On March 2, Penn State hockey celebrated 25 years of Rodney Martin being the in-arena voice of Penn State hockey. He also serves as the announcer for Penn State football, announcing downs, distance, and scoring.

Martin’s journey started as a Penn State student in 1996, where he helped out with the Hockey Management Association, which was in charge of managing the Penn State Club Hockey team. Throughout his time, he was an usher and moved into the game production side of the business.

He explained that the person who had been the announcer for hockey was graduating, and the club was looking for a replacement. Martin tried it out, and the rest was history.

“I’ll give it a shot, and I’ve been doing it now 25 years,” he said. “I must have been good.”

Working in announcing wasn’t completely unfamiliar for Martin, as his older brother worked in a radio station. He expressed his love for going to the station with his brother and the behind-the-scenes that went into it. In true brotherly nature, his older brother told him, “If you ever get into radio, I’ll kill you.”

His first game at Pegula Ice Arena was nerve-wracking and filled with tons of rehearsal.

“I kept rehearsing names, making sure I had the right pronunciation, and reviewing scripts,” he said. “It was just so much excitement and so much nerves all up in one, and the whole night was just kind of a blur for me.”

Since that first game in Pegula, Martin has had a game-week routine. This includes going over pronunciations, goal totals, and any game notes that could come up during the series. If needed, he’ll contact the opposing team’s SID to get any missing information. For the remainder of the week, he’ll rehearse the names and script.

“I’ll always stop at Dunkin, get an extra large [coffee] and a donut on my way in,” he commented. “That’s my pregame.”

Many examples came to Martin’s mind when asked about the most exciting moment he’s witnessed in Pegula. He specifically mentioned beating Michigan and Minnesota for the first time as a Division I hockey team, a huge milestone for the program, especially being underdogs for both games.

For the women’s hockey team, he mentioned how exciting it was to announce the AHA Championship game. Another highlight was when he announced the women’s Frozen Four in 2022.

“That was pretty challenging because I had to actually sound excited for the Buckeyes to win, which is tough,” he laughed as Ohio State had won the Frozen Four in State College.

Martin also commented that being a fan helps him contribute to the energy that pours out of Pegula Ice Arena.

“Once you start feeling the energy, the pulsing, and the crowd just piling in, it’s an absolute drug,” he expressed. “It is an absolute rush to be a part of it.”

He also emphasized how being there makes him feel, even changing his mood.

“I could be having the worst week or day, and as soon as I come in there, there’s a new change of attitude,” he said.

However, if he had to narrow down one moment during a game that is his favorite part, it would be the “We Are” chant after a goal. Despite having headphones on, Martin can still hear the crowd of Pegula yelling “Penn State” back at him, giving him goosebumps.