Legendary Hockey Night in Canada announcer Bob Cole has passed away

Legendary NHL and Hockey Night in Canada announcer Bob Cole has passed away.

CBC News confirmed the passing of the longtime NHL commentator at the age of 90 this week, with family surrounding him in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Cole worked five decades calling hockey games and called his final game in 2019.

He was the voice of some of the game’s most iconic moments, including the men’s gold medal game of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paul Henderson’s Summit Series-winning goal in 1972 in the Soviet Union.

Cole began doing radio broadcasts for CBC in 1969, before transitioning to television in 1973.

“Hockey has been my passion for as long as I can remember,” said Cole in a 2018 interview with Sportsnet ahead of his final season working in the NHL. “It’s been an honour and a privilege serving Canadian hockey fans across the country and being part of the Hockey Night in Canada institution. I’m looking forward to getting to the rinks for this last season, seeing familiar faces and getting out there to do what I love most in the world.”

In addition to his time in sports media, Bob Cole was also known as an accomplished curler, representing Newfoundland and Labrador at the Brier twice in the 1970s.

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