TORONTO (AP) Bob Cole, who was Canada’s hockey voice for fifty years and provided music for some of the biggest events in the sport, passed away. He was ninety years old.
Cole passed away on Wednesday night in his hometown of St. John’s, the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, according to friend and fellow broadcaster John Shannon. Cole’s death was confirmed by the network he worked for, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, on Thursday. Megan, Cole’s daughter, added that her father had been in good condition “right up to the very end.”
The native of Nova Scotia, Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon, was described as “such a legend, such a tremendous man.” Over the years, I’ve had a few encounters with him. He would attend charitable golf tournaments in Halifax to show his support for Atlantic Canadians. Amazing individual, really funny. A wonderful man, and undoubtedly some of the greatest calls ever made.
Cole, who became well-known for his catchphrase “Oh baby!” called a few historic games for CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada.” His unique play-by-play style enhanced the flavor of the radio broadcast of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union, the 2002 Olympic final in Salt Lake City, and multiple Stanley Cup Finals.
According to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Cole “made every game he called sound bigger” and inspired players of all ages with his evident love of the game and extraordinary ability to eloquently and enthusiastically capture the majesty and excitement of hockey.
In April 1969, Cole called his first game between Boston and Montreal on the radio. In 1973, he made the switch to television. He called his last game on April 6, 2019 — the regular-season finale between the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs — and in between was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, getting the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for extraordinary services as a hockey announcer.
Coach Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets commented, “The hockey world, we lost a legend.” “Every coach in the league and every hockey person had faith in him. He was an absolute pro. He termed it a terrific game, and you could tell him anything.
Speaking movingly even after his team lost a 5-3 playoff game to Florida and fell behind 3-0 in the series, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper claimed that Cole was the one who really ignited his passion for the game. Cooper even said that if it weren’t for that man’s voice, he “probably wouldn’t be coaching in this league if it wasn’t growing up and having a passion for this game.”
Cooper stated, “It was all because of the emotion that Bob Cole brought to this game.” “And he’s the broadcaster equivalent of Wayne Gretzky.” The foundation of my love for this game is what Bob Cole said, and I used to switch on “Hockey Night in Canada” every night at five o’clock just to hear him speak.
After a pregame skate, Cooper met Cole in Montreal in 2018. Standing next to Cole at the broadcast position high over the ice, Cooper was simply in awe of the moment.
Cooper remarked, “I’m not star struck very frequently.” “When he descended, I felt like a movie star.”
In his opening words during Thursday’s playoff games, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe expressed his sympathy to Cole’s family.
“An icon in our sport and the voice of hockey, not just in Toronto but throughout our nation, someone who touched the game in so many ways,” Keefe remarked. “Definitely a sad day.”
Cooper continued, saying, “I will miss that man.” In this sport, he was a superstar.
Cole’s influence went beyond hockey. In addition to working for the Newfoundland government and serving as quiz master on “Reach for the Top,” he skipped Newfoundland in the Canadian men’s curling championships in 1975 and 1971.
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