How Canucks host Ronil Desai keeps fans entertained at Rogers Arena
Any fan who’s been to a Vancouver Canucks game knows that the show extends far beyond what’s on the ice. And the fun at Rogers Arena is largely orchestrated by Ronil Desai.
The team’s in-arena host is a lifelong Canucks fan who plays a crucial role for his hometown team. As one of two hosts, he guides fans through a variety of in-game elements, all with the goal of creating an exciting atmosphere inside the arena.
“The fan interaction and the energy is virtually what we work for,” Desai said in an exclusive interview with Daily Hive. “We are trying to elevate their experience and keep them entertained.”
Desai applied for the in-arena host role through a contest offered by the organization back in 2021. He didn’t have much in-arena hosting experience at the time, though he is an avid public speaker.
“I knew it was something that I had to take a shot at. No expectations as to whether I would get the job or not,” he explained. “I knew it was an opportunity that really spoke to me and connected with me.”
He eventually started working alongside Hannah Bernard in September 2021, someone who has since become a close friend. Bernard, who stepped away from the role in 2023 due to the birth of her first child, helped to mentor Desai.
“The transition was made a lot smoother thanks to her guidance, little tips and tricks,” he said. “Things that she used to do, whether it was preparation, whether it’s execution, ways around the building, a lot of good interviewing tactics.”
There are a lot of different elements led by Desai and co-host Kat Stefankiewicz during a typical Canucks game. Some of the most memorable involve a unique part of the job: interviewing young kids.
They’re often entertaining and always adorable. But for an interviewer, they’re also unpredictable.
“I think a good children’s interview is always the most rewarding,” Desai said. “There’s been some bad ones that are really quick, but there’s been some really good ones, and I think the really good ones are really rewarding.”
Children are involved in a lot of segments throughout the game. They’re often interviewed and asked about their favourite player or a piece of advice they would share with the Canucks.
The ensuing answers are often hilarious, though the younger fans can also sometimes present a challenge with short responses. Desai has to help guide the children, who are often thrilled to see themselves on the big screen, through these segments.
Canucks in-arena hosting firing up the crowd (Ronil Desai)
“I think going into the interview, it’s more so just the mindset of having a lot of questions in your back pocket because you’re not going to usually get a lot of dialogue or long-winded answers,” he explained. “I find that what has helped me in the past is sometimes just asking questions that may not even be hockey-related, and then once that dialogue begins, it tends to provide momentum.”
Getting young fans to open up is just one of many challenges that Desai faces on a nightly basis. If you’re at a game, you’ll also see him running different contests, hyping fans up, and interviewing other people — occasionally including former Canucks players.
However, the host, who has a day job in marketing with another company, makes the difficult job look easy. Just like the players on the team he works with, Desai is quick to credit the people behind the scenes for his success.
“There’s a whole team that’s a part of this. There’s a lot that goes into putting on the show,” he explains.
From his co-host Stefankiewicz to PA announcer Al Murdoch to the game entertainment team, there are a number of people involved that Desai credits for helping fans have the best experience possible.
“There’s all these things that are going on behind the scenes,” Desai explains. “Seeing all that come to fruition each and every single night shows you there’s a lot of preparation that goes into putting on that show and elevating that experience from when that fan enters the building at the start of the night until they leave.”
Desai often being front and centre results in getting plenty of attention. His being of South Asian descent means that his prominent position resonates with a large swath of the Canucks fanbase, which reflects the diversity of the Lower Mainland.
“Being of South Asian minority, I get a lot of that feedback from South Asian members of the community. It really stands out to them to see someone on the screen being a minority.”
The host says the feedback is something that he’s conscious and proud of, and he hopes that he can help inspire others to get into the public speaking industry.
Desai gets the chance to celebrate the diversity of the fanbase when the Canucks host special theme nights. The team has already celebrated Diwali and Pride, among other special nights, and there is a Lunar New Year celebration set for Saturday’s game.