On October 19th Mike “Doc” Emrick announced he is retiring from his broadcasting career. In his 50 years in the business, he has worked the Stanley Cup Final 22 times, 45 Stanley Cup Playoffs/Final Game 7s, six Olympics, 14 NHL All-Star Games, 19 NHL Winter Classics, and Stadium Series games. Emrick estimated he has called over 3,750 professional and Olympic hockey games.
“It seemed like it was time,” Emrick said. “I guess 50 (years) was a round number in covering the League, and it was just also a time that in your mid-70s you realize that you have had a very healthy, long run except for the cancer scare and you are looking outside and seeing this to be the autumn of your years and a time when, as you are healthy, that you still want to do that. So there’s certainly still the love for hockey that I always had, but this is the time for turning to other things, including a commitment to helping people with the animals. There’s no backstory. There’s no other thing. This is it.”
Doc Emrick was more than just a voice on the television calling out a game. He told stories of the underdog climbing to victory and players overcoming adversity to beat the odds. He brought to life the moments that athletes and fans would remember forever.
When Emrick announced his retirement, many people took to social media to thank Doc for what he contributed to professional hockey everywhere.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement, “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 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. 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. The game, of course, goes on. But it never again will sound quite the same.”
Emrick’s longtime broadcast partner, Eddie Olczyk, thanked him for supporting him during their past 14 years together.
“I thank you, we all thank you, Doc, for your love for the game, your appreciation and love for people,” Olczyk said. “I thank you for trusting me 14 years ago when Sam Flood gave me the opportunity to sit next to you for the very first time on NBC. We’ve had many discussion over the years, which I will take with me the rest of my life… We’re all much better for having you in our lives and we will miss you. It is a sad day, but we are so happy for you and for (wife) Joyce, and I couldn’t be more proud to have been your partner for 14 years. I’m going to miss you, but I know we’re going to be in contact and I thank you very much for the trust that you have given me and the support that you have given me and helped me become the broadcaster and person I’ve become.”
Emrick’s final broadcast was the 2020 Stanley Cup Final where the Tampa Bay Lightning were crowned the champions. Lightning forward Blake Coleman tweeted his thanks to Doc following his Cup victory.
“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 Playoff,” Coleman said. “It turns out my Game 6 Stanley Cup Final goal be the last goal he ever called. Thank you for the special memory Doc and enjoy your retirement!”
Emrick is also an inspiration to many broadcasters who aspire to work in the industry.
Zack Fisch, the voice of the Washington Capitals AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears, got to work with Emrick multiple times. He took to Twitter to thank him for all of the advice Doc gave him.
“I first met Doc in 2016 in DC,” Fisch said. “John Walton Introduced us pre-game. Doc couldn’t have been nicer. At intermission, a tap on my shoulder. It’s Doc. He spent the next 10 minutes taking Hershey Bears with me. I’ll cherish that conversation…A few years ago, Doc was in town as he often was to emcee events. He was always so kind and offered to join our pre-game show. His stories made us all smile. When he told me he enjoyed listening to me at the end, I was nearly speechless.”
Emrick has also inspired a whole younger generation of broadcasters. Grant Francis, a Senior Public Relations major at Hofstra University, was the 2019-2020 Lead Producer for the New York Islanders radio broadcast on WRHU 88.7fm. Francis was first inspired by Doc’s call of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final series between the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings.
“Just listening to him in that series inspired me to go towards a career in that field. He’s able to capture an audience like no other broadcaster that I’ve heard before. That was eight years ago and if you would’ve told me then I would have been able to interview him and talk to him that would have been crazy for me. Just as a person he is amazing. When I talked to him it was just an interview with a college kid and he gave me the same quality of interview as he did for Michael Kay. That says a ton about him.”
Doc Emrick will not only be remembered as a high class broadcaster but a high class person as well. Emrick will continue to inspire others though his autobiography titled “Off Mike” about how he became the biggest voice in hockey. All of the proceeds from the book will be donated to animal charities.
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