Bob Cole, the voice of Canadian hockey for five decades, has sadly passed away at the age of 90.
Cole, who provided the soundtrack to some of hockey’s greatest moments, He died Wednesday night in his hometown of St. John’s, capital of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the network Cole worked for, announced his death on Thursday. Her daughter Megan revealed that her father had been healthy “until the end.”
Cole called his first game on radio, between Boston and Montreal, in April 1969 and moved to television in 1973.
He called his last game on April 6, 2019, the regular season finale between the Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Bob Cole, the voice of Canadian hockey for five decades, has sadly passed away at the age of 90.
Cole called his first game over the radio in April 1969 and called his last game on April 6, 2019.
Greg Millen, a former NHL goaltender turned broadcaster, said Cole’s voice was “almost like a symphony.”
Known for his ‘Oh, Honey!’ Tagline, Cole mentioned some iconic games as part of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada. His distinctive style added even more flavor to the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union, the 2002 Olympic final in Salt Lake City and numerous Stanley Cup finals.
Cole was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, winning the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for his outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.
Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe opened his comments between Thursday’s playoff games by extending his condolences to Cole’s family.
“A sad day, for sure… (he was) someone who touched the game in so many ways, as an icon in our sport and the voice of hockey, not just in Toronto, but in our country,” Keefe said.
“He’s a legend, a great man,” said Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon, a Nova Scotia native. ‘I’ve seen him several times over the years… amazing person, super funny. “Just a great guy and obviously some of the best decisions of all time.”