Dave Hodge | |
|---|---|
 Hodge in 2010 | |
| Born | (1945-01-08)January 8, 1945 (age 81) |
| Occupation | sports announcer |
| Employer(s) | TSN (1992–2017) CBC (1971–87) |
| Known for | Host of CBC'sHockey Night in Canada (1971–87) |
Dave Hodge (born January 8, 1945) is a Canadiansports announcer. Hodge worked forTSN, theCBC andCFRB 1010 radio inToronto.
Born in Montreal, Hodge began his career as a sportswriter with theChatham Daily News in 1965, then on to local radioCFCO in 1966 and onto toCFRB from 1968 to 1986.[1]
Hodge served asplay-by-play announcer for theBuffalo Sabres radio broadcasts in their inaugural season1970–71, with Ted Darling calling the TV play-by-play. In 1971, he left the Sabres and joined the CBC; he beat outAlex Trebek[2] to become the lead host forHockey Night in Canada from1971 until1987, working 15 Stanley Cup Finals. He was often joined in the studio by colourful analysts, such asHowie Meeker andDon Cherry. He also announced theToronto ArgonautsCanadian Football League radio broadcasts from1974 to1980.
On March 14, 1987, Hodge was the in-studio host as the CBC carried a game between theCalgary Flames andToronto Maple Leafs. The game ended early and the network switched over to a regional game between thePhiladelphia Flyers andMontreal Canadiens for the end of the third period. The game was tied 3–3 when the third period ended just before 11 PM Eastern time, meaning overtime would be required. CBC executives decided to cut away after 11:00 and that only viewers inQuebec (who had also seen the game from the start) would get to continue watching. A visibly disgusted Hodge apprised viewers of the situation, concluding his remarks by flipping his pen in the air:[3][4]
Now, Montreal and the Philadelphia Flyers are currently playing overtime, and, are we able to go there or not?...We are not able to go there. That's the way things go today in sports and this network, and the Flyers and the Canadiens have us in suspense, and we'll remain that way until we can find out somehow who won this game, or who's responsible for the way we do things here. Goodnight forHockey Night in Canada.
Following the on-air incident, Hodge quit. He was told he could have his old job back if he apologized. He stated that he had nothing to apologize for and took a different job.[5]
 | This section of abiography of a living persondoes notinclude anyreferences or sources. Please help by addingreliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourcedmust be removed immediately, especially if potentiallylibelous or harmful.(October 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
By the time of his termination, Hodge had already moved to Vancouver, where he was working as the sports director of radio stationCKNW and serving as the host ofVancouver Canucks radio broadcasts that did not conflict with his CBC duties. He continued to reside in Vancouver and work for CKNW for the next few years.
Afterward, he was hired byCan-West Global to host their coverage of the 1987 and 1988Stanley Cup playoffs, which included some games in the finals each year. Hodge was then the lead play-by-play broadcaster for theCanadian Football League's league-runCanadian Football Network broadcast service from 1987 to 1990. He returned to hockey as the lead voice of theMinnesota North Stars television broadcasts in1991, and also hosted regional television broadcasts for theToronto Maple Leafs onGlobal and TSN, and for the Canucks onBCTV.
Hodge joined TSN in 1992 and hostedTSN Inside Sports and its spinoff,That's Hockey. He also co-hosted the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
Hodge hosted a Sunday morning show calledThe Reporters from 2002 until its cancellation in 2017. He currently provides commentary for TSN'sNHL coverage.
| This section of abiography of a living persondoes notinclude anyreferences or sources. Please help by addingreliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourcedmust be removed immediately, especially if potentiallylibelous or harmful.(October 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
On Saturday, November 24, 2018, Hodge made a surprise appearance on the pregame portionHockey Night in Canada. Notably, it was Hodge's first appearance onHNIC since the "pen flip" incident more than 31 years before. He was invited to appear at the suggestion of presentHNIC hostRon MacLean. MacLean, who had replaced Hodge in 1987, interviewed him for about six minutes. Hodge and the rest of theHNIC on-air personalities wore retro sky blueHNIC blazers that would later be sold at auction with proceeds going to the charity Hockey Fights Cancer.
In 2012, he was given theBrian Williams Media Award.[6][7]
