The best NHL announcers and analysts of all time

"The Voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs" — also known as the incomparable Joe Bowen, who began announcing Leafs games in 1982. Known for his famed "Holy Mackinaw" call, Bowen has been on the mic for more than 3,000 Maple Leafs contests. With a superbly descriptive radio voice, Bowen can be heard calling play-by-play during the underrated 1986 hockey film "Youngblood," starring Rob Lowe and the late Patrick Swayze. In 2018, Bowen was honored with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to recognize the sport's top broadcasters.

The 2022 winner of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, Clement has long been among the elite analysts and color commentators in the game. Following an 11-season NHL career, notably with the Philadelphia Flyers, that included two All-Star appearances and two Stanley Cups (1974, '75), Clement made a rather smooth transition to the broadcast booth. Whether working with Gary Thorne (who narrowly missed making this list) and Mike Emrick (more on him later), Clement has worked for ESPN, NBC, ABC and TNT, just to name a few networks. He's also provided commentary for five Olympics. Clement's voice has also been featured in several NHL video games.

One of the first true announcing stars of the beloved "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcasts for CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). The legendary Cole was the No. 1 play-by-by for that broadcast, notably describing the action for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1980-2008) during the regular season, plus a prominent presence for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. When Rogers Communications bought the rights to NHL coverage in Canada in 2013, Cole was brought on board via a limited basis. Cole, whose broadcast career covered 50 years, won the Foster Hewitt Award in 1996.

When talking about the storied history of the Boston Bruins franchise, Cusick must be mentioned in the conversation. For countless Bruins' fans of a certain age, Cusick will always be the voice of the franchise. Though Cusick's probably best known for calling the action on WBZ-AM 1030 radio (1969-'71), WSBK-TV (1971-'97) and NESN (1984-'95), he was a pioneer of sorts in getting the rebroadcasts of various Bruins' road games to re-air in the early 1960s, via an edited tape from the next day. Cusick, also responsible for the first live coverage of a Bruins' game, was part of the first broadcaster inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame as one of the winners of the inaugural Forest Hewitt Award.

Is Doc Emrick the greatest hockey play-by-play voice of all time? Perhaps. But, for those who follow the NHL, he should be the most popular. Emrick, the first play-by-play man for the New Jersey Devils, then the Philadelphia Flyers, was the featured voice of the NHL — beginning in the late 1980s on ESPN, then over to Fox, ABC, Versus and ultimately NBC and its family networks from 2005-2020. All that, and not to mention several Olympics (and even Summer Olympic water polo). Often working with John Davidson, Bill Clement, and Ed Olczyk (more on him soon), Emrick had the uncanny ability to deliver a story of the game with his flow and knowledge. His wry sense of humor and comfortable banter with his partners was truly second-to-none. And when it came to bringing forth the intrigue, passion and emotion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Doc remains the king. Emrick is a past winner of the Foster Hewitt Award and Lester Patrick Trophy, awarded to those who significantly contribute to the game of hockey in the United States.

Following a 14-year professional hockey career, a good deal of which was spent with the New York Rangers, Davidson transitioned to one of the great color commentators in NHL history. Known for being teamed with aforementioned Mike Emrick on national coverage of the NHL, Davidson became a favorite — to most — as in-game analyst with the New York Rangers (1986-2006), partnering with Sam Rosen (more on him in a bit). Complete with his shout of "Oh, baby!" for a big moment in any game, "J.D." was the 2009 recipient of the Foster Hewitt Award. From the booth, Davidson moved to the front office, serving as president of the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Rangers. As of January 2022, Davidson was back with the Blue Jackets as President of Hockey Operations.

The always-exuberant Foley began calling games for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1981, on the radio and eventually television, when the franchise decided to lift its local blackout on home games. With the exception of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons when he was exiled from the club, Foley was the voice of Blackhawks action for nearly 40 years. Beloved in the city of Chicago, Foley, who spent most of his time teamed with Dale Tallon and Ed Olczyk (more from him soon) in the booth, delivered the perfect blend of intelligence and humor. He made calling the fast-paced game sound easy, always on point and fluent when it came to flow. Foley was honored with the Foster Hewitt Award in 2014.

Another early star from "Hockey Night in Canada." Beginning in 1952, Gallivan was an "HNIC" fixture for more than 30 years, usually on the call for games involving the Montreal Canadiens. He teamed with Dıck Irvin Jr. in the booth for nearly 30 years, and called the first game played by the Vancouver Canucks in 1970. One of the most descriptive play-by-play voices in hockey history, Gallivan painted a colorful picture of the game that influenced many to follow. As legend goes, Gallivan coined the term "spinarama." He joined Fred Cusick, Rene Lecavalier and Foster Hewitt to be honored with the Hockey Hall of Fame award named for the latter, in 1984. 

