On April 17, 2017 theHockey Hall of Fame announced that Strader was the 2017 recipient of theFoster Hewitt Memorial Award for his outstanding contributions to play-by-play broadcasting of the game of ice hockey.[1]
Strader's professional broadcasting career began as the radio announcer and public relations director for theAdirondack Red Wings of theAHL from 1979 to 1985. A two-time New York State Broadcasters Association honoree, Strader was named the AHL's top public relations professional in 1984.
In 1985, theNHL'sDetroit Red Wings called Strader up from the farm club, and he took over the play-by-play duties, calling TV games on bothWKBD andPASS Sports alongsideMickey Redmond until 1996. Strader called games for theFlorida Panthers for the2005–06 and2006–07 seasons when not calling games forNBC or Versus.[2][3] Strader was hired by thePhoenix Coyotes on July 2, 2007.[4] He was reunited with his formerESPN/ABC partner,Darren Pang, for Coyotes broadcasts for two seasons. With no television contract in place for Coyotes games, Pang left in 2009 to join theSt. Louis Blues, andTyson Nash joined him in the broadcast booth.
In July 2011, Strader left his position with the Coyotes to accept a full-time job with NBC/Versus. He joined the NHL Dallas Stars as their TV play-by-play voice at the start of the 2015-2016 NHL season.[5][6]
In June 2016, Strader was diagnosed withcholangiocarcinoma, a fairly rare and aggressive form of cancer of thebile duct.[7][8][9] During a break in his treatment, he returned to the broadcast booth on February 18, 2017, the first of the five-game Dallas home stand,[10][11][12] a 4-3 overtime home win against theTampa Bay Lightning. After the game, the Stars saluted Strader at center ice.[13][14][15] In all, he broadcast all five games of that Dallas home stand including one on NBC on February 26, 2017.[10][11][12] In April 2017, he also broadcast games in the first round Stanley Cup playoff series between theWashington Capitals andToronto Maple Leafs on NBC networks.[16][17][18]
Dave Strader broadcasting NHL hockey for NHL on NBC (2015)
After long timeESPN broadcasterTom Mees died from drowning in 1996, Strader was hired by the cable network to take the vacant play-by-play spot onNational Hockey Night broadcasts. Strader was usually paired withDarren Pang andBrian Engblom on the network's secondary hockey broadcast team. WhenABC got the NHL broadcast network contract in 2000, Strader worked for them as well. He also called NHL games forFox in the mid-1990s, and the Stanley Cup Finals for NHL International from 1997-2015.
TheHockey Hall of Fame had announced earlier that year on April 17 that Strader was the 2017 recipient of theFoster Hewitt Memorial Award, but his actual induction ceremony was scheduled months later on November 13.[1] At the time of the announcement, Strader stated that he was looking forward to the ceremony, saying that it was the greatest honor he had ever received.[25][26] Due to his death, Strader's sons accepted the award posthumously at the November induction ceremony on his behalf.[27] In addition, three days later,Mike Emrick,NBC's lead play-by-play announcer, paid a tribute to him, in a full segment during the first intermission.[28] On October 7, 2017, the Stars and Vegas Golden Knights paid a moment of silence in his honor, while also honoring a Stars staff member killed in the summer, and the2017 Las Vegas shooting victims.[29][30][31]
