Poem 8: Hockey Announcers

Congratulations to Bob Cole after fifty years of play by play

His style was unique, he called the hockey games in his own way

Imagine, the Leafs versus the Canadiens, final game of the year

Couldn’t be a more befitting way to end his career

All those years in this profession, it’s quite a haul

Made me think of the man who started it all

Foster Hewitt was the pioneer of calling the game

Starting it on radio was his claim to fame

This was back in the thirties when he started on air

When they decided to televise, he was right there

The first broadcast was in French with Rene Lecavalier as the instigator

Follow by Foster Hewitt in English, a mere three weeks later

I still remember listening to Rene back in the day

If your team was playing the Canadiens, it was the only way

After more than thirty years, he announced his final game

All over Quebec he is still a household name

Hewitt would retire, 1963 was the year

Then nine years later, he would reappear

1972, the summit series against Russia was the assignment he’d get

Eight games that September that no Canadian will ever forget

Danny Gallivan,  was another that was well known

This man was in a class that was all his own

His use of words and phrases was second to none

I enjoyed listening to him no matter who won

The man enjoyed the game and he put in so much thought

Inventing phrases like “spinerama move” and “cannonating shot”

For thirty two years in English Canada he was CBC’s choice

He brought all the excitement, he had the voice

These men paved the way for the best game around

Those who have followed, try to copy their sound

So when you are watching your team on your favourite station

Remember these three men who laid the foundation