HomeLatest NewsLegendary sportscaster Bob Cole has passed...

Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole has passed away

Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole has passed away at the age of 90.

Cole, who celebrated his 50th and final season with Hockey Night in Canada in 2018/19, died Wednesday night in St. John’s, NL surrounded by his family.

Captivated as a youth by renowned play-by-play broadcaster Foster Hewitt, Cole started his broadcasting career in his hometown with VOCM-AM St. John’s, NL, moving over to CBC Radio in 1969.

Bob Cole

He was the radio voice for the 1972 Team Canada-Soviet Union Summit and while Hewitt made the now-famous call of Paul Henderson’s goal on TV, Cole did the same on the radio broadcast.

He moved into television in 1973 and when Bill Hewitt retired, Cole became the play-by-play voice for HNIC on CBC games involving the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Cole was the primary play-by-play announcer for HNIC from 1980-2008, until he was replaced by Jim Hughson. He was also a staple during the Stanley Cup playoffs and handled play-by-play for multiple Olympic match-ups as well as the World Cup of Hockey.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 as the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for broadcasting excellence. In 2007, Cole won his first Gemini Award for Sports Play-by-Play. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2016. More recently, he was recognized with the Canadian Screen Awards’ Lifetime Achievement honour in 2022.

“I’m saddened by the news of my friend Bob Cole’s passing,” wrote retired NHL defenceman P.K. Subban, who is now an NHL analyst for ESPN, in a post to X. “He was the best in the biz & one of the nicest people I have met in life period. Condolences to the Cole family. He will be missed but never forgotten!”

 


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Connie Thiessen
Connie Thiessenhttps://broadcastdialogue.com
Connie has worked coast-to-coast as a reporter, editor, anchor and host at CKNW and News 1130 in Vancouver, News 95.7 and CBC in Halifax, and CFCW Edmonton, among other stations. With a passion for music, film and community service, she led News 95.7 to a 2013 Atlantic Journalism Award and regional RTDNA award for Best Radio Newscast. More recently, she was nominated for Music Journalist of the Year at Canadian Music Week 2019. To report a typo or error please email - corrections@broadcastdialogue.com

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