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A high school student in Canada recently made headlines after being tapped to serve as the play-by-play guy for a junior league team at the age of 17. However, he found himself overshadowed by his mom after she took home a significant chunk of dough by winning the 50/50 raffle at the very first game he called.
There’s no shortage of kids in Canada who grow up dreaming of becoming a professional hockey player. However, Seth Hyde, who was born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland, has spent a good chunk of his life angling to become one of the people who get to call those games for a living.
According to the CBC, Hyde was playing hockey as a 12-year-old when he was sidelined by an injury that prevented him from taking part in one of his team’s playoff games during the pandemic. He decided to offer his own play-by-play commentary on Facebook Live while stuck at home, which snowballed into a hobby that saw him give other games being streamed online the same treatment.
That culminated with the vice president of the Newfoundland Regiment, a QMJHL team that recently kicked off its first season in the city he calls home, offering the high school junior the chance to step into the play-by-play role during their inaugural campaign at the age of 17. It was already a cool story on its own, and it got even better thanks to what transpired when he kicked off his new gig.
The mother of the play-by-play announcer won the 50/50 raffle at a game he was calling and he understandably freaked out
The Regiment are one of the many sports teams that offer fans the chance to win some money and support a good cause in the process with the 50/50 raffle. Anyone in the province the squad calls home can buy tickets for a drawing that supports the Regiment Hockey Cares Foundation, which was formed to “promote youth development, health and wellness, and community engagement through hockey-related programs.”
The team’s home opener with the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday boasted a 50/50 raffle that ballooned to a sum of $37,770 (approximately $27,370 in American money), meaning the person holding the winning ticket got to walk away with $18,885 (~$13,685).
What was already going to be an unforgettable night for Hyde became even more memorable after he discovered his mom was the person who’d won the raffle, and he did what he could to keep his composure while still celebrating accordingly.
NO WAY! 😂@nlregiment broadcasters talk about the massive 50/50 jackpot of $37,770 at the Mary Brown’s Centre and play-by-play man Seth Hyde learns HIS MOM won it. Listen to the incredible reaction.@QMJHL | @LHJMQ pic.twitter.com/vYm8egQO5b
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) September 19, 2025
The Regiment also walked away with a 7-5 win in their first-ever game at the Mary Brown’s Centre, so it’s safe to say the stars aligned in St. John’s on Thursday.