David Duchovny To Host Podcast About Hobey Baker, America’s First Ice Hockey Star, For ESPN’s 30 For 30

EXCLUSIVE: David Duchovny is getting in the rink and into the podcasting business.

The X-Files star is hosting a podcast for ESPN’s 30 for 30, about Hobey Baker, who is widely considered the first ice hockey star in America.

Searching for Hobey Baker, which launches on June 12, tells the story of Baker, who is known as collegiate hockey’s most prestigious trophy is named after him, but few know the real story.

Using an archive of personal letters and source materials provided by the Mudd Library at Princeton University, as well as original research, the series charts Hobey’s glory days as the best collegiate hockey and football player in the nation, his post-grad ennui in Gilded Age New York City, and his exploits as a WWI fighter pilot, which ended tragically in a mysterious crash in 1918.  Beyond Hobey’s adventures on the ice and in the air, the podcast also re-contextualizes the hockey legend through the lens of his lesser-known struggles as a queer man in the early 20th century.

Duchovny, like Baker, was an alumnus of Princeton University.

The series is produced by Ross Greenburg Productions and Silver Sound in collaboration with ESPN and is exec produced by Ross Greenburg, Andrew Reynolds and Tim Smith.

You can listen to the trailer here.

“As ESPN continues to delve into captivating narratives through our 30 for 30 stories, we are thrilled to illuminate the extraordinary legacy of Hobey Baker in an upcoming podcast,” said Preeti Varathan, ESPN Producer and Head of 30 for 30 Podcasts. “Collaborating with David Duchovny, a fellow Princeton alum, adds a unique depth to this exploration of Baker’s life. It’s crucial to showcase underrepresented stories like Baker’s, especially his journey as a queer sports icon. Through Searching for Hobey Baker, we aim to inspire listeners by celebrating resilience, a diversity of life experiences, and the enduring spirit of sportsmanship that transcends generations.”