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.
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!”
RIP the great Bob Cole. A Newfoundland legend and the best to ever call a game. I was honoured to get ‘Cole’ in my stocking one year for Christmas. Oh, Baby! 90 years of greatness. An honour to have known him. Condolences to his family, friends and legions of fans. pic.twitter.com/CWKvmSyQVC
— Mark Critch (@markcritch) April 25, 2024
RIP Bob Cole #bobcole #ripbobcole #nhl #voiceofhockey #newfoundland pic.twitter.com/TFXEen1l0x
— de Adder Canada (@deAdderCanada) April 25, 2024
Bob Cole. One of Canada’s most famous painters, although he used words. Legend is often casually tossed around. Not in this case. Oh baby. https://t.co/C1eIW40AYf
— Jonathan Torrens (@TorrensJonathan) April 25, 2024
Bob was the best. He brought you into the game. He made it feel like you were in the arena. He made it feel like you were a part of the game. Every word mattered. For a kid who wanted to be an announcer he was right alongside Wayne and Guy for me, a hockey hero. A legend. #RIP pic.twitter.com/j9Xa9Lf07V
— Ken Reid (@SNKenReid) April 25, 2024
My heart is broken today. My friend Bob Cole passed away last night in his beloved St. John’s.
He was one of the sound tracks of our game.
He had a passion that every hockey fan felt every time he announced a game.
There will only be one Bob Cole.
And now he’s gone.— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) April 25, 2024
There will never be another Bob Cole. He was the voice of hockey for a generation. He brought us joy and excitement. The way he anticipated a big play developing, and rise to the moment at the perfect time, was art. If you heard Bob Cole call a game, you witnessed greatness.
— Dan O’Toole (@dangotoole) April 25, 2024
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