Your favorite voices on tv and radio who brought/bring you the game!

[Jim MacDonald]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to ask your opinions & maybe learn some new famous names/voices that have brought us NHL action through the years....maybe learn about some people from teams/cities I don't know a whole lot about.

Here in Detroit, we've had the luxury of Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond on the TV side. Mickey is really colorful and enjoyable and we are pretty blessed! Some others I've heard of (and correct me if I have the wrong association please). The recently retired Bob Miller for the LA Kings on the tv side for many years....Rick Jeanneret for the Buffalo Sabres (TV), Bob Cole and Harry Neale obviously for the Leafs (TV), Mike Lang for the Pittsburgh Penguins (TV), I want to say that Doc Emerick specifically was local for the Devils before doing the national broadcasts? (if I can get verification on that). Pat Foley and Dale Tallon for the Hawks (TV) (a remember a distinct "Hawks Win! Hawks Win!") There was a Randy someone who did Shark telecasts that seemed to be distinct. Joe Bowen for the Leafs, help on this guys, would he have been TV during the "weekday" games then for the Leafs? The Avs had Mike Haynes and Peter McNab (I believe TV but if I can get a confirmation). The Bruins had a guy with like a distinct voice (I've heard on youtube a same sounding voice of goals called from Cam Neely tributes etc). Look forward to your thoughts *thumbs up*-Jim

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[Doctor No]

Mike Haynes did radio in Denver when John Kelly was doing the TV broadcasts. When Kelly moved to St. Louis (during the 2004-05 lockout), Haynes went to TV and Marc Moser (who was the radio studio host) became the radio guy (they may have simulcast for a bit).

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Mike Haynes did radio in Denver when John Kelly was doing the TV broadcasts. When Kelly moved to St. Louis (during the 2004-05 lockout), Haynes went to TV and Marc Moser (who was the radio studio host) became the radio guy (they may have simulcast for a bit).

Would Haynes have been the guy for the Osgood/Roy fight that said a ton of those "a right by Roy, a right by Roy, a right by Roy"? I read something one time that McNab said when describing a fight Haynes would be throwing the punches in the air and you'd see his tie swinging back and forth! lol that's awesome!

 

[Staniowski]

I remember Ken Daniels when he was on HNIC, must've been in the '80s.

 

[Staniowski]

Danny Gallivan is certainly my all-time favourite. Great voice, great language. "Lafleur skating rather gingerly down the right side".

 

[Jim MacDonald]

I remember Ken Daniels when he was on HNIC, must've been in the '80s.

I remember seeing that too....he was rockin a sweet bushy moustache! lol!

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Danny Gallivan is certainly my all-time favourite. Great voice, great language. "Lafleur skating rather gingerly down the right side".

So cool! I've obviously seen/heard this play/goal a few times. Danny Gallivan is his name....awesomesauce!

 

[Staniowski]

Chris Cuthbert and Don Whitman were two of the long-time play-by-play guys in western Canada on HNIC. Both had great voices.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Chris Cuthbert and Don Whitman were two of the long-time play-by-play guys in western Canada on HNIC. Both had great voices.

*nodding head* Don Whitman with the Pavel Bure call to sink the Flames in 94. Interesting that Cuthbert was part of the western Canada broadcasts too!

 

[Canadiens1958]

Spoiled as a youngster. Danny Gallivan, Rene Lecavalier, Michel Normandin in Montreal. Foster and BillHewitt out of Toronto.

 

[Bluesguru]

Dan Kelly in St. Louis was tops for me. In general, I miss the old school announcers. They were the best.

 

[Staniowski]

Dan Kelly in St. Louis was tops for me. In general, I miss the old school announcers. They were the best.

Dan Kelly called the 87 Canada Cup also, many people would remember him on the famous winning goal by Lemieux.

 

[crobro]

Bernie Pascall and John McCeactchie on BCTV

 

[Staniowski]

Spoiled as a youngster. Danny Gallivan, Rene Lecavalier, Michel Normandin in Montreal. Foster and BillHewitt out of Toronto.

Rene Lecavalier and Danny Gallivan.

 

[Big Phil]

Oh boy, where to start? Bob Cole to this day warms my heart when I hear his voice. I am "home" whenever I hear him call a game. I caught the overtime period between the Habs and Bruins yesterday and I still think he has the best voice in hockey - maybe all-time. The overtime goal with Marchand epitomizes his manner. He is still the perfect backdrop for a hockey game.

