The welcoming smile. The infectious laugh. The fan’s perspective on sports reporting. The joy and enthusiasm of a person just starting out in the business, not a pro’s pro who’s been an ESPN mainstay for 32 years and counting.
“Genuine” is the one word to best sum up Linda Cohn’s relationship with her audience. It’s a description that fits Cohn as comfortably as a hockey sweater, which she’s worn since playing on a boys team as a teenager.
Seattle Kraken fans will find out for themselves starting Thursday evening, when the Philadelphia Flyers come calling at Climate Pledge Arena. Cohn will serve as TV pregame, intermission, and postgame host on Kraken Hockey Network (KING-5 in Seattle). It’s the first of 15-18 KHN assignments for Cohn this season.
Though Cohn is a Long Island, New Yorker through and through – Rangers fan? check; Mets fan? check; Giants fan? check – Seattle can claim her as well. Before joining ESPN in 1992, Cohn spent three years reporting and anchoring sports for KIRO-7. Management once scolded her for showing too many hockey highlights; we expect KHN to be more understanding.
In an hour-long conversation, Cohn will regale you with stories about her time in Seattle, being a female in boys hockey, facing NHL shooters, why the KHN gig was important enough for her to sacrifice ESPN vacation and off-days, and why she’s bullish on the 2024-25 Kraken. And we’re just scratching the surface. Enjoy!