Legendary voice of the NHL Mike “Doc” Emrick has retired.

A legend steps away from the game.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 3 years ago
Legendary voice of the NHL Mike “Doc” Emrick has retired.
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This is going to be a sad day for many fans of the National Hockey League and I count myself among them. 

On Monday morning Mike Emrick, one of the legendary voices of the National Hockey League, announced that he had called his final NHL game and would be stepping away from the broadcast booth to enjoy his golden years. The man better known to fans around the hockey world simply as "Doc" has been the voice of the NHL on NBC for over 15 years and is no doubt the most recognizable voice in the sport for an entire generation of hockey fans, especially when it comes to those south of the Canada/U.S border. 

There has been an outpouring of love for Emrick on social media since the announcement was made earlier this morning but there's no hiding thefact that a ton of hockey people are mourning the loss of one of the most beloved broadcasters the sport has ever had. Even the normally stoic Gary Bettman appeared to lament the loss of Emrick in a statement that he released today via the league's official website. 

"The risk one takes in saying something about Doc Emrick is that you know he could have worded it better himself, on the spur of the moment, with 20,000 fans screaming in his ears (or up to 105,000 in the rain, snow and/or bitter cold), to a national broadcast audience relying on him to get it just right," said Bettman via NHL.com. "In the 103-year history of the National Hockey League, nobody has ever conveyed the sights, sounds, passion, excitement, thrills and intricacies of our game better.

"His command of the English language under the most frenetic conditions defies comprehension. His unabashed wonder at the skill and courage of hockey players -- as genuine in his call of Game 6 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final as in his first day doing hockey play-by-play in 1971 -- always reminded listeners and viewers of the marvel he was describing. His reverence for hockey's traditions and history, coupled with his devilish sense of humor, conveyed that, while he knew he was calling a game, it was always much more to him than just a game.

"For obvious reasons, hockey is the most challenging sport for a play-by-play man. Doc somehow didn't just master it, he transformed it into art. The game, of course, goes on. But it never again will sound quite the same."

Now I could go on and list you a slew of accolades that Emrick has collected in his career, for example he is a member of 7 different Hall of Fames, but given that this will be sad news for many I will instead share some lighthearted and heartwarming moments from Emrick's career. I'll begin with one guaranteed to make you smile, a segment from 1987 when a young Doc Emrick and Bill Clement were having a little fun with a quadruple overtime in Game 7.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Blake Coleman, an American born player, paid an extra special tribute to Emrick today with a message of his own. Coleman, due to the fact that he was on the southern side of the border as I mentioned, grew up with Emrick on NBC and now he will have an extra special memory to cherish forever.

After watching endless playoff games growing up, It was always a dream of mine to hear Doc call a goal of mine in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It turns out my game 6 SCF goal be the last goal he ever called, thank you for the special memory Doc and enjoy your retirement!

Here is that goal:


I could think of no better way to go out than having a Stanley Cup Champion gushing at the fact that he will have the honor of being the last goal you have ever called. We wish Doc all the best on whatever comes next in his life. 

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