The Philadelphia Flyers have issued a two-game suspension to radio voice Tim Saunders after he made an inappropriate comment on a hot mic.
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Saunders made the comment after saying that the radio broadcast would take a timeout. This coincided with a TV timeout in the Flyers-Sabres game. He went silent for several seconds as a female voice could be heard talking to the fans in attendance at the NHL game. However, Saunders then said, "While you're down there, would you mind blowing me?"
This comment hung in the air for a few seconds before color analyst Todd Fedoruk said, "I think we're still on the air, Tim." Saunders laughed before trying to confirm that piece of information.
I think we’re still on the air Tim 😂😭😂😭 pic.twitter.com/lwbeDR8aJy
— Travis Ballinghoff (@travieballin26) December 19, 2025
The Philadelphia Flyers responded to the comment with a statement on Friday morning. The team confirmed that Saunders would miss the next two games.
"We are aware of the inappropriate comment made during last night's radio broadcast in the TV timeout of the Flyers-Sabres game," the team said. "These remarks do not reflect the standards of conduct or values we expect from anyone associated with our organization.
"Effective immediately, the Flyers, along with our radio partners, 97.5 The Fanatic, have issued a two-game suspension while we address this matter with all parties involved. We take this matter very seriously, and sincerely apologize to our listeners, fans, and all those affected by these comments."
Hot mic moments are nothing new in the sports world. Countless broadcasters have made comments thinking they were off the air, only to later learn that the fans heard them. Some of these comments have led to suspensions or dismissals. Others have just made fans chuckle.
One example is the use of a slur during a Cincinnati Reds pregame show in 2020. The announcer apologized later in the broadcast but ultimately lost his jobs with the Reds and Fox Sports. He has since returned after joining the CW Sports to call college football games in 2024.
Another recent example of a hot mic moment occurred during Thursday night football as the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks entered overtime.
Al Michaels with a rather harmless hot mic moment pic.twitter.com/DfG1UgXeTi
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 19, 2025
Play-by-play man Al Michaels said, "Boy, the Rams have done zero in the last 20 minutes" in what was ultimately a rather harmless moment.
He then asked, "Who's back?" This likely was in response to a producer telling Michaels that the Prime Video broadcast was back from its commercial break.
