In my lifetime, I have been treated to the sounds of Foster Hewitt, Bill Hewitt and Bob Cole as the signature play by play voice of CBC Hockey Night in Canada (Toronto games). That's more than 50 years of hearing "He shoots, he scores!" sending shivers down my spine. Foster's nasally version gave way to his son Billy's more cultured tone and then to the Newfie accent brought across the water by Cole. I must fess up. I'm half Newfie myself. So, appreciation for Cole's talents were in the blood, so to speak.
Along with the signature voice of the beloved Montreal Canadiens, Danny Gallivan, four men have been 'Hockey' to me. I can still close my eyes, recall pictures and hear their voices. Given I'm in my second half-century on this planet, it amazes me that the four have combined to be there through all of the first half-century. I know Vin Scully carries a similar cachet, but I'm Canadian and hockey's simply more important.
Cole's call last night between Detroit and Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup lid-lifter was his best performance in quite some time. I enjoyed it to the point where I kept it on the big screen, with the sound on, over the NBA Semi-Final between Detroit and Boston, shunted off onto the soundless smaller TV. When Cole is on, and colour man Greg Millen is on his game, the result is a treat.
Sadly, it's not been a treat most of the playoff season. And it isn't Millen's fault.
Cole's been a national game-caller all the way back to the 1972 Summit Series with the Soviets. He's been on the national TV broadcast longer than the Hewitt's did TV, combined. He doesn't have to apologize to anybody for occasionally forgetting who's on the powerplay or what player wears what number or even the score. But he's done that this year. Retirement beckons. I'd say that the Hockey Hall of Fame calls too, but the Hall made THAT call more than a decade ago.
I hope he keeps up the good work from game one. The shorter the series, the better for him, as he obviously took advantage of the long layoff leading up to the Cup finals. No such layoffs, but no cross-country trips either, as the Red Wings and Penguins do battle over the next week (or two).
When Cole DOES decide he's had enough of the regular grind, the national network does have a superb replacement available in Jim Hughson, who has shone this playoff season. He's been spectacularly good, and any idea that he WON'T be Cole's successor is just poppycock. He even made me like analyst Craig Simpson, who I usually find bland to the point of tuning out. Pairing Hughson and Millen will be a treat next year.
The second national pair will be a little problematic with Hughson graduating. Chris Culbertson was outstanding for TSN this year, but the ex-CBCer left on unpleasant terms and it would be hard to see him going back. His ability to harness analyst Glenn Healy AND do informative play-by-play is exemplary. TSN's other big hockey broadcaster Gord Miller, might be too much of a creation of the combination of he and analyst Pierre McGuire. I like both, the understated Miller and the bubbly McGuire, but they might be a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. None of the junior hockey guys from Sportsnet have any right to be talking about a CBC gig.
I think the graduate to the main network's late-night half of the double-header is Ottawa caller Dean Brown. The question is whether he'd see the offer as a promotion, since he already calls Senator games on the CBC. Giving that up to travel to Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver on a weekly basis might not seem the career boost to him, that it appears to me. But he's the guy I'd like to listen to after Hughson finishes with the Leafs on Saturday night. It wouldn't be terrible if Brown does the early game and west coast living Hughson the nightcap either.
And when the national network does a triple-header (which seems monthly these days), that's when you call the well-rested Cole out of Newfoundland retirement and let him get the juices going. If Buffalo isn't playing that night, you pull Harry Neale away from his hometown Sabres and have an auditory reunion with as good as our national game's ever seen and heard from.
We're ready for Bob Cole's retirement in this country. I hope he rests easily with than knowledge.
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