Hanging up the headset: the amazing broadcasting career of Doc Emrick
One word can describe NHL broadcaster Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick: legendary.
Emrick announced on October 19 that he would be retiring after 43 years behind the microphone. Known as one of the most iconic sportscasters of all-time, and undoubtedly the greatest hockey announcer, Emrick brought passion and energy into his profession that young broadcasters dream of emulating.
Emrick started his NHL broadcasting career with the New Jersey Devils in 1982, and after a brief stint with the Philadelphia Flyers, returned to New Jersey in 1993. Emerick remained with the Devils for almost two decades. More recently, Emrick was most well-known for broadcasting high profile NBC games, including NBC’s coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Emrick was one of the first hockey broadcasters to incorporate humor as part of his commentating style, as he would try to break up some of the tension that is built during the game. With humor in tow, what really set him apart from other broadcasters was the high energy and unbelievable vocabulary he brought to every game. It has been written that Emrick had 153 different terms for puck movement, seamlessly working all of these words into a broadcast.
Any viewer that has listened to a game called by Emrick can clearly feel that he is passionate about the game and wants to share that with the viewer. While other broadcasters maintain their same tone of voice throughout the game, Emrick’s delivery would constantly be changing depending on the intensity of each moment of that game.
Emrick’s volume and tone set a precedent for broadcasting games in the NHL. Every time a team had a chance at scoring, his delivery made it know that specific shot on the net could be the difference in that game. And as a team grew closer to a victory, the higher the stakes got for them, and Emrick made sure everyone could feel it sitting at home.
His best example of this change of voice is from Game Six of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, when the Devils, who were leading the series 3-2, were in overtime against the New York Rangers. About a minute into the extra period, the Devils put the puck in front of the Rangers goal, Emrick raised his voice intensely as the players poked at the loose puck. When Devils forward Adam Henrique found the puck and put it in the back of the net, Emrick famously said, “they score! Henrique! It’s over!”
Emrick’s use of humor combined with his tone-of-voice and unparalleled vocabulary helped him become one of the greatest broadcasters in any sport. Emrick has received eight Emmy Awards for sports broadcasting, while no other hockey announcer has ever gotten one.
There may never be another broadcaster like Emrick, not only in hockey, but in all of sports. Even though he has decided to step away from the microphone, his legacy will continue to shape the way that NHL games are commentated for years to come.
(Photo courtesy of USA Today.)
