Just a few days ago, the New Jersey Devils dropped their theme night/promotions schedule for the 2023-24 season. Among many eye-catching offerings was an unnamed induction to their “Ring of Honor” on Jan. 20, 2024, versus the Dallas Stars.
The Ring of Honor currently has one occupant: Dr. John J. McMullen, the original owner of the team. He was inducted in 2017. Now that the Devils are trying to bring it back to relevance following a seven-year gap, many rumors have swirled as to who the inductee could be.
In order to revive this idea, they’ll have to make a statement and induct someone who could receive unanimous support. That person would be Michael “Doc” Emrick, one of the most legendary play-by-play announcers to ever grace the sports industry.
Doc became the first voice for the Devils after they had moved from Colorado in 1982. He stayed with the team until the 1986-87 season when he took a hiatus to voice the Philadelphia Flyers as well as some nationally televised games.
He returned to the Devils in 1993 where he began the longest stint of his career: an 18-year period where he voiced three Stanley Cup championship teams. He was the voice behind the Devils’ first-ever championship in 1995.
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He left the team in 2011, but that didn’t mean his mark on Devils’ history was over. Since he announced many playoff games, he happened to reunite with the Devils in their playoff series against the New York Rangers in 2012. He went on to deliver one of the most iconic calls in team history, following Adam Henrique’s game-winner to send the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final.
Upon leaving the team, he penned a heartfelt letter to the fanbase expressing his appreciation and gratitude for his 21 total years with the team:
“I wanted Devils fans to know of this news quickly after I reached the decision since their kindness to my wife Joyce and me on countless occasions brought us so much joy. Candidly, it has also left me with a sense of regret that I will not be continuing to call the team’s games. I wish MSG Network and the Devils and Devils fans nothing but the greatest success in the years to come.
With Great Appreciation, Doc”
– via NHL.com
The loss of Doc was probably as tough of a loss as a fanbase could possibly have for a non-player. His mesmerizing voice is synonymous with the most successful time period of the organization. Even when times got tougher for the franchise towards the end of his tenure, his broadcasting talent alone made every single game bearable.
A True Artist
Doc had his own way of turning play-by-play into a distinguished art. He probably could have made a dictionary out of the hundreds of different phrases and terminologies he used to describe even the most boring plays in compelling fashion.
Words like “waffleboarded” became part of his everyday vocabulary. Heck, they even at one point made a clickable soundboard so you could hear Doc’s multitude of phrases over and over again. Unfortunately, it appears to no longer work.
He went on to have a very accomplished end to his career, where he announced game-winning goals in the Stanley Cup Final, thrilling touchdowns in the National Football League, and March Madness buzzer beaters. In 2020, he officially announced his retirement – a sad day for the hockey world.
Many people seem to believe that a player will be inducted into the Ring of Honor. But, think of it this way; the most important players who deserve to be honored already have their numbers in the rafters. It would seem strange to return from a seven-year hiatus just to honor someone who’s already had an entire ceremony. And frankly, it would be repetitive.
This has to be somebody unique, and nobody more unique than Doc himself deserves this recognition.
