The Stanley Cup is more than a trophy. It’s a metaphor for life: the journey to the top encompasses all possible emotions. From heartbreak and grief to triumph and elation – these players’ hopes and dreams are on the line.
Millions of Americans tune in every June to get a glimpse of potential history. There’s not much better than watching the best of the best leave it all on the line, hoping to hoist the 34.5-pound Lord Stanley over their head. Unfortunately, when watching Stanley Cup broadcasts in recent years, there seems to be a little less magic than usual.
Where’s the Excitement!?
Many memorable Stanley Cup Final goal calls are etched in our memories – ones that can still be recited word-for-word years later. Something tells me that Florida Panthers fans won’t be reciting ESPN play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough’s call of Sam Reinhart’s goal to open the scoring in Game 3 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, though.
“And a goal.”
This isn’t a six-to-one preseason blowout. This is the Stanley Cup Finals!! Granted, McDonough has been battling an illness that has impacted his energy. I wish him a speedy recovery. In the same sense that players who play injured sometimes hurt the team more than they help, that could be the case with announcers. But regardless, since the departure of the great Mike “Doc” Emrick in 2020, nobody in hockey has been able to consistently deliver those memorable calls that will be remembered for generations.
Basketball has Mike Breen and his iconic “Bang!” when a player comes up clutch with a basket. I could go on for most sports…there’s Joe Buck, Al Michaels, Mike Tirico, Ian Eagle, Joe Davis…you get the point. They’re all guys who you can almost certainly count on to live up to the moment.
For comparison purposes, here’s a call from “Doc” in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, when Alexander Ovechkin opened the scoring for the Washington Capitals in Game 3. It’s a similar scenario to Reinhart’s goal:
Quite the difference – the intensity level of McDonough’s calls should be significantly higher. Since Emrick retired, the play-by-play gig for the Cup Finals has been flip-flopped between Kenny Albert and McDonough. Albert (in my opinion) has been better than McDonough and has the potential to become that voice. But if the broadcasters are switched every year, the lack of familiarity with the audience will hurt the iconic flair that big-game announcers in other sports currently possess.
For McDonough, his entire hockey announcing career hasn’t matched the emotion necessary for a Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, we’ll all look back to these moments and hear a level of excitement akin to winning 75 cents from a dollar scratch-off ticket.
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As of Friday, the Florida Panthers, who have never won a Cup in their 30-year history, are on the brink of a championship, leading the series 3-0 heading into Game 4. If it happens, they need an iconic call to match that historical moment, one that I’m afraid might not happen.
Hockey’s audience pales in comparison to other major sports. There are many reasons for that, but these broadcasts aren’t doing the NHL any favors. The younger generation is starting to grasp the game, and the potential to exponentially increase the viewership is there. But if our impressionable youth sees a goal call like that on their social media feed? It’s yawn-worthy.
The outcry on social media platforms has been exactly what you’d expect. A quick search of McDonough’s name on X shows 29 of the top 30 results chastising his announcing. Unfortunately, some internet trolls take it too far. But there’s plenty of reasonable criticism as well. And it extends far before these Finals.
Some players have waited their entire careers for this moment. Draft prospect Berkly Catton recently talked about how he started training at three years old. In past Cup celebrations, we’ve seen tears streaming down the faces of both sides – one side in a state of euphoria while the other stays near-motionless in agony.
With Game 4 on Saturday, when Lord Stanley’s Cup will be in the building, there’s time for McDonough to capture the moment’s meaning and turn the narrative around. He’s delivered perfectly in other sports. He showed more excitement on a hurdle in an early season College Football matchup between Michigan and Nebraska than in most of his goal calls in his hockey broadcasting career.
In future seasons, there will have to be some serious evaluation of who that voice will be. If it’s not going to be Albert, I think Bob Wischusen will also be a great solution. The 52-year-old has done excellent work in football and basketball. In some recent NHL work on ESPN, he has delivered nearly every single time, to the point where a large contingent of NHL fans are clamoring for him to be given more of an opportunity. Click here for an example.
Hockey’s magic lies not only in the game itself but also in how it’s narrated. ESPN must ensure that this integral aspect of the viewing experience is preserved and celebrated. The voice that tells the story of the Stanley Cup Finals must be as legendary as the moments it describes. Once that “voice” is selected, they must become a mainstay. They may never be another “Doc,” but if they can come close, that’s a massive victory for the NHL and its’ current/future audiences.
