Ice Flyers To Honor Radio Voice Paul Chestnutt, Son Matty, Following Induction Into Pensacola Sports Hall of Fame
By Bill Vilona
Ice Flyers Correspondent
Paul Chestnutt will affix his headphones, look over at his son, Matthew, just as he always does, then get settled into the radio broadcast of the Ice Flyers game tonight at the Pensacola Bay Center against the Fayetteville Marksmen.
But this one will be different.
Chestnutt, who has been the radio voice of hockey in Pensacola from the Ice Pilots inception in 1996 through the current season with the Ice Flyers, is now a hall of famer.
And so is Matty.
In a powerful, emotion-tugging, tear-evoking, heart-felt induction speech Tuesday night, Paul and Matty were formally inducted into the Pensacola Sports Hall of Fame during the organization’s 70th annual awards banquet at Brownsville Community Center.
“What an honor,” said Chestnutt during his speech Tuesday night, his voice cracking, his emotions wavering. “This does not happen without the hockey community in Pensacola. Thank you everyone. Ice Pilots, Ice Flyers organization.
“I am so touched that my son Matty, who has cerebral palsy… doesn’t walk or talk, is in the same Pensacola Sports Hall of Fame as pro football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, Derrick Brooks, (baseball hall of famer) Don Sutton, (long time MLB manager) Buck Showalter, (boxing great) Roy Jones Jr.,” said Chestnutt, who named other great athletes as well.
“And Matty Chestnutt’s name is (now) next to them? It is incredible.”
The Ice Flyers are planning to honor Paul and his son on tonight during the 2nd period. It promises to be special.
Ice Flyers owner Greg Harris gave a powerful introductory speech on Tuesday that ushered Paul and Matty into the Pensacola Sports Hall of Fame.
“I first met (Paul and Matty) 13 years ago and it was so clear to see the emotional connection this father and son had when around the game,” said Harris, addressing the gathering at the Pensacola Sports banquet. “It is a bond that develops when a father’s love of the game of hockey is passed down to his son.
“There is an emotional connection between the city’s sports teams and fans. At the same time, and often for the same reason, there is quite often a special bond that develops between those fans and the person behind the voice that has come to represent their beloved team.
“This Hall of Fame inductee has been just that for over a quarter century. And with him, the other inductee, his son.”
Chestnutt has a daily sports radio show airing Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fox Sports Pensacola (101.1 FM). He joined the company at WPNN in 2017, following tenure at ESPN-Pensacola. Seated nearby at the banquet WPNN station owner Scott Schroeder, who Chestnutt thanked for giving him a job that allows Matty to be with him at times and flexibility to help care for him.
Chestnutt and his son received a standing ovation when he arrived at the stage podium. Seated nearby was an entire table of the Ice Flyers front office staff members. Brenden Arney, director of marketing and operations, along with Alyssa Cherney, the digital content creator, led efforts to produce a video to keep as memory.
Paul thanked everyone in the Ice Flyers organization, along with coach Gary Graham and former coach Rod Aldoff.
“We love you. We got a passion for the game (of hockey),” said Chestnutt, fighting back tears. “We love it, we love it, You’re family to us, Ice Flyers…you’re family.”
A year ago in March, Chestnutt traveled to Tampa with Matty, this writer, along with the owner of Pensacola’s Carpet Creations to attend the Tampa Bay Lightning game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Lightning had learned of Chestnutt’s impact, his dedication and charity and wanted to honor him. The organization knew he was a huge Penguins fan, so they offered that game.
During the pregame skate that morning, Chestnutt and his son met Lightning players, then Penguins legend Sidney Crosby in a poignant moment where Crosby graciously spent a few minutes with the two, then asked in a smiling, boyish voice, “Now, you guys are coming to the game tonight, right? We’ll try to put on a good show.”
The Penguins won that night in overtime.
Chestnutt told the gathering Tuesday night how he was working at a radio station in Erie, Pennsylvania, about two hours from his hometown in McKees, Rocks, Pa, just outside of Pittsburgh. He was broadcasting hockey games there for the Erie Panthers, a former team in the ECHL.
When he learned a hockey team named the Pensacola Ice Pilots was starting 1996, Chestnutt took a leap of faith, applied, got the job and took a chance that it might work.
It was a huge hit.
“I wanted a fresh start with the Pensacola Ice Pilots,” said Chestnutt in his speech. “And for $75 dollars a game to broadcast, I rolled the dice and took the opportunity.
“The Ice Pilots were successful. I was accepted. ‘He Shoots and Scores!’ call took off. I got married. My son was born. My goal one day was the NHL. But when I heard one day my son had cerebral palsy, it changed everything.. professionally and personally.”
Instead, he has devoted his life to helping raise Matty, who is now 21.
“The greatest feeling in the world is being Matthew’s dad,” Chestnutt said.
Chestnutt founded his charity, “Matthew Chestnutt Scores! Charities, Inc.” The charity provides the Ice Flyers fan base with the opportunity to pledge $1 to $3 for each power play goal that the Ice Flyers score during the regular season in a “Power Play Pledge Drive.
Chestnutt thanked Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer, who attended the banquet with his wife, Rishy, for giving Chestnutt guidance on the charity and a jump star to making it happen.
“Thank you, Quint Studer, for funding the charity. It started in your office in Gulf Breeze,” said Chestnutt, during his speech.
Following Chestnutt’s induction, former NFL offensive lineman Josh Sitton, a Pensacola Catholic and University of Central Florida graduate, was named the 2023 Pensacola Sportsman of the Year by the organization. Sitton was unaware he was getting the award. It is the one final award that is not announced prior the banquet.
Sitton has been involved in the community in various ways with various construction projects since forming his own company, Bear Construction, following his retirement from the NFL
It was all part of a special night.
“Matty and I are so honored and humbled to be here,” Chestnutt said.
