Bruins Centennial Who is the best RADIO play-by-play announcer in Bruins history?

Who is the best RADIO play-by-play announcer in Bruins history?

  • Frank Ryan - 1924-1952

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Fred Cusick - 1952-1963, 1969-1971

    Votes: 3 4.5%
  • Bill Harrington - 1963-1966

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Jim Laing - 1966

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bob Wilson - 1967-1969, 1971-1995

    Votes: 40 60.6%
  • Dale Arnold - 1995

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bob Neumeier - 1995 - 2000

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dave Goucher - 2000 -2017

    Votes: 23 34.8%
  • Judd Sirott - 2017 -

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    66

Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
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Sep 26, 2007
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Cambridge, MA
Gotta get up before 5:00 am to fool me @Fenway .

Even 936.9 KM away, I was able to pick up WBZ through the 70's and listen to Bob Wilson. He was legendary. The 80's arrived and hockey became more available on TV and I didn't need radio anymore.
@DominicT - In the 50's a young boy in Sudbury, Ontario could hear WHDH at night and he said Fred Cusick inspired him to get into broadcasting.

 

Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
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Sep 26, 2007
69,381
101,434
Cambridge, MA
@DominicT

Jim Laing will always have a soft spot in my heart.


A native of Weyburn, Laing's career began in 1962 calling junior hockey games in Saskatchewan. While calling games for the Estevan Bruins, Boston Bruins President Weston Adams heard Laing's play by play on scouting trips. Adams was very impressed with Laing's impartiality, especially in games between Estevan and their rivals, the Weyburn Red Wings. According to Boston Bruins announcer Fred Cusick, Laing "was a dead ringer, in voice and inflection, for Foster Hewitt, Canada's legendary hockey announcer". He was hired by Adams in 1966 to call Bruins games on radio. Laing was 23 years old at the time of his hiring. During his tenure in Boston, he was praised by Boston Globe sportswriter Harold Kaese for being "objective and accurate".

Laing was fired after only one season because Bruins management believed that he tended to lean on the negative. He was replaced by Bob Wilson the following season.
 
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UncleRico

Registered User
May 8, 2017
8,319
10,740
Goucher for me personally. I’m younger than most here so didn’t get to listen to a few guys on this list.

I think Goucher is one of the best in the league. One of the best parts about the ESPN app is being able to watch out of town games and pick either broadcast. Naturally watched quite a few vegas games this year when I was traveling for work just to tune in to watch Cassidy’s teams and it’s always a pleasure listening to Goucher call games
 
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JoeIsAStud

HFBoards Sponsor
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Feb 27, 2002
12,014
6,207
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This one, I guess like the other is somewhat tough because there are 2 great choices. And then a bunch of not.

And in this case 2 legitimate HOF types
 

FU Shoresy

Registered User
Jan 25, 2023
179
292
Spent many of nights doing homework at the kitchen table, Listening to Bob Wilson on the radio. Goucher would be a close second. Spent many nights listening to him on my XM radio out here on the West Coast now.
 

Fenian24

Registered User
Jun 14, 2010
10,470
13,781
Bob Wilson was the best, sadly the call I remember most was from May 10, 1979.
 

EvilDead

Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.
Nov 6, 2014
9,770
8,276
Taiwan
I'm so young that I don't remember Neumeier or Wilson, but Goucher and Sirott are some of the best radio play by play guys I have listened to when following the sport of hockey or any sport really. Not having Goucher take over the TV job in Boston still angers me to this day and makes me disgusted with NESN not doing enough to give him that gig especially now with the television product becoming unlistenable.
 

EvilDead

Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.
Nov 6, 2014
9,770
8,276
Taiwan
I miss that dumpy, hot, cramped building so much. Somebody needs to give this to Jack Edwards so he can hear what a real broadcaster sounds like.
I wish the TD Garden would have thing to give it an even greater home ice advantages like railed seating sections where the rowdy fans could sit or stand and maybe even steeper angle for the stands so that the fans are on top of the action again.
 

Bruinaura

Resident Cookie Monster
Mar 29, 2014
46,579
91,237
The only team I ever listened to on radio was the Orioles, back in the 80s. Jon Miller was fantastic.

I have no answer for this poll but I'd say Goucher was pretty good. My proof is "Bergeron! Bergeron!! BERGERON!!!" :D
 
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McGarnagle

Yes.
Aug 5, 2017
29,361
39,828
I feel amiss in answering the poll. I'm too young to have heard Bob Wilson and only know Dave Goucher and Judd Sirott with any coherent memory. I've only seen that youtube video of Wilson joining the ESPN broadcast in 1995, aside from that I have no exposure to him, but I know how he's revered by older fans. As a young kid I'm sure when I was scrolling up and down the AM dial I may have come across Bob Neumeier's calls, but I have no detailed memory of that at all.

TBQH I seem to recall that as a kid on the New Hampshire seacoast with an AM/FM alarm clock radio in my room, it was actually easier to get the New York Rangers than the Bruins on the radio. I guess WFAN came in more clearly than WBZ. But I never really listened intently to the Bruins on the radio until I was in college and could get games in the car radio driving home after classes.

Goucher was all around class, Sirott's not bad but I wish he wouldn't yell so much when they score.
 

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