Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90.
Born June 24, 1933, the St. John91裸聊视频檚, N.L., native provided a distinctive soundtrack to Canada91裸聊视频檚 game. He was known for his signature 91裸聊视频淥h baby91裸聊视频� call, an expression that was not restricted to hockey arenas.
91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 been saying that around the house as long as I can remember,91裸聊视频� daughter Megan said in Cole91裸聊视频檚 2016 autobiography 91裸聊视频淣ow I91裸聊视频檓 Catching On. My Life On and Off the Air.91裸聊视频�
Cole first remembers using it to describe some memorable Mario Lemieux stickhandling in Game 2 of the 1991 Stanley Cup final against Minnesota.
91裸聊视频淟ook at Lemieux. Oh my heavens. What a goal. What a move. Lemieux. Oh baby,91裸聊视频� Cole said excitedly after Lemieux went the length of the ice, skated through the defence pair of Shawn Chambers and Neil Wilkinson and deked goalie Jon Casey.
91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know when it91裸聊视频檚 going to come out. No idea 91裸聊视频� I don91裸聊视频檛 plan it. It91裸聊视频檚 spontaneous,91裸聊视频� he wrote in his autobiography. 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 script the thing. It91裸聊视频檚 ad-libbed 91裸聊视频� and that91裸聊视频檚 what broadcasting91裸聊视频檚 all about.91裸聊视频�
Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean said Cole91裸聊视频檚 distinctive play-by-play style 91裸聊视频渃omes on you like smoke from a campfire.91裸聊视频�
Fellow broadcaster Greg Millen, a former NHL goaltender, said Cole91裸聊视频檚 voice was 91裸聊视频渁lmost like a symphony.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淏ob had an unbelievable ability of bringing the game up and down depending on what was happening on the ice.91裸聊视频�
In typical Cole fashion, he initially wondered ahead of doing the autobiography who would be interested in reading his story, 91裸聊视频渏ust because I do hockey games.91裸聊视频�
But what games. He did the 1972 Summit Series on radio. On TV, there was the 1976 game in Philadelphia when the Soviet Red Army players left the ice in protest at the Flyers take-no-prisoners tactics. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e going home,91裸聊视频� said an incredulous Cole.
He was there for the 2002 Olympic final in Salt Lake City when Canada ended its 50-year Olympic gold-medal drought with a win over the United States in the final.
91裸聊视频淛oe Sakic scores and that makes it 5-2 Canada. Surely that91裸聊视频檚 got to be it?91裸聊视频� said Cole.
Not to mention a string of Stanley Cup finals.
But Cole was more than hockey.
He called Bob Beamon91裸聊视频檚 world-record long jump at the 1968 Olympics, curled in the Brier, served as quiz master on 91裸聊视频淩each for the Top91裸聊视频� and worked for the Newfoundland government.
Cole91裸聊视频檚 Hockey Night in Canada swansong came April 6, 2019, the regular-season finale in Montreal between the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Players, coaches and fans stood in appreciation to honour Cole in the second period as his four children, Christian, Hilary, Megan and Robbie, watched in the gondola at the Bell Centre.
91裸聊视频淭hank you so much Montreal and Canada,91裸聊视频� he said to viewers, looking down from his perch. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been a pleasure. I91裸聊视频檓 going to miss this.91裸聊视频�
Don Cherry praised Cole during his Coach91裸聊视频檚 Corner segment that night.
91裸聊视频淔oster (Hewitt) was good, Danny (Gallivan) was good,91裸聊视频� Cherry said of Cole91裸聊视频檚 HNIC predecessors. 91裸聊视频淏ut the best of all, I think, and I91裸聊视频檝e seen them all, is Bob Cole.91裸聊视频�
NHL greats from Wayne Gretzky to Mark Messier and current stars Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid as well as MacLean and Harry Neale, his former colour man, all feted Cole.
91裸聊视频淢r. Cole, congratulations on 50 great years of hockey. You were an inspiration to all of us in Canada,91裸聊视频� said Gretzky, adding 91裸聊视频淥h baby.91裸聊视频�
In his later years, Cole91裸聊视频檚 broadcasting schedule was reduced by Rogers, which took over national TV rights via Sportsnet ahead of the 2014-15 season. He did 16 games his final season, up from the 10 originally planned.
91裸聊视频淚 wish it were more, but they91裸聊视频檝e got a lot of guys in place,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檝e got my phone number.
91裸聊视频淚 answer every time that it rings,91裸聊视频� he added dryly.
Cole counted family, flying, dogs, Broadway shows and fly-fishing among his loves.
His love for hockey started at a young age. At 11, he was bedridden for almost six months due to a knee injury suffered playing soccer.
The neighbourhood helped him collect Quaker Oats box tops for a promotion that involved photos of NHL players. With the photos spread out on his bed in line formations, he91裸聊视频檇 listen to the VONF radio broadcasts of games.
He listened to Hewitt bring the game alive. 91裸聊视频淚t was heaven for me,91裸聊视频� he told the CBC in a 2019 interview.
Years later, he still had his own system for writing down the lines for use in the broadcast booth.
His first job in radio came in 1954 at VOCM in St. John91裸聊视频檚 as a part-time news reader and DJ.
His life took a turn in 1956 when, on the way back from a trip to New York, the aspiring broadcaster decided to drop off a five-minute audition tape at Hewitt91裸聊视频檚 Toronto radio station.
To Cole91裸聊视频檚 surprise, Hewitt made time for him and listened to the tape right there and then. They spent some two hours together.
Hewitt91裸聊视频檚 advice? Save the big call for the big play, use different voice levels and feel the flow of the game. It served Cole well.
Beginning on radio, Cole looked to paint a picture with his calls.
91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檝e got to take over somebody91裸聊视频檚 mind, try to get them into the building,91裸聊视频� he said.
Starting in April 1969 doing an NHL playoff semifinal game in Boston on radio 91裸聊视频� Jean Beliveau scored in double overtime to eliminate the Bruins 91裸聊视频� Cole moved to TV in 1973.
His work routine never changed. For Saturday games, he flew in Friday and returned Sunday. He met the coaches the morning of the game to go over their lineups, had a nap in the afternoon, then returned to the rink to go to work.
Fifty years on, he said he still got goosebumps walking into the arena.
Cole was old-school. He talked while the action was on, leaving his colour analyst to chime in when play halted.
Neale was one of his favourite broadcast partners. 91裸聊视频淗e loves the game and that showed up through every broadcast he ever made,91裸聊视频� said Neale
91裸聊视频淲e had a pretty good chemistry in the booth,91裸聊视频� Cole said.
Cole91裸聊视频檚 signature calls, such as 91裸聊视频淒esjardins! And the Canadiens win in overtime,91裸聊视频� in the 1993 Stanley Cup final, remain in demand.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e had guys in NHL dressing rooms come up with something like that. 91裸聊视频淕ive us that (Eric) Desjardins goal! C91裸聊视频檓on Bob!91裸聊视频� Cole recalled.
Cole was honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 when he won the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster. In 2016, he was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
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