NHL public address announcers

[Megustaelhockey]

Who's your public address announcer and do you like them? Could you do the job yourself?

Joe Tolleson does a fantastic job at Madison Square Garden, but for my money, the best is Michel Lacroix in Montreal. Master hard pronunciations and get a ton of information out in two languages without losing any enthusiasm along the way.

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[tarheelhockey]

Wade Minter in Raleigh. Good guy, local beer league goalie and improv comedian. He’s part of the culture but doesn’t make the show about him.

Could I do the job? Not really. There’s more to it than just reading scripts, it’s honestly more of an acting job and requires that kind of skill set.

 

[beedee]

The Kings (Angels and Clippers too) had a gem of a PA announcer in David Courtney, RIP. He was a natural, didnt sound contrived and corny as the two that have followed him do. I don't even know (or care) who the newest guys name is. The guy before him, Dave Joseph tried too hard, his voice was shaky as hell, he was almost like the Leah Hextall of PA announcers.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Alan Roach is a Denver icon (and the NFL loves him too).

 

[Bounces R Way]

Beesley the GOAT as far as I'm concerned.

First of all, using a mononym as a PA announcer? Chic and classy. Trendsetter

Second he fell off a stage drunk at the Stampede a cpl years ago. Broke all his ribs, his collarbone, and his wrist. Didn't miss a game. Metal AF

Third just listen to him announce Jarome Iginla @30seconds


Man is the Hype King. He even manages to get people excited about the Flames somehow.

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

The Jets' announcer, Jay Richardson, gets invited to do international tournaments like the World Cup to do their announcing. I've heard some rival teams' fans not liking him, but he's got a great voice for the job.

 

[Diaspora]

Being a geezer, I can remember the original announcer for the Sabres at the Aud (Memorial Auditorium), Milt Ellis.

Milt had a deadpan, no-nonsense delivery that sounded like a disinterested basset hound. His goal and penalty announcements were the same for the home team as they were for the visitors. In fact, he sounded the same when he was announcing that a doctor should call his answering service or reminding people that smoking was only allowed in the hallways and not in the seating area.

On rare occasion, a note of mischief might creep in when he would come in during a snoozer of a game and announce:

"Will the owner of a green Ford Escort wagon with license plate number . . . B . . . N . . .L . . .2 . . . 3 . . . 5 . . . 7. . .

That's . . . B . . .N . . . L . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 5 . . . 7 . . .

Please come to the box office.

Your car is being towed."

Best arena announcer in the history of history.

 

[542365]

Blues have Tom Calhoun who does a great job and hasn't missed a game in 35 years, which is absolutely wild.

 

[CraigBillington]

John Ashbridge was Great in Vancouver. Nothing particularly exciting about him.
Always felt he kept it simple, didn't try to add a lot of flash to his calls like a lot of announcers.
I always liked the guy Toronto had decades ago.... Paul morris?

 

[Truenorthducky]

The Jets' announcer, Jay Richardson, gets invited to do international tournaments like the World Cup to do their announcing. I've heard some rival teams' fans not liking him, but he's got a great voice for the job.

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

John Ashbridge was Great in Vancouver. Nothing particularly exciting about him.
Always felt he kept it simple, didn't try to add a lot of flash to his calls like a lot of announcers.
I always liked the guy Toronto had decades ago.... Paul morris?

Our current guy seems to be the league’s choice for big events lately. Al Murdoch.

 

[CraigBillington]

Our current guy seems to be the league’s choice for big events lately. Al Murdoch.

He's pretty good. Granted, I haven't watched a lot of games lately, but I honestly couldn't tell much of a difference. Seems he has a similar demeanour as Ashbridge

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Red Wings had Bud Lynch (a fan favorite and a WWII veteran to boot), but he passed away a few years back.

The current one, I couldn't tell you a thing about him.

