Hockey fans all over the United States will not have the pleasure of hearing Doc Emrick yell out the word, “Drive!” after a slap shot from the blue line during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Emrick will not announce the game as he tends to a death in his family.
Replacing Emrick will be Kenny Albert, who will be paired with Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire. Emrick is expected to return to the booth for Game 2 of the series.
Emrick has called every game of the Stanley Cup Final since NBC acquired rights to broadcast hockey’s greatest spectacle in 2005. He is known for his exuberant and energetic play-by-play style, witty and improvised humor, along with a robust and eloquent vocabulary.
For Emrick’s backup Albert, it’s a reward for doing a fantastic job broadcasting the Western Conference finals on NBCSN for the first time and the Eastern Conference finals for the New York Rangers’ radio affiliate.
We wish the best for Emrick and his family and anxiously await him saying the word “paraphernalia” when describing Jonathan Quick’s pads in Game 2.
