When Work Meets Play: BarDownskis Reminisce About Favourite Moments Ahead of Inaugural Live Event

What do squids, a wrestling-style championship belt, and 1,000 pucks have in common? They have all played a role in the rise of BarDown, TSN’s digital sub-brand. While creating popular catchphrases (like fellow BarDownskis calling each other a ‘squid’), documenting the hijinks of BarDown’s own beer league hockey team, and sharing the most well-researched hockey quizzes on YouTube, BarDown has provided fans with unique, relatable, and engaging content focused on sports through a digital lens. BarDown hasn’t stopped there – they’re a force in the digital sports world, from developing ‘first-of-its-kind’ content (here’s looking at you, Digital SportsCentre), to securing non-traditional media sponsorships (hey, Enterprise, Nobis, and Vector!), and even becoming some of Canada’s most engagement-worthy Instagrammers. After celebrating the site’s fifth anniversary this year, BarDown will host their first ever live event, BARDOWN LIVE!, on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at the Hockey Hall of Fame, featuring a live quiz, panel discussions, and a meet-and-greet with fans. While preparing for their inaugural live event, a few beloved BarDownskis – Luca Celebre, Jesse Pollock, Daniel Zakrzewski, and Corwin McCallum – reminisced about some of their favourite BarDown moments: Luca: “One of my favourite things I’ve done at BarDown is dressing up as a ref with fellow BarDownski Eric Kirk, and mockingly making calls and reviewing plays in the fan zone during Leafs playoff games at Maple Leaf Square. What started out as a funny idea quickly went viral. Before we knew it, as soon as we put the ref jersey on at the square, fans were coming up to us to ask us for pictures. The popularity of the refs grew even more during last year’s playoffs, and we can’t wait to dress up again!”

 

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Jesse: “Getting surprised by my all-time favourite player and Hockey Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne in the BarDown office was honestly one of the best moments of my life. To take a blindfold off and find him beside me was surreal. I work with some truly amazing people and am lucky to be in such a harmonious department. There isn’t a more fun workplace than BarDown in the industry.” DZ: “Dating back to winter 2018, Corwin and I visited Patrick Marleau’s household in Toronto, and we got a chance to receive a private tour of their renowned outdoor rink. The Marleau children – Landon, Brody, Jagger, and Caleb – were a huge help on showing us around, and they also showcased their skills on the ice. Let me tell you, Corwin and I were absolutely no match, as Marleau’s oldest son Landon danced around us with little-to-no effort. Landon also told us how much he enjoys the BarDown quizzes, so it was a win-win for everyone. It was an experience I’ll never forget.”

The Marleau Brothers rink! @SanJoseSharks @NBCSAuthentic @MapleLeafs pic.twitter.com/LI3ThTo0dl

— Randy Hahn (@sharkvoice) January 5, 2018

Corwin: “Earlier this summer, BarDown was invited to Nick Foligno’s charity event in Sudbury (NHL vs. Docs for NEO kids), which was an honour in itself. But arriving in Sudbury to find out that some NHL players had not only watched but enjoyed some of the content we’ve made was pretty surreal. We’ve all been big hockey fans for our entire lives, so to be able to help promote such a great cause while standing next to people we idolize was an unforgettable experience.” For media accreditation to BARDOWN LIVE!, please contact Hannah Carver (hannah.carver@bellmedia.ca).