Tim Calhoun
#11
- May 31, 2006
- 10,457
- 1,320
OT: PA announcer John Ashbridge has passed away
- Thread starter Tim Calhoun
- Start date
Captain Bowie
Registered User
- Jan 18, 2012
- 27,139
- 4,414
That's awful. He had an amazing voice, truly a part of the Canucks atmosphere for decades.
Fire Benning
diaper filled piss baby
clunk
Registered User
Damn. Voice of the team in-house and will be sadly missed. As a kid was always so proud of how awesome the guy calling the goals was so much better than the losers in Toronto and Calgary.
Gord Robson
Gord Robson
How terribly sad. We were so fortunate to have an announcer whose voice was never irritating.
RIP
RIP
It is with great Sadness that this news comes tonight. The Canucks were terrible when I was a kid growing up in the 80"s but we had the best Play By Play Broadcaster in Jim Robson.... and the best PA announcer in John Ashbridge
God Bless you and your Family and thank you for the Memories
God Bless you and your Family and thank you for the Memories
The Stig
Your hero.
petrishriekandgo
Why not us?
Always remember his call of PAAAAVEL BOOOOOOURE during the 94 run. Canucks games won't be the same without him.
Horse McHindu
They call me Horse.....
Incredibly sad news.
For most of us, his voice was synonymous with the Canucks and we never knew any other. Even in the '90s, most of the league already had rah-rah collegiate-style announcers who would treat it as their job to fire up the crowd for the home team, but Ashbridge had this classy demeanor that he wouldn't waver from unless something was really important, and even then he'd only let a hint of satisfaction creep into his voice.
I became an active fan during the 1990-91 season, and his call on the winning OT goal in the Canucks' final regular-season game that propelled them to the playoffs at the end of a long turtle derby with Winnipeg is still completely etched into my brain. Cliché as it is, I can hear it mentally like it was yesterday. There was some doubt as to whether Trevor Linden's shot had gone straight in (which would have made it his 34th goal of the season) or whether Geoff Courtnall had tipped it (which would have been his 33rd), and in the midst of the excitement Robson/Larscheid were wondering aloud who it was...
Almost as if reading their mind from ice level, Ashbridge announced the goal with a what can only be described as a vocal wink, putting special emphasis on "thirty-third of the season", after which Robson confirmed "It's Courtnall!"
Of course with 14+ teams now missing the playoffs instead of 5, that Canuck squad would never have sniffed the postseason, but given its importance at the time (especially to young teenaged me) that one goal and its announcement still resonates big time with me today.
"Vancouver goal, his thirty-third of the season... scored on the power play... in overtime... by number ten... Geoff Courtnall!"
Goddamn it, now I'm tearing up.
For most of us, his voice was synonymous with the Canucks and we never knew any other. Even in the '90s, most of the league already had rah-rah collegiate-style announcers who would treat it as their job to fire up the crowd for the home team, but Ashbridge had this classy demeanor that he wouldn't waver from unless something was really important, and even then he'd only let a hint of satisfaction creep into his voice.
I became an active fan during the 1990-91 season, and his call on the winning OT goal in the Canucks' final regular-season game that propelled them to the playoffs at the end of a long turtle derby with Winnipeg is still completely etched into my brain. Cliché as it is, I can hear it mentally like it was yesterday. There was some doubt as to whether Trevor Linden's shot had gone straight in (which would have made it his 34th goal of the season) or whether Geoff Courtnall had tipped it (which would have been his 33rd), and in the midst of the excitement Robson/Larscheid were wondering aloud who it was...
Almost as if reading their mind from ice level, Ashbridge announced the goal with a what can only be described as a vocal wink, putting special emphasis on "thirty-third of the season", after which Robson confirmed "It's Courtnall!"
Of course with 14+ teams now missing the playoffs instead of 5, that Canuck squad would never have sniffed the postseason, but given its importance at the time (especially to young teenaged me) that one goal and its announcement still resonates big time with me today.
"Vancouver goal, his thirty-third of the season... scored on the power play... in overtime... by number ten... Geoff Courtnall!"
Goddamn it, now I'm tearing up.
VanillaCoke
Registered User
- Oct 30, 2013
- 25,262
- 11,627
He was such a big part of the Canucks game experience. You can tell how much he was respected by the outpouring of support from past colleagues this morning.
A true Vancouver legend. He'll be missed.
A true Vancouver legend. He'll be missed.
Hollywood Burrows
Registered User
Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
Voice of my childhood - Wyatt put it pretty well perfectly: every Canucks fan who grew up playing hockey dreamed of his voice announcing our goals. 
I had the pleasure of talking with him before our Alumni game in Kitimat in April (he was going to attend but ultimately had to bow out due to his health). I was working on flight details and had to track down full legal names for all the participants. Wikipedia was a good resource for a lot of them. Anyway, I emailed the Alumni director that I'd had that good fortune but still needed a few names including Mr. Ashbridge's. Imagine my surprise when the next person to email me is John himself, quipping "I don't have a Wikipedia page because I'm not famous like those other guys!"
A very kind, humble man. With the voice of God. RIP, Mr. Ashbridge.
I had the pleasure of talking with him before our Alumni game in Kitimat in April (he was going to attend but ultimately had to bow out due to his health). I was working on flight details and had to track down full legal names for all the participants. Wikipedia was a good resource for a lot of them. Anyway, I emailed the Alumni director that I'd had that good fortune but still needed a few names including Mr. Ashbridge's. Imagine my surprise when the next person to email me is John himself, quipping "I don't have a Wikipedia page because I'm not famous like those other guys!"
A very kind, humble man. With the voice of God. RIP, Mr. Ashbridge.
cabinessence
Registered User
- Feb 18, 2017
- 1,135
- 468
Sad news. Legendary voice. One thing I can't stand now is how TV broadcasts rarely pick up the in house public address voice on goal and penalty calls. I used to be familiar with most arena's voices and styles.,. I am not sure why they don't have the voices more prominent, but I'd wager it has something to do with selling more ads...somehow.
BROCK HUGHES
Registered User
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