Much like Fred Cusick's association with the Boston Bruins. Hart and the Philadelphia Flyers are quite synonymous. From the moment the Flyers began NHL play in 1966, Hart was on the mic for play-by-play, and his run with Philadelphia lasted until the finale of the 1994-95 season. Hart called more than 2,000 NHL games, including several Stanley Cup Finals and All-Star Games. Known for his rapid-fire delivery, Hart was one of the first announcers to truly excel when it came to colorfully and accurately describing game action on both radio and television. He was honored with Foster Hewitt Award in 1997. 

We have mentioned Hewitt often and highlighted the prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame award that bestows his name. A pioneer of the hockey sports broadcast, Hewitt began as a sportswriter, then moved to the booth by the late 1920s. For 40 years, Hewitt was the main play-by-play voice for Canada's Saturday night hockey broadcasts starting with radio in the early 1930s, then on television in 1952 — which eventually would come to be known as "Hockey Night in Canada." He was known for the call, "He shoots, he scores!" In addition to his announcing career, Hewitt, started his own Toronto radio station and was part owner of the Vancouver Canucks of the WHL. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 1965.

A legend behind the mic in Canada, Hughson enjoyed an NHL broadcast career that spanned more than 40 years. His NHL announcing run began in Vancouver, where he was a studio host, while doing occasional play-by-play. In 1982, Hughson started doing TV play-by-play for the Toronto Maple Leafs and eventually made his way to TSN, where he was the featured announcer from 1987-94. He then called games on Sportsnet and followed Bob Cole as the lead play-by-play voice for "Hockey Night in Canada." A 2019 recipient of Foster Hewitt Award, Hughson also called Toronto Blue Jays baseball during his stellar career.

A massive presence and character in and around the Buffalo Sabres, Jeanneret began announcing the team's games for its second NHL season of 1971-72, up until the end of the 2021-22 campaign, thus making "RJ" the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer for any NHL club. Known for his deep, but conversational voice, Jeannert's love and excitement for the game was obvious from his early days on Sabres radio to his years on television. He also teamed with some of the best commentators in the business like Jim Lorentz, Harry Neale and former Buffalo tough guy Rob Ray. Jeanneret was honored with the Foster Hewitt Award in 2012.

One of the unique aspects of Kaiton's broadcast career calling games for the Hartford Whalers — and then later, the Carolina Hurricanes — was that he usually manned the booth himself. Not an easy thing to do within the fast-paced environment of a hockey game. However, Kaiton made it seem — and sound — rather easy. He began calling Whalers games in 1979 and followed the franchise to North Carolina in the late 1990s. A 2004 winner of the Foster Hewitt Award, Kaiton spent 39 seasons on the mic for the franchise, and was known for his impeccable pre-game research, overall accuracy and intention on pronouncing every players name in the manner which they, themselves, preferred. 

The legendary voice of the St. Louis Blues, Kelly worked up until his cancer diagnosis in late 1988, and prior to his death in February 1989 at age 52. Kelly's career calling Blues' games spanned 21 seasons, and he also did national work for CBS, NHL Network, USA, CBC and CTV. On the mic for 16 Stanley Cup Finals, Kelly called Bobby Orr's famous "flying goal" during the 1970 Cup final. Kelly was posthumously honored with the Foster Hewitt Award in 1989. His sons, John and Dan, followed in their father's footsteps by announcing NHL games.

Another beloved local broadcaster, Lange is revered in the greater Pittsburgh area and to the Penguins' loyal fan base, much like fellow area announcers Myron Cope (Steelers) and Bob Prince (Pirates). He began calling the team's games on radio in 1974. Then, after a season doing soccer play-by-play, Lange returned to the Penguins' broadcast booth in 1976, and stayed there until 2021 — a career that spanned more than 45 years on both radio and television. Colorful in his description of the game, Lange and longtime broadcast partner Paul Steigerwald were featured in Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1995 film "Sudden Death". Lange was the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Award in 2001.

The Calder Trophy winner as the NHL's top rookie in 1946-47, Meeker played in the first NHL All-Star Game in '47 and won four Stanley Cups while with the Toronto Maple Leafs. When his playing days ended, Meeker, who also served in the Canadian parliament during the 1950s, became one of the most popular color commentators on "Hockey Night in Canada" starting in the 1970s and running through the late 1990s. Meeker, a rather larger-than-life figure who was honored with the Foster Hewitt Award in 1998, mastered the "telestrator," to further detail a play or game situation during his broadcasts.

As of January 2022, McDonald's was still in the booth calling game action for the New York Islanders — one of the many teams he's done play-by-play since beginning the role in 1967 for the expansion Los Angeles Kings' inaugural season. John Kenneth "Jiggs" McDonald also described the action for the Atlanta Flames, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. In addition, the above-serviceable, extremely knowledgeable and undeniably descriptive McDonald handled national NHL play-by-play duties for the likes of ABC and TNT. He was the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Award in 1990.

