Legendary broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90

Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole, who called some of the biggest moments in the sport’s history for six decades, has died at 90, according to CBC News.

Cole was surrounded by family at his St. John’s, N.L., home, his daughter Megan Cole told CBC News.

“Thank you for decades of love for his work, love of Newfoundland and love of hockey,” she said.

Cole was the lead broadcaster on Hockey Night in Canada from 1980 to 2008 and was a staple for both Toronto Maple Leafs games and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He called at least one game in the Stanley Cup Final for his entire run as the lead broadcaster. Cole also did the lead play-by-play for the Winter Olympic Games at Nagano in 1998 and Salt Lake City in 2002. Cole’s call of Joe Sakic’s breakaway goal for Canada in 2002, helping the nation win its first gold medal in men’s hockey in 50 years, was among his most iconic.

Jim Hughson took over as the lead play-by-play voice for Hockey Night in 2008, although Cole continued to call games on Saturday nights. Ahead of the 2018-19 season, Rogers Sportsnet announced that Cole would be calling his 50th and final season for HNIC.

His final game would be between the Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens on April 6, 2019 at the Bell Centre.

In 1996, Cole was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, which goes to members of the broadcasting community “who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career in hockey broadcasting.”

Cole became interested in broadcasting as kid while recovering from a knee injury he suffered while playing soccer. To pass the time, Cole listened to Foster Hewitt call games on the radio and was inspired to become a broadcaster. In a 2019 profile by CBC’s The National, Cole said he made an impromptu visit to Hewitt’s office with an audition tape in 1956. Hewitt listened and chatted with Cole for more than two hours. By 1969, Cole was calling hockey games on the radio in Newfoundland, and he made his television debut with HNIC by 1973.

Outside of broadcasting, Cole represented Newfoundland in curling at the 1971 and 1975 Briers, while also playing in two Canadian mixed championships.