About Joseph Zakrzewski
For over 15 years, I have been working as a communications, marketing, broadcasting and digital media professional in the aerospace, professional sports and entertainment industries. My passion for storytelling and creative communication has connected communities and fanbases across North America and earned country-wide recognition in aerospace, NASA, National Hockey League, American Hockey League, ECHL, Northwoods League and NCAA.
As a Houston, Texas, native with strong Midwest and Northeast family connections, I was introduced to aerospace, NASA, sports and entertainment young, participating in local airshows and conventions, youth baseball, football and hockey, attending premieres, plays and productions. My passion for the these industries and hobbies along with developing social connections with my family, friends, peers and teammates saw a quick rise through the amateur ranks to become a left-handed varsity closing pitcher, starting varsity right tackle, an award-winning goaltender aspiring actor and filmmaker, producer and musician.
With college opportunities aplenty across the country, I always knew that broadcasting and the entertainment business was my passion. I elected to remain in Texas to attend Sam Houston State University where I received immediate hands-on experience and flourished inside the Dan Rather Communications building. I gained experience writing for an award-winning newspaper, produced and directed evening newscasts and student feature films, entertained the Huntsville, Texas community as a disc jockey on the University’s classic rock stations, and became a play-by-play broadcaster for the school’s football, baseball, and softball teams.
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During my junior and senior seasons, I was honored to join the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League, my hometown hockey team, initially as an intern and later promoted to Communications Assistant where I worked closely with the communications, broadcasting, and marketing departments and earned my first professional “call-up” as a broadcaster, serving as the team’s play-by-play commentator on 1070 AM KNTH during select games.
Over a quick four years at SHSU, I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Mass Communications with a Minor in English, reached the President’s List in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009, and built an extensive resume with experience from his two seasons with the Aeros and the University’s broadcast, filmmaking and production departments.
Degree in hand, my first adventure post-college was to the Midwest to become the Broadcaster of the Battle Creek Bombers of the Northwoods Baseball League. This was a perfect opening opportunity as I not only served as the team’s broadcaster, but also introduced me to roles in team services, social media marketing, additional public relations and website management. I was elated to be named to the 2009 NWL All-Star Broadcast Team in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and a 2009 NWL Play-by-Play Announcer of the Year Finalist.
Armed with these initial skills, I expanded my skillset by becoming the Media Specialist and graduating to the Director of Communications and Broadcasting of the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL from 2009-2015. Under the guidance of our National Hockey League affiliation with the Washington Capitals and American Hockey League partnership with the Hershey Bears, I earned multiple opportunities at all levels through broadcasting, digital content creation, website creation and management, corporate partnerships, and traditional and digital media marketing. These experiences were recognized by being selected to broadcast the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game in Ontario, California, being named the 2012-13 ECHL Broadcaster of the Year, named a finalist for the award in 2011 and 2012, and seeing the Stingrays’ website selected as a finalist for the 2014-15 ECHL Website of the Year.
After many wonderful seasons in the ECHL and concluding with a trip to the 2015 Kelly Cup Finals, I continued to progress and earned my “call-up” to the American Hockey League, joining the Ontario Reign, primary affiliate, and partner of the LA Kings in the summer of 2015. Working in the same facility where I was an all-star in 2010 and now full-time in the AHL, a league that gave me his first opportunities in Houston, was humbling and emotional. Running side by side with the Kings, I witnessed broadcast listenership increase tremendously, created the organization’s TuneIn radio station, one of the first at the AHL level, and made multiple appearances on the Kings’ radio and television broadcasts.
In an ever-changing media market such as Los Angeles, I observed an opportunity to remain in broadcasting while becoming closer to extended family in the Midwest in the winter of 2017, joining the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL and quickly became engrained with the Chicago Blackhawks. I was named to the Blackhawks' broadcast and content team ahead of the 2021-22 season and after years of hard work and perseverance and while undertaking many roles during the COVID-19 pandemic, I made my major league broadcasting debut in the National Hockey League on October 15, 2021, in New Jersey between the Blackhawks and the New Jersey Devils. From there, I received five more broadcasts in the major leagues, with the most memorable coming on January 8, 2022, in a 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During my career in the NHL and AHL, I was invited and honored to join the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2023, leveraging my communications, broadcasting, and interpersonal skills to engage with an international audience. With a rich family history in aerospace and a chance to return to Texas, this opportunity was a perfect fit. At NASA, I support all aspects of human spaceflight missions, providing strategic communications, engagement, and broadcasting campaigns to enhance public and specialized group understanding of the agency's programs. In a short time, I've witnessed and contributed to incredible achievements, including record-setting engagement at the 2024 NCAA College Football Championship, Texas Space Commission, Comicpalooza, FIRST Robotics World Championships, and broadcasting support for Crew 7, Crew 8, Progress 86-88 missions, 2024 Astronaut Candidate Graduation, Russian and U.S. spacewalks, and the historic Boeing Crew Flight Test mission.
Away from the booth, I enjoy many hobbies and activities and continue to share my love for the entertainment industry through collecting and preserving historical entertainment and Americana memorabilia.
Outdoors, I can be found riding my bike through trails throughout the Midwest, participating in 5K races, enjoying walks through my neighborhood, adventuring on a kayak, or taking weekend excursions. One of my grandest moments and memories came in August of 2022 as celebrated my marriage to Kelci, who joined me on this cross-country adventure in 2013. A former NCAA varsity goaltender herself, she, and I both still lace up the rollerblades or hockey pads in our local community leagues.
As the oldest of four brothers, I aspire to maintain close family connections in Texas as well as my extended family in the Midwest. Sadly, with the unfortunate and sudden passing of my father in 2011 due to pancreatic cancer, I've become an active voice and participator in cancer research initiatives.