Griffin Della Penna stood at the microphone on Oct. 2 to call the Rochester Americans season opener, taking over for retired broadcaster Don Stevens as the new voice of the American Hockey League franchise, [amerks.com] reported.
The 25-year-old broadcaster opened his tenure calling a 3-1 victory against the defending Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies at Blue Cross Arena. His parents watched from the stands with his broadcast call playing through their earphones.
Della Penna grew up in Batavia, N.Y., watching the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills.
His broadcasting career path included an internship with Pegula Sports and Entertainment, followed by work for ESPN+, the ACC Network, and WPRI-TV in Providence, R.I., covering the New England Patriots. He also served as a rinkside reporter for the Amerks and an in-arena host for the Sabres before securing the full-time play-by-play role in July.
Griffin Della Penna overcame acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Della Penna reached the professional broadcaster’s chair after overcoming severe health challenges early in life. On Nov. 27, 2004, joint pain escalated until he could not stand, prompting his parents, Matthew and Ellen, to take him to a local emergency room, [amerks.com] reported.
“Quickly the doctors realized that there was something a lot more serious going on,” Griffin Della Penna recalled, after doctors transferred him by ambulance to Buffalo Children's Hospital, where physicians diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a fast-spreading cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
He entered a lifelong medical trial within 24 hours, enduring regular hospital stays, spinal taps, and chemotherapy treatments overseen by Dr. Martin Brecher, chief of pediatrics at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“When I say that word, I can still feel the taste in the back of my throat for how bad it tasted,” Della Penna said, [amerks.com] reported, referencing the steroid dexamethasone used in his care.
The family received word that he was cancer-free on June 1, 2007. The medical trial he entered subsequently helped shape modern pediatric cancer treatment regimens.
“My father was flipping through the channels, stopped on ESPN, and I saw SportsCenter for the first time,” Griffin Della Penna recounted.
Overcoming a spinal cord tumor
Health challenges returned for Della Penna in 2024 when he developed persistent pain in his back and legs. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a tumor inside his spinal cord, requiring an eight-hour surgery in Buffalo to remove the non-cancerous growth.
The procedure forced him to spend six months in physical therapy to relearn daily tasks such as walking and climbing stairs.
“Now as a 23-year-old at that point in time, I’ve worked to reach this lifelong goal and felt like it was all just going to get ripped away from me again,” Della Penna said, [amerks.com] reported.
He recovered and returned to his broadcasting career, maintaining connections to childhood peers facing similar illnesses, including Michael Napoleone, a Batavia native who fought leukemia and Burkitt lymphoma before passing away in 2007. Della Penna’s mother now serves on the board of directors for the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.
Hockey Fights Cancer campaign partnership
The American Hockey League partners with the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association for the Hockey Fights Cancer campaign, powered by the V Foundation for Cancer Research and presented by AstraZeneca. The initiative, established in 1998, aims to drive support for cancer research and encourage recommended medical screenings.
The Rochester Americans are scheduled to host their Hockey Fights Cancer night on Feb. 12 as one of 22 teams participating across the league. Della Penna continues to visit patients at Roswell Park and Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, drawing on his own medical history to connect with young patients and their families.
“The lessons learned along the way were incredibly valuable,” Della Penna said, [amerks.com] reported.
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