The hockey world lost its voice this week, with the passing of legendary CBC play-by-play announcer Bob Cole.
Cole passed away on Wednesday, the CBC announced Thursday afternoon. He was 90 years old. He was the voice of “Hockey Night in Canada” for nearly 50 years, appearing on television from 1973 until his retirement in 2019.
Along the way, he was there to call a long list of memorable moments. Other moments became memorable because of Cole’s call, as an ordinary play would be elevated into something special by his classic delivery. Cole’s signature style blended enthusiasm and energy with simplicity; he could do more to capture a moment by simply repeating a player’s name than most broadcasters can do in a rehearsed soliloquy.
In memory of a legend, let’s enjoy ten of Cole’s classic calls.
‘It is Marchant…’
This 1997 Game 7 classic between the Oilers and Stars actually produced two all-timer moments in a short span, with Cole’s “Oh my goodness” call of Curtis Joseph’s robbery of Joe Nieuwendyk earning honorable mention. But it’s the OT winner that showed off the classic Cole, as he realizes Todd Marchant has the defenseman beat a fraction of a second before everyone else does and nails the moment to come.
‘It’s Gilmour waiting, waiting… around the net… waiting…’
I promise I won’t fill this entire piece with calls from the 1993 Maple Leafs run, although I absolutely could. Instead, let’s highlight this double-OT winner that sees Cole recognize the possibility of a seemingly innocent play, building to the moment when Maple Leaf Gardens explodes.
(But since we’re on the subject of those 1993 Leafs, there’s also this and this and this.)
‘Have you ever seen such finesse?’
Mario Lemieux would occasionally do things we’d never seen before, like the time he intentionally lost the puck in Ray Bourque’s skates as a distraction, only to immediately retrieve it and blow past his fellow Hall of Famer. I could watch this played a dozen times without fully appreciating what Mario was trying to do; Cole sees what’s happening in the moment, leading to the perfect call of a ridiculous play.
‘One on one, McCarty…’
Quite possibly the greatest Cup-winning goal of the modern era came from Red Wings’ tough guy Darren McCarty. It’s fair to say that while McCarty had some skill, not many of us thought he could do this. Maybe Cole didn’t either, as the surprise in his voice elevates an already great call.
‘They’re going home!’
This controversial 1970s clash between the Broad Street Bully-era Flyers and the Soviet Red Army team may not stand as a great hockey moment, but announcers aren’t only on duty for the best of the sport. Cole saw it all in his long career, the good and the bad, and his call perfectly conveyed a moment we’d never witnessed before.
‘Everything is happening!’
From the mid-70s moment to a social media meme, fitting for a man whose career spanned generations. Forgive the low quality of the clip, but you knew this one had to make the list. Cole’s excitement could make even a goal-mouth scramble stick in our collective memory.
‘Detroit wins the game. Detroit wins the series’
While most broadcasters still employ some version of Foster Hewitt’s immortal trademark of “He shoots, he scores,” Cole would often punctuate a big moment with a straight-to-the-point “Scores!” It worked, especially for dagger moments like Steve Yzerman’s Game 7 bullet.
‘DES-JAR-DINS’
Cole had the honor of calling Montreal’s 1993 Stanley Cup win, which still stands as the last for a Canadian team. While that series ended up going just five games, it featured one of the most dramatic turning points in playoff history. With the Kings already leading the series 1-0, they were moments away from closing out Game 2 and returning home with a two-game lead when Marty McSorley’s infamous illegal stick penalty led to the Montreal power play that sent the game to overtime. That’s where Eric Desjardins capped off what may be the single greatest playoff performance by a Canadiens player in modern history, and Cole captured the energy of the Forum perfectly.
‘Look at Lemieux!’
Many of the sports world’s longest-serving announcers can evince an air of seen-it-all weariness, largely because they probably have. But the best will still allow themselves to be flustered by true greatness, and Cole managed to convey the wonder of watching Mario Lemieux work his magic while still nailing the call. Punctuating it with a classic “OH BABY” is just the icing on the cake.
‘Surely, that’s gotta be it!’
It’s almost impossible for younger or newer hockey fans to understand how desperate Canada was for an Olympic win back in 2002. The country hadn’t won gold in 50 years, had lost the 1996 World Cup to the Americans, and had seen their 1998 dream team embarrassed in Nagano. By 2002, the nation was starving for the validation that would come with a win over Team USA in the final. Even with a late lead, the nation held its breath until the final moments, when Cole’s call of a goal by “Jah-yo Sakic” became the soundtrack of 50 years of pent-up frustration exploding across a country.
Like a great Bob Cole call, there just isn’t much left to say. Thank you, Bob, for making our game sing.
(Photo: Graham Hughes / The Canadian Press via The Associated Press)