• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

Emily Kaplan Knows the Assignment

  • ESPN’s Emily Kaplan has a journalism background and can write long features, but as a sideline reporter she keeps things open, lean, and neutral.
  • She joined Front Office Sports Today to discuss her work, the NHL, and life as a female sports media person.
Emily Kaplan is an ESPN sideline reporter.
Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images

The job of the sideline reporter often seems like the simplest one in television – a handful of short interviews and quick stories – what could be so hard about that?

In reality, what looks straightforward is the result of preparation, expertise, and knowing the potential and the limits of the job. Emily Kaplan, who has been a presence throughout the NHL playoffs on ESPN’s coverage, joined the Front Office Sports Today podcast to discuss the life of the sideline reporter, and the challenges and opportunities presented by being a woman in a male-dominated field.

Listen to the full conversation and subscribe to Front Office Sports Today here.

On the advantages to being a woman in the sports media world:

“Women broke the barriers in locker rooms in the 70s and 80s, and so the men that I cover now are so conditioned to having women cover them. That said, there are definitely advantages for me being a woman. I do think that in some ways I have been a diversity hire at certain stops where they were looking for a different voice, and for so long, those voices had been white and male. 

“I do know that when I go into a locker room, the guys tend to remember me more than the many, many males that are there before me or around me. I feel like sometimes we can connect on a different level. We can have different conversations that maybe the male reporters don’t feel comfortable having.” 

On the challenges: 

“But there are disadvantages. I alluded to news breaking. That is completely a relationships business and it’s a male’s world. The way information is passed along from the sources to the journalists, it’s drinking and going out golfing and things where, hey, if I’m drinking with a source at a bar at 11pm, people are going to look at me and then start to wonder the wrong things. I create certain rules for myself. I don’t text guys after certain hours because I don’t want them to get certain ideas.”

Her philosophy as a hockey sideline reporter:

“The biggest difficulty and I think the one that’s unique to hockey is just the time constraints. It is the fastest sport with the least amount of breaks. My biggest fear is talking over game action. 

“When I’m asking questions, my philosophy has always been ‘open, lean and neutral.’ Especially for the coaches interviews in the middle of the game, I don’t need to assert my knowledge and say, ‘this is how smart I am. I’m going to give you an observation. Do you agree with me and confirm how smart I am?’ I’m just a vehicle to get their opinions. 

On knowing the assignment:

“I’ll often ask them a question, like ‘what do you make of the first period?’ And I sometimes see people say, ‘Oh, Emily Kaplan has such dumb questions.’ Well, they’re actually kind of dumb by design and I have to humble myself in that way because the open, lean, and neutral questions actually get their opinions and how they feel. And then the key there is to follow up in the smart way to dig for more details. 

Panthers’ Steady Rise To Stanley Cup Final Started Two Years Ago

The Panthers’ surprise Final appearance marks a milestone in the franchise’s rise
June 1, 2023

On why these playoffs have been a win for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman:

The parity is something that Gary Bettman, the commissioner, takes a lot of pride in. And that has definitely never been more on display than now, where it really feels like any team can win. The conference finals [was] four sunbelt teams. It’s all teams in warm weather areas. And that was a hallmark of Gary Bettman’s NHL. So we’re celebrating all of these different markets. We’re celebrating all of these different teams and players. We’re at a point now where the highest paid players in the league have all been eliminated. So we’re seeing true teams emerge.

On how Gen-Z players will be different from previous ones:

“Hockey players don’t really put their personality out there. A lot of hockey players don’t use the pronoun ‘I.’ They say ‘we’ or ‘you.’ It’s a weird tick they have. They’re very deferential. Once the generation Z and the younger players who have come up in a different generation and are more comfortable flexing their personality, making it a bit about themselves, that will open up hockey media as well because it shows what we can do to give access to fans.”

On which team will win the Stanley Cup:

“I think it’s Vegas’ time. Ever since they entered the league, they’ve become extremely impatient to win. They’ve been pretty ruthless about it. And they’re just operating at a great level right now. If their goaltending holds up, I think it’s theirs.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

March Madness Ratings Dip After Record Start: Will Final Four Deliver?

Viewership had been at a record pace through the opening rounds.
Dec 17, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; NFL Network personality Peter Schrager on the sidelines before a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium.

ESPN Finalizes Deal With Peter Schrager

Schrager will appear across ESPN’s studio programming.
Oct 20, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a television camera operator during the game between the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Sources: NFL ‘Virtual Lock’ to Opt Out of Media-Rights Deals

Data continues to support an early opt-out of the league’s rights.

Former ESPN Reporter Zach Lowe Rejoins Bill Simmons at The Ringer

Lowe worked with Ringer co-founder Bill Simmons at Grantland.

Featured Today

Seattle Kraken

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Brehanna Daniels
March 31, 2025

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.
Columbia, SC - February 16, 2025 - Colonial Life Arena: Rebecca Lobo and Ryan Ruocco during a regular season game.
March 30, 2025

Inside Ryan Ruocco’s Rapid Rise to ESPN’s Top Voice of Women’s Hoops

The top voice became “quickly addicted” to calling the women’s game.
Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Chris Youngblood (8) and the Alabama Crimson Tide bench celebrate during the second half against the Brigham Young Cougars during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center.
March 29, 2025

How Alabama Became College Basketball’s Newest Juggernaut

The Crimson Tide have found success rivaling their historic football program.

Yankees RSN and Comcast Clash Intensifies As Deadline for Deal Nears

The invective escalates as a contract deadline approaches Monday night.
Both teams line the field during the singing of the national anthem prior to the start of the opening day game between the NY Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
March 27, 2025

Yankees RSN, Comcast Reach Last-Minute Extension in Ongoing Dispute

The two sides will keep negotiating as large-scale issues remain unresolved.
exclusive
March 28, 2025

ESPN Making Erin Dolan In-Game Betting Analyst for UFL Games

Erin Dolan will provide betting news and notes during game broadcasts.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
March 26, 2025

Yankees RSN Faces Comcast Blackout Threat Ahead of Opening Day

The Yankees-led RSN and the No. 2 U.S. cable carrier clash again.
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) is pursued by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse (8) during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium.
March 26, 2025

RFK-Threatened Pharma Ad Ban Wouldn’t Hurt NFL Broadcasters

It wouldn’t be the first effort to restrict drug ads.
Apr 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; General view of Yankee Stadium before an opening day game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays.
March 25, 2025

Could ESPN Have a Future With MLB? Network Hints at Renegotiation

The Disney-owned network signals a willingness to renegotiate.
March 25, 2025

March Madness TV Ratings Surge to 32-Year High Despite No Cinderellas

Games so far have averaged 9.4 million viewers.