Bob Cole | |
|---|---|
 Cole in 2012 | |
| Born | Robert Cecil Cole (1933-06-24)June 24, 1933 |
| Died | April 24, 2024(2024-04-24) (aged 90) |
| Occupation | Hockey announcer forHockey Night in Canada |
| Years active | 1969–2019 |
Robert Cecil ColeCM (June 24, 1933 – April 24, 2024) was a Canadian sports television announcer who worked forCBC andSportsnet and a competitivecurler. He was known primarily for his work onNational Hockey League'sHockey Night in Canada andOlympic ice hockey.
Cole was born inSt. John's,Newfoundland, on June 24, 1933.[1][2] A knee injury suffered from playingsoccer put Cole in the hospital for approximately six months as a youth. It was during this time that he would listen toFoster Hewitt calling games on the radio and developed an interest in becoming a sports announcer.[3] In 1956, Cole made an impromptu visit to Hewitt's office to present him with an audition tape. To Cole's surprise, Hewitt welcomed him in, listened to his tape, and talked with him for two hours.[3]
Cole began broadcasting hockey onVOCM radio inSt. John's, Newfoundland, thenCBC Radio in 1969 and moved to television in 1973 whenHockey Night in Canada (HNIC) expanded its coverage. Cole was the leadplay-by-play announcer forHNIC onCBC, usually workingToronto Maple Leafs games, from1980 to2008. Aside from the Leafs broadcasts, he was also a staple forHNIC during the annualStanley Cup playoffs. He broadcast at least one game in everyStanley Cup Finals from1980 until2008, after which he was replaced byJim Hughson.[4][5]
In November 2013,Rogers Communications reached a 12-year deal to become the exclusive national television and digital rightsholder for the NHL in Canada, beginning with the 2014–15 season. Although now at the age of 82, Cole told theToronto Sun that he wanted Rogers to call and tell him if he would be a part of their hockey coverage: "I still feel the same as when I was 50. I still love what I'm doing. I just want to do games."[6] Cole later stated, "I'd like to keep going. I feel good. I love the game. I still get passionate. I still get butterflies."[7] In June 2014, Rogers confirmed that Cole would be part of their play-by-play team.[8]
Sportsnet did not give any on-air assignments to Cole during the2018 Stanley Cup playoffs.[9] On September 27, 2018, Sportsnet announced that he would be calling his 50th and last season withHockey Night in Canada and a limited schedule of games in the upcoming season.[10]
On February 6, 2019, he received a video tribute and a standing ovation, during theToronto Maple Leafs – Ottawa Senators game, on the occasion of calling his last game inToronto, with his final play-by-play broadcast being theToronto Maple Leafs-Montreal Canadiens game on April 6 atBell Centre.[11][12][13][14] That night, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 6–5 in a shootout. This game also happened to hold historical significance, as Canadiens forwardRyan Poehling scored ahat trick and a shootout goal in what was his first NHL game.[15] Cole's broadcasting career spanned 50 years.[16][17][18]
Cole's work during CBC's broadcasts of theOlympic ice hockey have also become memorable among legions of Canadians. His call on the final shot of the shootout in the semi-final game of the1998 Winter Olympics atNagano betweenCanada and theCzech Republic represented Canada's then-ongoing failure at the games and haunted fans for the next four years. With Canada scoreless in the shootout andBrendan Shanahan representing their last chance, Cole said in a panicked voice as Shanahan skated in towards Czech goalieDominik Hasek, "He's gotta score, that's all!" But Shanahan was stopped by Hasek, prompting Cole to dejectedly say "No, he can't do it."[19]
At thegold medal game of the 2002 Winter Olympics inSalt Lake City betweenCanada and theUnited States, Cole's animated call ofJoe Sakic's second goal of the game is also one of his more memorable moments. Also, whenJarome Iginla scored Canada's fourth goal of the game, with four minutes remaining in the third period, Cole was so excited when the goal was scored he yelled out "GORE!" (a hybrid of "goal" and "score"), and then proceeded to call out "Goal, Canada! Goal! Wow! A lot of Canadian fans here! The place goes crazy here in Salt Lake City, and I guess coast to coast in Canada, and all around the world!" When Sakic scored Canada's fifth goal with 1:20 remaining, Cole yelled out "Scores! Joe Sakic scores! And that makes it 5–2 Canada! Surely, that's gotta be it!" As the final seconds of the game ticked away, and as the crowd broke out in perfect unison singing "O Canada", Cole said, "Now after 50 years, it's time for Canada to stand up and cheer. Stand up and cheer everybody! The Olympics Salt Lake City, 2002, men's ice hockey, gold medal: Canada!"[20][21]