Always loved Chris Cuthbert too. His voice always seems to get higher as the play gets more intense.

I am not a Sabres fan, but how can Rick Jeanneret not be on here? I don't know if there is a better goal call in NHL history than the Mayday goal in 1993. It is the way the siren in the background complements his sound as he is saying "SCOORRRRREESSSSS", then the whole "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" call. I mean, Brad May is not a goal scorer, so there is no way that is planned, that is completely off the cuff.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Michel Normandin

 

[VanIslander]

Rick Jeanneret and his "Top shelf, where momma hides the cookies!"

Enjoy!

Chris Cuthbert and Don Whitman were two of the long-time play-by-play guys in western Canada on HNIC. Both had great voices.

Yeah, but I remember them more vividly for the CFL, especially Whitman. His voice is in my head when I think football sometimes! In fact, right now it is. He IS the voice of the CFL for me.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Danny Gallivan is certainly my all-time favourite. Great voice, great language. "Lafleur skating rather gingerly down the right side".

Too many men in 79 has to be the most heartbreaking loss in Bruins history. I can't think of anything that could top it.

But Gallivan was definitely one of the best of all time.

 

[The Panther]

My two best:

1) Don Wittman with Gary Dornhoefer (80s?)
- These guys called the classic 1986 (as well as 1984) Edmonton-Calgary playoff series, and if you go back and watch any of those games, their broadcasting is absolutely pitch-perfect. Wittman is the strong-voiced play-by-play guy who just calls it straight, offering an occasional thought or opinion, but essentially doing it no-frills with his professional, 'trained by radio' voice that commands respect and attention. Dornhoefer is the former (Philly/Boston) player who does the color-commentating, and he does it very well, not pointing out the obvious but mentioning little insights into the game and players and speaking with great respect for all the players on both teams (without being afraid to call out players for poor plays -- ex.: in game 7, he calls out Coffey/Huddy for their horrible blocking on Calgary's second goal, but he does it accurately and without being a blowhard).

2) Bob Cole with Harry Neale (80s/90s only)
- In the late-80s/early-90s these guys were the A-team, and might never have been bettered. Cole with the ultra-old school 1940s' style call and Neale with his ex-coach's wit and jokes.


At a guess, I think maybe the reason so many of today's broadcasters are so wretched is that they didn't come up with radio first. To be good at that, you have to have a good voice, first, and be really good at speaking. (Maybe of today's have pipsqueak voices, like Paul Romanuk.) Then, you have to be able to communicate when people can't see you. Then, you have to know how to create excitement with your voice when people can't see anything.

 

[The Panther]

Just to add something about Bob Cole, the legend -- I can pinpoint the exact moment he somewhat "jumped the shark". Now, I'm not judging Coley because he was the best and is a legend in his own time; I love the guy to pieces. But the moment he suddenly passed his prime?

It happened back in the spring of 1999... shortly before Cole turned 69 years old (yes, folks, Cole was 69 almost twenty years ago! He old.) Remember Brett Hull's overtime goal in Buffalo? Of course you do. But do you remember Cole's call? It's the moment he lost it, which I think is symbolic of the fact that the NHL was becoming a bit of a snoozefest gong-show at the time. Here's what Cole said:
"Score!! Mike Modano... with Dennis Hu- with... Brett Hull... and the Stanley Cup has been won..."

On his third try, he got the goal-scorer right, and it was the first time Cole's call made a huge moment sound less exciting than it actually was.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Being a Leafs fan I very much enjoy hearing Joe Bowen calling their games and it's a shame that Rogers took him off TV and he's now 100% only calling Leafs games on the radio.

 

[LeafsNation75]

 

[brachyrynchos]

Jiggs Mcdonald & Eddie Westfall for the Islanders were a good pair, Jiggs I think later went on to call games for the Panthers.
John Davidson always brought good knowledge and I always enjoyed listening to him and Sam Rosen for the Ranger games on MSG.
My favorite though is Gary Thorne. Yeah he would mispronounce a few names, but the guy always made the games seem more exciting than they sometimes were. He was great.

 

[Marotte Marauder]

Lloyd Petit followed by Pat Foley, 50 years of Blackhawks announcing greats, thank you gentlemen.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Two more of my favorite Joe Bowen calls.