, with his first NHL broadcast complete, Doherty sees it as confirmation he’s on the right path.
“This NHL show only confirmed that this industry is for me, and I am stoked to continue onward,” he said. “I cannot wait to see what comes down the road.”