“I’m very feminine,” the producer and de-facto co-host of the weekend segments of The Franchise, and producer of the weekday The Morning Show (she gets up at 4 daily for work, people, so the rest of you have it pretty good) told me. “I love wearing frilly things and enjoy shopping for nice purses, shoes and clothing. That’s hardly what they expect in our studios.”
Truly, The Team is swamped with testosterone, with personalities like Mitch Melnick, Denis Casavant, Tony Marinaro, Randy Tieman, Elliott Price, Sean Campbell and Westmount’s Noel Butler (the soccer dude) delivering the finest sports news, talk and commentary on Montreal’s airwaves. It has become my favourite station since the unfortunate demise of 940 A.M. and when hockey season starts, I won’t listen to much else on air. It’s refreshing to hear a female perspective, however, and Stein and the seasoned Andie Bennett certainly bring it on.
For Stein, a 24-year old Montreal West native who is literally still unpacking her hockey collectibles following her recent move to Westmount, her time on the waves is bringing her dreams to life. “First of all, I am hockey crazed,” she said. “I remember seeing my first game, Habs versus Boston, when I was 11. There were four Bruins fans sitting behind us and screaming and I thought it was amazing. By 18, I had become a real fan.”
Stein, who graduated from Concordia U. in Communications in 2009, also recalls being driven to Westmount’s The Study, her high school, while listening to the radio. “When the contests came on, I’d ask my dad if I could call in. Radio thrilled me and I even remember practising doing interviews in front of the mirror when I was about 4 or 5,” she told me, her eyes sparkling. But it was the admonishment of her lawyer father, Neil Stein, to “do what you love” in life that really set the groundwork for a broadcasting career she plans to take into the television market eventually.
As for her love of hockey, the unabashed Habs fan has learned to enjoy all pro sports teams. “It’s the nature of the business to try to be as unbiased as possible and I also want the guys to know that I am as knowledgeable as they are,” she admitted. “At first, it was hard, though. I remember interviewing one of my idols, Alex Kovalev, when he came to Montreal for the first time as an Ottawa Senator. I was pretty nervous. You’re a kid in a candy store at those moments but you have a job to do and you get over it after your first few times.”
“First of all, I am hockey crazed,” she said. “I remember seeing my first game, Habs versus Boston, when I was 11. There were four Bruins fans sitting behind us and screaming and I thought it was amazing. By 18, I had become a real fan.” - Amanda Stein
I asked Stein who her favourite current Hab is and her answer surprised me... made me chuckle a little, too. “Number 32, Travis Moen. I know... I get ribbed about it all the time. But I really like his grittiness and how he goes into the corners and mixes it up. He’s solid and has heart and I think that is often more important.”
And while Stein gets along really well with her male co-workers, she is happy that veteran Bennett is there with her. “Well, none of my girlfriends are sports fans, so it’s nice to know a woman who enjoys it as I do. I also feel so thankful for Andie’s constant help and having her there to share my thoughts,” Stein said.
You can catch Amanda Stein on The Franchise, weekend mornings from 6:00 – 9:00, on The Team 990, 990 on your radio’s AM dial.
