The Best National Hockey League Announcers of All-Time
Number Four. Mike Lange, Pittsburgh Penguins. Now Lange is all about schtick. He somewhat monotone, gravelly voice is not one that makes you think, "hey, this guy is a hockey announcer!" But when Lange winds up after a Pens goal with "Ohhhh, and the empty netter by Crosby, and Elvis has left the building..." or "heeee shoots, heee scores, buy Sam a drink and get his dog one too," you know you are hearing one of the most beloved legends of hockey play-by-play. Lange's lines more often than not make no sense, but that might just be the beauty of what he does.
Number Three. Pat Foley, Chicago Blackhawks. If you are looking for a consistent, solid play-by-play guy, Pat Foley is your man. No one keeps track of the puck and keeps up with the play better than Foley and his use of nicknames and quick phrases to describe the action is second to none.
Number Two. Joe Bowen, Toronto Maple Leafs. To diehard hockey fans, Joe Bowen IS hockey. Having broadcast over 1500 games for the legendary Toronto Maple Leafs, Bowen makes every second of every game seem like the most exciting hockey ever played. Bowen is probably the loudest announcer in the league as well. He is measured also. While Bowen can be a homer, he always takes some subtle shots at the Leafs when their play is subpar.
Number One. Rick Jeanneret, Buffalo Sabres. Although I produced many of Jeanneret's broadcasts back in the early 90s, I just discovered that he was born in Sweden before moving to Canada. When it comes to classic calls that just seem to pop up every single day on Sports Radio and TV, Jeanneret's voice is most often heard. Sabres' fans of old would relish in hearing, "La, La, La, La, La, La, La, LaFontaine" whenever former star Pat LaFontaine scored a goal. And who could forget the call of "MAY DAY, MAY DAY, MAY DAY, MAY DAY," when Brad May scored a big postseason game-winning-goal in 1993. And of course, any mention of RJ is not complete without giving him credit for the often stolen line of "top shelf where Mama hides the cookies!"
Published by Rocco Pendola
I am a former talk radio personality at top stations in Buffalo, Miami, Pittsburgh, & Dallas. Presently I have a BA in urban studies from San Francisco State University. View profile
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6 Comments
Post a Commentyou sir are a fool, RJ has a ridiculous amount of passion for the game all of his calls come striaght from the heart. he is one of the few announcers who actually give the visiting team credit when credit is do. him and harry neale are the best tag team announcers in the NHL
Rick Jeanneret is a terrible announcer, he simply is given a pass because he has been doing it for so long. Listening to him announce a game is like listening to a cat's throat being ripped out while it moans in pain.
R.J.'s right on the money. I'm not sure how any "Top Hockey Announcer" list could begin to be complete without HOF announcer Fred Cusack. Voice, passion, knowledge; Fred had them all. When paired with Derek Sanderson, this was one of the most solid announcing duo ever. If not for third wheel/lodestone Dave Shea, this would have been the announcer crew from heaven.
Also, as far as your first overall pick, I have first-hand experience with him. I worked some games on the crew for FOX when they had hockey (and oh what a treat having hockey on FOX was, huh fans!) and worked directly with Rick Jeanneret. He might be the nicest on-air guy I've ever worked with...or a close second to Doc Emerick.
Lastly, speaking of the Bruins, any chance I can put out a vote for worst announcer ever? Dale Arnold - period. When Dave Shea took over play-by-play, that was a catastrophe too, but I watched many a Bruins game with the sound muted the entire 3 periods with Dale Arnold on the mic.
What about the late Hall of Fame announcer Gene Hart, the voice of the Flyers for many years? I would have thought he would have made second place behind Rick Jeanneret!
I totally agree with your number 1 selection. I have heard many announcers over the past 40 years as a hockey fan. For my money, without a doubt, hands-down the ABSOLUTE BEST of ALL TIME is Rick Jeanneret. Period. There really is no argument. Anyone else is a distant second. If you have not had a the opportunity to listen to him broadcast, please, do yourself a favor and catch him in action at least once before he retires. He makes every game more exciting.
Either you are slightly a bit off or you just don't care about Bruin hockey, because there would be no other explanation of not having THE BEST HOCKEY ANNOUNCER of ALL TIME on your list. FRED CUSACK had the best voice of announcers anywhere. Trust me, I have heard the LA LA LA LaFontaine before but you go back and listen to Cusack saying "SCOOOORE" in some of the early 90's Bruins game (Playoff to be precise with Cam Neely doing his thing) and you tell me if you have forgotten a true hall-of-famer in your list. Contact me at Janessasguy@yahoo.com