Your favourite (and least favourite) NHL playoff broadcasters—past and present

I think we all have “favourite” play-by-play announcers and colour commentators.  It’s just human nature to gravitate to broadcasters when we like their voice, their style, tone, whatever.  It could be because they are calling games for the “home” side and we love that they are a bit (or more than a bit) biased. We may appreciate their use of language, that they are colorful or know how to bring us to the mental edge of our seats at just the right moment.

As much as I respect and appreciate many of the more modern era broadcasters (including the venerable Bob Cole, of course), for me, the finest play-by-play voice of all time—especially in the playoffs—was the great Danny Gallivan (right).  On television in particular, Gallivan did for me what no other broadcaster has before or since.  He created a sense of not only the moment, but the ebb and flow of the game.  He instinctively knew when the action on the ice called for a dramatic pause or a particular turn of phrase.  When Gallivan’s voice rose, you knew something important was about to happen one way or another.  He was simply outstanding.

Foster Hewitt remains, to this day, my favourite play-by-play voice on the radio.  I don’t think anyone ever quite had a voice and delivery quite like Foster, and to me, it carried especially well on the radio side of things.  He had a marvelous way of bringing the action to your tiny little bedside radio.

I realize, of course, that between the 30 NHL home broadcast “teams” and the various network play-by-play guys from NBC, TSN, Sportsnet, CBC, etc. there are a lot more options to choose from these days in terms of picking a personal favourite.

That said, I always enjoy these discussions.  As I often say, we all see the same picture very differently.  How a particular broadcaster comes across to me, for example, may create an entirely different response for you. So by all means share your thoughts about a) your favourite play-by-play person, as well as the colour commentator (in the booth) you like listening to the most.  For good measure, let’s include studio analysts (they’re everywhere these days—there’s never any shortage of talking heads).  There are no doubt broadcasters that you don't like, so let me know your thoughts in that regard as well.

And for good measure, name the individuals you would choose to be on your broadcast team for Game 7 of a Stanley Cup final.