The hockey world suffered a big loss as legendary broadcaster Bob Cole died Wednesday night at the age of 90. News of his passing came on early Thursday afternoon. He broadcasted on Hockey Night in Canada for 50 years. Cole’s daughter, Megan, made the news of her father’s passing public.
Bob Cole Dies at 90 Years Old
Cole was a native of St. John’s, Newfoundland and was a mainstay on the CBC’s flagship hockey program. He was the network’s lead commentator from 1980 to 2008. Cole was a fixture in working games with the Toronto Maple Leafs involved. His last broadcast was in February 2019 in a game between the Leafs and the rival Montreal Canadiens.
He began his hockey-broadcasting career with VOCM radio in his hometown before he moved into television in 1973. Cole called the iconic game-winning goal by Paul Henderson in the 1972 Summit Series between Team Canada and the USSR. He also called numerous Stanley Cup Finals and Olympic hockey games. This includes the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Those Olympics were the first to feature NHL players.
Cole was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 as the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for broadcasting excellence. He was also a Gemini-award winning broadcaster, Cole is a member of the Order of Canada.
A Lasting Legacy
The longtime broadcaster was the voice of Saturday night’s in Canada for many years. He had many iconic lines including his trademark “Oh, baby” and “Now after 50 years it’s time for Canada to stand up and cheer,” he said. “Stand up and cheer everybody. The Olympics Salt Lake City, 2002, men’s ice hockey, gold medal: Canada.”
Cole’s voice was heard in Canada and in Northern border cities in the United States that had access to the CBC. Us at the Last Word on Hockey send our condolences.
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