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

He's pretty good. Granted, I haven't watched a lot of games lately, but I honestly couldn't tell much of a difference. Seems he has a similar demeanour as Ashbridge

It’s hard for me to say one way or another. John Ashbridge was longer ago than I can confidently compare to anyone else. Good line of succession we have had here though for sure.

 

[JianYang]

Anyone remember the guy the leafs had at maple leaf gardens? He was so monotonous but with a really old school delivery.

The Lakers PA guy.... Someone needs to wake that guy up.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

Lou Nolan in Philly. Been doing it since 1972.

 

[sabremike]

Lou Nolan in Philly. Been doing it since 1972.

I still have the "Stay Classy Philly" shirt!

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Wade Minter in Raleigh. Good guy, local beer league goalie and improv comedian. He’s part of the culture but doesn’t make the show about him.

Could I do the job? Not really. There’s more to it than just reading scripts, it’s honestly more of an acting job and requires that kind of skill set.

Wade's a good guy, and a really smart techie as well. I've worked with him a bit in the past, cool dude.

 

[Staniowski]

Anyone remember the guy the leafs had at maple leaf gardens? He was so monotonous but with a really old school delivery.

The Lakers PA guy.... Someone needs to wake that guy up.

Paul Morris, at Maple Leaf Gardens. Very unique and memorable.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

As Pens fan that doesn't live very far from DC, I've always liked the Caps PA guy. Really intense voice, lots of power, guy sounds like a Buzzsaw. Saw the dude do his thing live, buddy really gives it his all

 

[njdevils1982]

Anyone remember the guy the leafs had at maple leaf gardens? He was so monotonous but with a really old school delivery.

so monotone and a bit nasally (?) ...i can hear his voice in my head right now... classic

 

[ChurchOfAlfie]

Always loved the way Ottawa's old announcer stretched the names of players - skip to 3:30 in the video for an example.

The current guy isn't nearly as good, in my opinion.



You can hear him stretch Ray Emery's last name to 12 seconds in this one behind the announcers. I get chills listening to that call, that crowd.

 

[Mr_Fun]

The Kings (Angels and Clippers too) had a gem of a PA announcer in David Courtney, RIP. He was a natural, didnt sound contrived and corny as the two that have followed him do. I don't even know (or care) who the newest guys name is. The guy before him, Dave Joseph tried too hard, his voice was shaky as hell, he was almost like the Leah Hextall of PA announcers.

Was he there in 88-89? Because that PA announcer was fantastic for the year I lived in L.A.

 

[Dulind]

Being a geezer, I can remember the original announcer for the Sabres at the Aud (Memorial Auditorium), Milt Ellis.

Milt had a deadpan, no-nonsense delivery that sounded like a disinterested basset hound. His goal and penalty announcements were the same for the home team as they were for the visitors. In fact, he sounded the same when he was announcing that a doctor should call his answering service or reminding people that smoking was only allowed in the hallways and not in the seating area.

On rare occasion, a note of mischief might creep in when he would come in during a snoozer of a game and announce:

"Will the owner of a green Ford Escort wagon with license plate number . . . B . . . N . . .L . . .2 . . . 3 . . . 5 . . . 7. . .

That's . . . B . . .N . . . L . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 5 . . . 7 . . .

Please come to the box office.

Your car is being towed."

Best arena announcer in the history of history.

Absolutely -- the guy we have now isn't bad. He's just incomparable to Milt.

 

[Mr_Fun]

John Ashbridge was Great in Vancouver. Nothing particularly exciting about him.
Always felt he kept it simple, didn't try to add a lot of flash to his calls like a lot of announcers.
I always liked the guy Toronto had decades ago.... Paul morris?

Yup, it was Paul Morris. He had an iconic monotone delivery. It didn't change if it was the other team, a series winning playoff goal, the threat of nuclear war; it was always the same.

I don't know if you remember the early 90's when a local Vancouver radio station was playing classic rock songs like Aqualung with John Ashbridge singing like a stadium announcer would? It was damn hilarious.