Best and Worst Play-By-Play Announcers

[Blender]

Devils fans might not agree with me but I hate our broadcast team. Cangiolosi isn't bad at play by play but his voice gives me chills in a bad way. Daneyko has no business being a color commentator. His voice is too rugged and rough and he sounds clueless most of the time. It's tough to get used to those two when you're spoiled with Doc and Chico for decades. Bryce Salvador has only made the broadcast worse.

My only problem with Dano is that he's a blind homer. The color guy is supposed to be biased (but not the play by play guy), but he almost never criticizes the Devils even when it's warranted.

 

[cjm502]

As you mention Redmond, the worst of the 2, is Color so doesn't count as PbP but they both suck and are painful to listen to. "slight" homerism is an understatement.
I watch visiting teams feed because Razor sucks at PbP, the only times i just mute the games is when Boston/Detroit is playing Dallas or the Game is on NBC, the amount of Derp coming out of those crews is just unbelievable bad.
Daniels isn't as bad as Redmond but they are both absolutely terrible, and much like Country music, an assault on the ears.


Side note, being the Best at "Detroit sportscaster" means clearly Detroit has low standards, or no one with talent to chose from.

Or the most likely scenario, your opinion is much different then most.

 

[JPeeper]

Thought it would be interesting to see your thoughts on this. I'll start it off:

Best: Kevin Quinn (Oilers - I might be a little biased)

Kevin Quinn is bottom 5, guy is horrendous at calling games. Ignoring the fact he is an enormous Oiler homer, his play calls are amateur hour. No excitement ever for the other team, even his own team some games he isn't excited unless it's McDavid. Then some games he gets super stoked the Oilers score even if they're losing 6-1. Guy is awful. He'd be the worst in the league if not for other homer PbP guys who are even bigger homers like the guys from Boston, Anaheim, Colorado, etc. Having Remenda really doesn't help Quinn either.

I really can't stand Dave Randorf though, I have no idea how this guy went from hosting the CFL show on TSN to getting national coverage play by play for Canadian hockey teams, this guy is tragic. Paul Romanuk also sucks.


And before Oiler fans start saying Hrudy or Ball in defense of Quinn, they are no where near as biased as Quinn or Remenda. The only thing Hrudy is bias about is goaltenders.

 

[ThunderAlleyNomad]

Lol - Mishkin is nuuuuuuuts. Has a stroke every time the Bolts score.

Our TV guy is great though. For my money I think Peckham is the best in the biz. Since Engblom joined for color it's also a bit more neutral-listener friendly (although frankly I still miss Chief).

RP is top notch. I will always thank whatever hockey God is responsible for getting rid of Chief. He's good for the studio stuff, but I never want to hear him do color for another game.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

The teams I like watching because of the announce crew

Capitals
Stars
Sharks
Ducks
Tampa Bay

Teams I don’t really like the announce crew but I will still watch the games

Wild
Blue Jackets
Panthers (probably the most disappointing ever since I got the package)
Penguins (I haven’t heard the new guy yet though)
Vancouver

 

[Nickmo82]

I watched Nsh-Kings yesterday and the Pred's announcer sounded like he was taking sleeping pills.

 

[jvr32]

Worst
Romanuk & Randorf (I can't tell which is which, because both are annoying)
Jack Edwards
their voices just are shit, sounds like they have a speech impediment or something like that
Florida - awful homers, not really that good
Vegas - the play-by-play announcer just read some irrelevant stats, annoying

Good
Anaheim - was impressed when watched Anaheim vs. Arizona, they really knew a lot what's happening in the league
Los Angeles - I like Jim Fox
Pittsburgh
Detroit
Tampa
Washington
Dallas
Chicago
Gord Miller

 

[Geoff72]

The Tampa guy needs to calm down....my god, I listen to NHL radio and the dude sounds like he's having a brain aneurysm.
.

A lot of Bolts fans like him. I on the other hand can not stand Mishkin's generic screaming after a goal. I often pray that he gets hit by a bus or at the very least a puck to the larynx

 

[SoupaTroupa]

I can't stand Paul Romanuk. He makes me want to throw things.

 

[Mandar]

The best description I have heard of Emerick's voice is: "His voice sound like a dull plastic knife cutting through styrofoam"

Very accurate.

 

[Hire Sather]

I like the guy who does Colorado. He shows enthusiasm for the other teams players and goals. His calls for Avalanche goals are super animated as well. I like the way he says "NATHAN MACKINNON" when nate scores.

I'd this post a joke? His entire thing is depressed calls when the other team scores.

 

[Machinehead]

My only problem with Dano is that he's a blind homer. The color guy is supposed to be biased (but not the play by play guy), but he almost never criticizes the Devils even when it's warranted.