With an average Canadian audience of 10.6 million viewers, that game was the most-watchedCBC Sports program, beating the previous record of 4.957 million viewers for Game 7 of the1994 Stanley Cup Finals (the final game of the1972 Summit Series between an NHL all-star team and the Soviet Union, which had been the most-watched sports program Canadian television history, was simulcast on CBC andCTV while Cole called the game onCBC Radio), in which theNew York Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in54 years, beating theVancouver Canucks, another moment Cole himself called: "Here comes the faceoff and blare it Manhattan! The New York Rangers have done it here on a hot June night in New York! The Rangers are Stanley Cup Champions!"[22]
Cole's long-timecolour commentator onHNIC wasHarry Neale, who first teamed up in the1986–87 season.[23] From1987 to2007, the pair together called 20 Stanley Cup Finals, the1998,2002,2006 Winter Olympics, the1996 World Cup of Hockey, and2004 World Cup of Hockey for CBC. Prior to that, his usual partners includedGary Dornhoefer,[24]Mickey Redmond,[25] orJohn Davidson.[26]Dick Irvin Jr. also often joined his broadcast team as a third man in the booth for big games. Following the departures of Neale and Irvin, Jr., his usual broadcast partners were eitherGarry Galley orGreg Millen.[26][27][28]
Prior to his career in broadcasting, Cole was a successfulcurler,[29] playing in the1971 and1975Briers as the skip for theNewfoundland team. In 1971, he led his team of Les Bowering, Ken Ellis and Alex Andrews to a 4–6 record. At the 1975 Brier, he led his team of Joseph Power Jr., Andrews and Andrew Baird to a 1–10 record. He also played in the 1965 and 1973Canadian mixed championship, playing second for Dave Pedley in 1965 and skipping in 1973.[30] The Pedley-led rink finished with a 4–6 record at the 1965 Mixed,[31] and Cole led Newfoundland to a 4–6 record at the 1973 Mixed.[32]
Cole died in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador due to natural causes on April 24, 2024; he was 90.[1][33]
In 2007, Cole captured his firstGemini Award in the area of Sports Play-by-Play.[34]
Cole was honoured in theHockey Hall of Fame in 1996 as the recipient of theFoster Hewitt Memorial Award for broadcasting excellence.[35]
In 2022, he was named the recipient of theAcademy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Lifetime Achievement Award at the10th Canadian Screen Awards.[36]
Cole received an honoraryDoctorate of Laws fromMemorial University of Newfoundland inSt. John's in October 2002.[37]
In early 2016, Cole had a cameo at the end ofSimple Plan's albumTaking One for the Team, calling a fictional hockey game involving the band; he concluded the call with, "Oh my goodness, can you believe it? Just like that, Simple Plan have won the game!".[38]
On September 23, 2016, Cole was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.[39]
From 2010 to 2014, Cole was the Voice of the Republic on the CBC TV seriesRepublic of Doyle.[40] His voice could also be heard in theCBC 2013 TV filmThe Magic Hockey Skates (based on the book of the same name).[40][41]
I'd like to keep going," he told host Andi Petrillo. "I feel good. I love the game. I still get passionate. I still get butterflies. If any of that changed, I'd think about packing it in. But maybe they'll get rid of me before I get rid of myself.
A record-busting average of 8.7 million Canadians watched on television as the men's hockey team snatched gold from the United States in Salt Lake City...The audience actually peaked at 10.6 million, the CBC said Monday...CBC says that prior to Sunday, its highest-rated sports show was Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup between the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks, which attracted an average of 4.97 million viewers.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Canadian network television play-by-play announcer 1981–2008 (withDon Wittman on CBC from1985 to1986 andDan Kelly onCTV/Global from1985 to1988) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American network television play-by-play announcer 1981 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
