Voice of the Chiefs Mike Boyle completes impressive broadcasting doubleheader

Spokane, Wash.- Mike Boyle’s dulcet tones are near synonymous with Spokane sports after more than two decades calling Spokane Chiefs games and another 15 years behind the microphone for the Spokane Indians, the High-A affiliate of the MLB’s Colorado Rockies.

But after more than 1,700 games with the Chiefs, Boyle is still experiencing plenty of firsts- including a marathon play-by-play day on Sunday, April 13.

The veteran broadcaster pulled off his first multi-sport doubleheader by calling the Indians’ match against the Vancouver Canadians before making his way over to the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena for Game 1 of Spokane’s series against the Victoria Royals in Round 2 of the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien.

Somehow, over 15 years, the schedules had simply never lined up to allow for a broadcaster double feature- though he’s put in some hard hours of travel to get in as many games as possible with both squads.

“2021 was the last time that the Chiefs had been in the playoffs and the Indians were playing, and it just so happened that the dates didn’t line up, the times didn’t line up,” Boyle recalled as he spoke to WHL.ca on Monday. “I had to miss a full Indians series to go to Kamloops. I did Game 3 in Kamloops on a Monday night and had to get up the next morning and drive to Everett for a day game the next day doing baseball. I thought that was crazy.

“The opportunity presented itself this year where we looked at it and said, you know, the game’s early enough on Sunday, and the game with the Chiefs is going to be at six o’clock. Baseball’s at one o’clock. I said, ‘I can do that. I can, you know, set everything up, do the game, tear it down, and head on over to the arena’. We should have no problems. And it actually went very, very smoothly.”

Smoothly, it turns out, depends on personal definition- and vocal cord strength.

After breezing through Spokane’s 7-1 loss at the hands of the Canadians at the ball park, it looked like the Chiefs might be doomed to a similar fate after falling behind 2-0 against Victoria in the second period.

As the Chiefs’ high-powered offense began to chip away at their deficit to tie the game, the match marched on into one overtime and then another.

With players and fans alike battling to keep their energy up as the game crept deeper into the night, Boyle seemed to gain strength the longer he went, until finally…

“Once we got into overtime, I mean, I just was running on adrenaline,” Boyle beamed. “It was such a well-played overtime and second overtime period that it wasn’t a problem for me to feel energetic through it. And of course, when the Chiefs ended up getting the game-winner from Rasmus Ekstrom, I actually came out of my chair for that one- and that rarely happens. Generally, I stay in the chair and do it. But that one, I actually kicked the chair back!”

NIGHT, NIGHT!🌙

RASMUS EKSTROM NETS THE DOUBLE OVERTIME WINNER FOR THE @SPOKANECHIEFS.#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/kVEGDMfC8f

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) April 14, 2025

It should be noted, he had to be up at 7:00 a.m. the following morning to ship his sons around to several appointments before returning to the rink.

But less than 24 hours after the impressive endurance run, Boyle’s eyes are still gleaming and his voice still roars as he prepares to get right back to work for Game 2.

Stories of local legend and longtime NHL player Derek Ryan’s first WHL game (“It was a playoff game against Everett, and he ended up scoring in that game right down in the right circle, just down below me”) and the 2008 WHL Championship Series (“Justin McCrae had made an unbelievable play where he got absolutely crushed at center ice getting a pass to Chris Bruton, who scored with two minutes left in regulation to send it to OT. The Chiefs ended up winning that game on a Tyler Johnson goal”) pour out like water as he prepares to spend another three-plus hours on a live microphone.

It’s a dream come true for the Spokane transplant after growing up in the Eastern United States listening to Hockey Hall-of-Famer Gene Hart call Philadelphia Flyers games on the radio.

That passion has been passed on to Boyle’s sons, Patrick and Jackson, who both stayed up late to listen to their dad’s double overtime call.

And after going more than a decade without a doubleheader, Boyle may complete the feat again on Tuesday, April 22.

The Indians will return to Avista Stadium on Tuesday, April 22 to kick off a set against the Eugene Emeralds at 11:05 a.m. PST. Should the Spokane Chiefs and Victoria Royals require Game 6, it will be played at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena at 7:05 p.m. PST later that night.

“It’s always been a big part of this community, the Chiefs, and it’s been a big part of my life,” Boyle added. “Here I am in year 23 now with the team, and I’ve seen an awful lot. The funny thing is that we just celebrated the franchise’s 40th anniversary this year, so it doesn’t take a math major to figure out that I’ve seen over half of the games in this franchise’s long and storied history. So I’m very proud of that fact.

“I still come to the rink every day, and I’m still as enthusiastic today as I was then.”