Maybe it's just me but I don't get homer vibes from Dano, and I say that as a Rangers fan.

If anything, Dano thinks literally everything any ref has ever done is a bad call, but I find that he goes both ways on that.

 

[Blender]

Maybe it's just me but I don't get homer vibes from Dano, and I say that as a Rangers fan.

If anything, Dano thinks literally everything any ref has ever done is a bad call, but I find that he goes both ways on that.

Perhaps homer is the wrong word, since I don't think he is unfair to the opposition like many homer announcers are, but he might as well be the Devils minister of propaganda.

 

[Machinehead]

Perhaps homer is the wrong word, since I don't think he is unfair to the opposition like many homer announcers are, but he might as well be the Devils minister of propaganda.

Yeah, but that's just his job.

Everyone has to shill for the team. Sam and Joe are always super positive about the Rangers but they don't really give the other guys a hard time.

 

[Andre Palot]

Steve Cangialosi is very underrated

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I like Ken Daniels, John Forslund, Sam Rosen and Joe Beninati (homer pick).

Jack Edwards is the worst, that goes without saying. I don't like the Nashville guy, his voice is irritating.

 

[Yatzhee]

Buffalo's RJ is a legend, and one of the best in the business.

 

[KingBran]

Don't really care of John Kelly (hes not the worst) but I love Darren Pang. He's like me. Just so light-hearted about everything and never gets super serious or down and never complains and whines about the smallest things. Not sure he is the best but he is my favorite.

The worst is Peter McNabb. Cannot stand that guy. Anyone they put with him does not help either and ends up looking just awful because of him.

 

[Johnny HFBOARDS]

Bob C is awesome... because I never know who has the puck and what he's doing with it, makes the game so much more exciting.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

I hate almost all the HNIC broadcasters. Hughson is probably the worst of them. He sounds completely uninterested when the game doesn't feature the Canucks. When he's calling a Capitals game, he'll go out of his way to mention when Ovechkin steps on/off the ice every shift. Really annoying.

Romanuk is just brutal in every way. Gord Miller is a solid announcer in that he does a good job of describing the play. Problem is that I can't stand him either, because I associate his voice with his awful, Canadian-biased WJC calls.

Also, Jack Edwards is hilarious. Need more guys like him.

 

[PCDiesel]

Thought it would be interesting to see your thoughts on this. I'll start it off:

Best: Kevin Quinn (Oilers - I might be a little biased)
John Kelly (St.Louis Blues)

Worst: John Ahlers (Anaheim Ducks - Just so dull and boring)

Ahlers is boring, but I can't stand the Sharks announcer, and Bruins

 

[Elvs]

This thread shows how this all individual taste, with nearly every announcer recieving either heat or praise so far.

I'll just say this, in North America you have very good play by play announcers in general. Be happy you've never had to suffer through some of the Sweidsh broadcasts of NHL hockey.

As someone who just started doing a little play by play announcing on web-tv, I've found it's more difficult than I thought it would be. It makes me respect those who are good at it even more.

I don't have a huge problem with some of the homerism going on with North American announcers. Isn't that sort of the point when announcers are employes of the clubs? At least if we are talking about emotions. But if you by 'homerism' are talking about announcers constantly wanting refs to call the game in favour of their team, then yeah that's annoying.

Anyhow, I'll throw Anthony LaPanta's (Minnesota Wild) name out there. He's not #1 on my list but I think he's a bit underrated, and I didn't see his name mentioned yet.

 

[Baxterman]

Thought it would be interesting to see your thoughts on this. I'll start it off:

Best: Kevin Quinn (Oilers - I might be a little biased)

It is because you are biased because Kevin Quinn is god awful. The way he sounds like his dog was shot everytime the opposition scores and screams when the Oilers complete a single pass is embarassing. The whole SNET Oilers crew is pathetic with the homerism. How they continue to let Principe ask other teams players about how amazing it must be to play against the Oilers is beyond me.

Hughson is great in non-Canuck games and awful when covering them. Gord Miller and Cutherbert are both great as well.

I don't get the love for Emerick. I think his voice is like nails a chalkboard and he always sounds like it is his first time watching hockey with his comments. But I understand for many Americans he is the "voice" of hockey for them so perhaps that factors into it.

Not a play by play but Cassie Campbell is really terrible as a fill in for the Flames. I understand the desire to put women into roles that are 95% male dominated but putting in sub-par candidates simply because they are women does nothing to help. She is terrible and not showing signs of getting better.

 

[The S5]

Love Sam Rosen. Yes, he is a Ranger fan and can get a bit animated over the mundane, like any save Hank makes, but he is likeable and is always good for some laughs when he butchers visiting players names.

 

[JFHockey]

I vomit in my mouth a little every time the Oilers announcers use player nicknames