To many hockey fans of the 2010’s, he was the voice of the sport, with his excitable flurries and iconic phrases near synonymous with the NHL, especially come playoff time.
On Monday, Mike Emrick announced his retirement from broadcasting after nearly half a century in the industry, starting in 1973 when he began his first role with the Port Huron Flags of the now defunct IHL. In Philadelphia, many will remember Doc’s time as a spot announcer for Flyers’ broadcasts in the mid 1980’s, and he eventually was promoted to work alongside Bill Clement on the primary broadcasts, a pairing that stuck until 1993. Then, conversely, many will also remember his long stint with the Devils as their primary broadcaster, a role he held for 21 years after replacing Gary Thorne.
However, Doc’s biggest impact was on the national stage, where he worked as the primary voice of NHL broadcasts for ESPN, FOX, ABC, Versus, and NBC for over thirty years. Come playoff time, there was nobody who could generate more excitement with dramatic inflection quite like Emrick.
He also lent his voice to multiple Olympic Games, calling men’s and women’s ice hockey on the world stage in 2006, 2010, and 2014. If you had never watched a hockey game before, there was a good chance Doc Emrick would be guiding you through it.
Here at Broad Street Hockey, we wish you the best in retirement Doc, and thank you for all the memories! We may be biased, but we reckon this is your best call:
