Montana Getty Hilash makes history on Blades radio broadcast
History hit the airwaves Saturday, Nov. 22 during the Saskatoon Blades matchup against the Brandon Wheat Kings at SaskTel Centre. Although the result on the ice was a 3-2 loss for the Bridge City Bunch at home, it was a massive win for women in sports media.
Local media personality Montana Getty Hilash became the first ever woman to provide colour commentary for the Blades radio broadcast alongside Play-by-Play Announcer Les Lazaruk.
“It’s hard to wrap your head around it,” said Getty Hilash, “I mean, not only that, but it’s the first time I ever have done colour. I only had about a day and a half or two days to prepare. It’s insane.”
The monumental milestone occurred on Girls Rock! Night presented by Discover Saskatoon, a night dedicated to celebrating and empowering women across Saskatoon. Getty Hilash says the meaning behind the game made the accomplishment all the more special.
“It’s awesome to break that glass ceiling and open the door for more women in the future.” It’s crazy that it took this long, but I think it’s a great step forward and I’m so lucky and honoured that I got to be the one to do it.”
The 28-year-old has created an impressive resume in the media field. A Boyle, AB native, Getty-Hilash graduated from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Radio & Television program in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following reporter stints in Lloydminster, AB and Dawson Creek, BC following graduation, Getty Hilash quickly worked her way into a Digital Broadcast Journalist position with Global News Saskatoon in July 2021.
Lazaruk says he first saw the potential Getty Hilash possessed during the Blades first game ever preseason game at the Jim Neilson Sports Complex in Big River, SK.
“This is a young lady who’s got what it takes, I think, to make it in this world. She could be a real star in the broadcasting field, and I was really impressed with what I saw of her work on Global. We didn’t get her on the radio. She ended up doing in-stand hosting with the Blades, and I was thrilled for that.”
Sports runs in Getty Hilash’s blood. Her grandfather, Don Getty, quarterbacked the Edmonton Eskimos (now Edmonton Elks) to back-to-back Grey Cup Championships in 1955 and 1956. After a ten-year career in the Canadian Football League (CFL), Getty began a career in politics. He served as the Premier of Alberta from 1985-1992.
Fast forward to 2025, Getty Hilash blazed her own path in the sports world just as her grandfather once did.
“I truly couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” said Getty Hilash, “Les made it super easy on me. I had so much fun. I made a joke to him. I was like, ‘you told me to look at what you’re not looking at.’ So I have no idea what I’m looking at. Either way, it was an experience, especially to see the game from a different perspective.”
“Montana was enthusiastic, excited, wanted to do it, and that right away is a victory right there as far as being able to do this,” said Lazaruk.
Friday’s game at SaskTel Centre between the Blades and Swift Current Broncos marked an impressive feat for Lazaruk. The 3-2 victory for Saskatoon came on the veteran announcer’s 2300th career broadcast for the Saskatoon Blades. In his 32nd season with the team, the Winnipeg, MB native says he’s at the point in his career where he wants to give back.
“I don’t have any aspirations to go anywhere anymore, any higher than what I am,” said Lazaruk, “So, if I can help people along to realize their goals and dreams, that is a huge honour for me.”
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have Natasha Staniszewski and Claire Hanna both work on these broadcasts, not as colour commentators, but they wanted to do the live interviews downstairs that we do between periods.”
Lazaruk says the landscape of women in sports broadcasting is vastly different today from when he first broke into the media world.
“I remember back in the late ’70s, early ’80s, there was a young lady by the name of Bev Lockhart who did play-by-play of the Portage Terriers in the Manitoba Junior League, and that was really rare. I think she was the only one in the country, and there were a lot of features done on her back in the day. Hockey Night in Canada back in that time did a feature on Bev Lockhart doing play-by-play of Junior A hockey. But that was it. Nobody really ever followed up on that and it just didn’t seem to happen.”
Getty Hilash is now a Communications and Events Coordinator at Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission. Still partaking in the odd broadcasting gig on the side, she hopes that barriers for women in sports media continue to be knocked down.
“I think women are getting more and more in tune with the media world. They’re getting more opportunities, not just because they’re women, but because they’re intelligent and they’re paying attention and they want to be there. Those roadblocks are kind of starting to drop. There is a little bit where it’s still a man’s world no matter where we are, but it’s always good to see women moving forward.”
