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Best NHL announcers of all time
- Thread starter Kemosabe
- Start date
FreddyE1977
Star Participant
Dan Kelly was a great one. Being in Pittsburgh I am sort of partial to Mike Lange.
Lange has lost a step or two in recent years, but at his peak he was really, really good.
Could hold your interest on the radio, basically working along (including between periods)
all while calling games for what at the time was a really bad team.
Lange has lost a step or two in recent years, but at his peak he was really, really good.
Could hold your interest on the radio, basically working along (including between periods)
all while calling games for what at the time was a really bad team.
Kemosabe
Star Participant
Freddy, who was the Pens announcer who followed every call of a Pittsburgh goal with, "What a bonanza!"?
FreddyE1977
Star Participant
Have to admit I don't really remember that "What a Bonanza" call.
Makes me think it was probably a short-timer like Doug McLeod (current TV voice of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers) or Jim Forney. For a time Joe Starkey did radio (perhaps best known for his call of the Marching Band on the Field play in the Cal-Stanford game).
The absolute WORST Pens announcer was former Pirates announcer Bob Prince. He was clueless.
Makes me think it was probably a short-timer like Doug McLeod (current TV voice of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers) or Jim Forney. For a time Joe Starkey did radio (perhaps best known for his call of the Marching Band on the Field play in the Cal-Stanford game).
The absolute WORST Pens announcer was former Pirates announcer Bob Prince. He was clueless.
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Juan Bodley
Frequent Participant
In the "could have been but didn't go category..."
Bob Chase, who inspired Mr. Emerick, spent 60+ years with the Fort Wayne Komets, but was offered (and called a few games) for St. Louis and also offered the Detroit radio job. He stayed in Fort Wayne with WOWO and probably had just as big an audience, even though it was a minor league team.
Now he's in the great press box of the beyond...
Bob Chase, who inspired Mr. Emerick, spent 60+ years with the Fort Wayne Komets, but was offered (and called a few games) for St. Louis and also offered the Detroit radio job. He stayed in Fort Wayne with WOWO and probably had just as big an audience, even though it was a minor league team.
Now he's in the great press box of the beyond...
Mediafrog+
Walk of Fame Participant
Dan Kelly. By a country mile. Loved listening to his call of the Blues on KMOX in the 1970's and 80's. Also did NHL PxP for CBS in the early 70's, and later on the various ad hoc networks carrying the playoffs. Occasionally those vintage games are shown on NHL Network. Also did the best fight call when such antics broke out, which was quite common back in the day.
Kelly died much too young, huge loss.
Kelly died much too young, huge loss.
onairb2014
Frequent Participant
Aside from his brief stint in Pittsburgh, Joe Starkey has a long association with Bay Area sports...and 'What a bonanza!' has been his trademark catch phrase. Starkey still does Cal Bears football, and previously did the 49ers for many years, as well as the Oakland Seals and San Jose Sharks (in the early years of both NHL franchises). I believe he left the Bay Area for Pittsburgh because the Seals did not always have a radio contract. He returned to the Bay Area in 1975, when he started working for KGO-AM, and calling Cal football and basketball(a sport he called until the early '90s).
Starkey was KGO-AM's sports director until 2005, when the station lost the 49ers rights to KNBR, and Starkey chose football.
Kemosabe
Star Participant
Lloyd Pettit ("and a GOAL!") was indeed great. I noticed, however, that you didn't mention Jim West
How about Chuck Kaiton from the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes? Always used to enjoy his radio calls here on WTIC-AM 1080 of Hartford.
I remember hearing Rick Peckham (now with Tampa Bay) call Hartford Whaler games on WTIC.
It was certainly entertaining to hear Jiggs McDonald and especially his color announcer Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion broadcast Atlanta Flames games on WSB.
Lloyd Pettit ("and a GOAL!") was indeed great. I noticed, however, that you didn't mention Jim West
I forgot about West. I remember him doing Cubs games with Jack Brickhouse in the mid 1970s (Pettit was also in the WGN-TV booth with Brickhouse, in the 1960s), but not hockey.
Another one I forgot, but should mention, is Dale Tallon, Pat Foley's WBBM radio partner in the '80s and '90s.
FreddyE1977
Star Participant
The Penguins also had Gary Morrell for one year in the 70's, when they switched their radio contract from KDKA to KQV. KQV had such an inferior signal that there was a hue and cry from fans. The following season they returned to KDKA (which brought back Mike Lange).
Kemosabe
Star Participant
Although West was better known for his play-by-play work on WGN-TV, he had a brief radio stint in the late '70s. He was quite a homer.
This is out of bounds since I knew them from TV coverage; Bob Cole and Harry Neale on CBC. Harry's minimalist approach to color (or colour for those of you in CA) commentary is the best. Bob called the Senators' game this past Wednesday and still sounds great.
Doc Emrick is also wonderful to hear.
Doc Emrick is also wonderful to hear.
TriangleTriadMediaNews
Frequent Participant
Chuck Kaiton (Hurricanes radio guy) and Joe Benanati (Caps TV guy) for local announcers & Doc Emerick and Jim Hughson for national announcers.
Kemosabe
Star Participant
While Doc Emrick has a great facility for describing plays, his shouting makes every shot sound as if it were a goal. Jim Hughson's enthusiasm is far more measured.
radioman148
Walk of Fame Participant
My vote goes to Lloyd Pettit. Kelly was good, but there was nobody better than Pettit.
danderson6500
Leading Participant
I've never been a fan of Emrick because of his shouting. Jim Hughson is much better. I've seen some clips of Bill Hewitt- was he the guy before Bob Cole?
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