There are three personalities associated with the Los Angeles Kings who have statues outside of Staples Center, in the city's downtown area: Luc Robitaille, Wayne Gretzky and Bob Miller. Talk about being a prominent figure. A Forest Hewitt Award recipient, Miller followed in the footsteps of the aforementioned Jiggs McDonald as play-by-play voice of the Kings, a role he held from 1973 until his retirement in 2017. Whether on radio or television, Miller was eloquent in his description of the game; poetry for the eyes and ears, if one will. In addition to his official play-by-by duties, which included some national work for ESPN, ABC and Fox, Miller's voice was featured in the films of the "Mighty Ducks" franchise.

Olczyk was a solid NHL player for parts of 16 seasons, but his popularity within the game has come as an analyst and color commentator. He began his broadcast career in Pittsburgh before coaching the Penguins — where he picked up the nickname "Edzo" from the aforementioned Mike Lange — in 2003. For the 2006-07 season, Olczyk returned to his hometown booth to team with Pat Foley on Chicago Blackhawks' games, a spot he held until July 2022, when he joined the Seattle Kraken broadcast team. However, Olczyk, who delivers a strong blend of in-depth situational game knowledge and fun in the booth, generated more of an international presence while working with Mike Emrick and Pierre McGuire for NHL coverage on Versus and the NBC family of networks. He currently provides commentary and analysis for TNT's coverage of the NHL, and has also built himself into a prominent horse-racing handicapper.

Speaking of the Blackhawks. Before Chicago fans fell in love with Pat Foley, there was Pettit, who began as an analyst on the team's games in 1961, then took over play-by-play duties two years later. Pettit held on to that role through the 1974-75 season. He was known for his excitable nature and the catchphrase "Here Come The Hawks," which then became part of the team's fight song. Pettit, who along with wife Jane bought the Milwaukee Admirals minor-league club (currently in the AHL), retired from broadcasting in 1980. He was honored with the Foster Hewitt Award in 1986.

Redmond posted two 50-goal seasons with Detroit after winning two Stanley Cups as a member of the Montreal Canadiens during a 10-year NHL career. Then, Redmond has enjoyed success, and more popularity, as a color commentator. As of January 2023, Redmond was still in the booth for select Red Wings' games. Prior to that, he was a featured analyst for Hockey Night in Canada, ESPN and Fox. In addition to his expert knowledge of the game and ability to get into the minds of the players, he's quite humorous in the booth. In 2011, Redmond received the Foster Hewitt Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In the spirit of Foster Hewitt, not many broadcasters worked harder than Robson, who was the popular broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks, who provided coverage before they became an NHL expansion franchise in 1970. In those early days, Robson called games alone, and also handled pregame, intermission and postgame duties. Whether calling the action on radio or for television audiences, Robson was known for his smooth delivery, impeccable attention to detail (notably colorfully describing the teams' uniforms) and rather conversational approach to the game. Robson, who also provided play-by-play for Hockey Night in Canada, was a fixture on Canucks' coverage until 1999. He won the Hewitt Award in 1992.

Another versatile play-by-play man, Rosen has been synonymous with New York Rangers' coverage since 1984, after serving two years as studio host during their games. A Rangers fan growing up, Rosen has worked with some of the best in business, like Phil Esposito and most famously John Davidson, then Joe Micheletti -- on MSG and Fox Sports Net New York. During the late 1970s and '80s, he called hockey, among other sports for ESPN. Rosen's ability to inflect his calls has drawn praise throughout his stellar career. The 2016 recipient of the Foster Hewitt Award, Rosen has also provided play-by-play for the New York Knicks, the New York Cosmos, NFL and Major League Baseball.

The hockey world lost one of its very best when Strader died at age 62, from bile duct cancer in October 2017. The ever-busy Strader started calling hockey in the AHL for the Adirondack Red Wings in 1979. In '85, he took over play-by-play duties for the parent club in Detroit. From there, Strader was the voice of the Florida Panthers, then-Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars. In addition to those local duties, the always professional and known for allowing his booth partner to display their talent, Strader provided national hockey coverage for ESPN, ABC, Versus, NBC and Fox. Prior to his death, it was announced that Strader would be the 2017 recipient of the Foster Hewitt Award.

When it comes to hockey play-by-play, the versatile Thorne is perhaps the most unheralded voice on this list. Though an exceptional baseball broadcaster, Thorne's hockey work grew in popularity while calling New Jersey Devils games from 1987-'93, and from 1992-2004, on the ESPN family of networks and ABC. Working with the likes of Bill Clement and John Davidson, Thorne did play-by-play for the NCAA Frozen Four, the Olympics and World Junior Championships. In 2016-17, Thorne also filled on coverage of the Los Angeles Kings.