Wiki Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
Born into a professional hockey-playing family soon lead Leah Hextall to become a sports reporter. An experienced NESN and ESPN reporter, Leah now lives in Toronto, where she works successfully as a freelancer, hosting sporting events throughout Canada.
Personal Life, Parents and Family Details :
- Leah was born and raised in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada to parents Randy (father) and Elizabeth (mother). She also has one older sister.
- She comes from a sports-oriented family. Her grandfather is National Hockey League’s New York Ranger’s hall of famer, Bryan Hextall.
- Leah’s uncle, Dennis, is also a retired professional hockey player for the Minnesota North Stars and the Detroit Red Wings. Her other uncle Bryan Hextall Jr. was a forward in the NHL & spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- The Philadelphia Flyers goalie, Ron Hextall, is her cousin.
Education : Qualifications, High School & College Info
- Leah attended Vincent Massey High School, a public high school in Brandon, Manitoba.
- She then went on to pursue further education at Brandon University.
- In 2003, Leah attended the Columbia Academy of Radio, Television and Recording Arts in Vancouver where she got her diploma in Radio and Television Broadcasting.
Early Professional Life :
- Hextall’s first job in broadcasting was in Brandon as a reporter for CKX-TV, a CTV-owned television station that no longer exists as of October 2009.
- In 2005, she started working as a host and reporter for CTV News in Winnipeg, Canada. She stayed there for seven years until 2012.
- While still at CTV in January 2008, Leah also worked as a substitute host and reporter for The Sports Network in Toronto, Canada. She kept this job until January 2011.
Career Growth, Salary and Net Worth :
- In 2012, Leah moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to work for New England Sports Network as a host for NESN Sports Today. While there, she also reported for Red Sox 2013 World Series, Bruins 2013 Stanley Cup Final and the Boston Marathon, among others. She stayed at NESN until 2014.
- From 2014 to 2016, Hextall moved back to Toronto to become a host and reporter for Rogers Sportsnet as a part of the NHL production Hockey Night in Canada”.
- In 2016, a day after Leah was let go from Rogers Communications; she received a contract to work as an ice-level reporter in Toronto for ESPN, covering the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
- From July 2017 until August 2017, she worked at Penny Lane Entertainment Group in Calgary, Canada as a social media correspondent and manager.
- In 2019, Leah was working as a freelancer host and reporter in the Toronto area.
- Hextall joined ESPN in 2021 as a reporter and broadcaster. During her first season with ESPN, Leah spoke with her mother on the phone after regularly calling NHL games on nationally broadcast television. Unfortunately, her social media accounts were flooded with abuse, resulting in her deactivating a Facebook page, turning off Twitter notifications, and tightening Instagram security settings. Despite this, angry strangers continued to send her messages. Moreover, there were whispers and actions within the hockey community as well.
Interesting Facts, Height and Trivia :
- Leah’s first major interview was with hockey player Kelly McCrimmon.
- Her favourite go-to snack is chips. Her favorite flavour is salt and vinegar.
- She also considers Seinfield to be one of the best comic shows.
- She also had the opportunity to interview her famous Hockey player cousin Ron Hextall.
- Before joining ESPN, Hextall had plenty of experience in sports media, but she was still learning the ropes behind the microphone. During her tenure at ESPN, she says she has gained valuable experience that will help her land future jobs.
Some of Leah’s other favorites :
- TV show for guilt watching – Real Housewives
- Something she always need in her purse – Lip stick
- App on her phone she is most addicted to – Twitter
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In my humble opinion, Leah is a really terrible hockey announcer. I mute the sound and the only problem with that is I don’t then get the benefit of her partner, the commentator. Unlike her, in my opinion, he actually adds to the sporting event.
How come players in the NHL font shake hands after a game?