Mike Emrick
Doc Emrick | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1, 1946 United States |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Years active | 1973–2020 |
| Known for | Play-by-play commentary for National Hockey League on NBC and NBCSN |
Michael "Doc" Emrick (born August 1, 1946) is a retired American sportscaster renowned for his play-by-play commentary in ice hockey on network television. He was the principal announcer for National Hockey League games broadcast nationally on NBC and NBCSN. Emrick's distinguished career earned him several honors, including the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy in 2004—an award given to only six media contributors—and the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008. With nine national Emmy Awards recognizing his excellence in sports broadcasting, he holds the record for the most Emmys won by any hockey commentator. On December 12, 2011, Emrick became the first media figure inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was honored as sportscaster of the year by Sports Illustrated.
Early Life and Education
Although initially aiming to become a baseball announcer, Emrick’s passion shifted toward hockey after attending a Fort Wayne Komets game in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1960. He began by producing taped broadcasts of Komets games under the guidance of seasoned broadcaster Bob Chase. Emrick graduated from Southwood Junior-Senior High School in 1964, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in speech from Manchester University (Indiana) in 1968, followed by a Master’s degree in radio and television from Miami University in 1969. He completed his academic journey with a Ph.D. in communications focusing on radio, television, and film at Bowling Green State University in 1976, which led to his nickname "Doc."
Between 1969 and 1971, he taught courses in speech and broadcasting at Geneva College. Early exposure to NHL coverage came through his unpaid work as a correspondent for The Beaver County Times, reporting on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Professional Broadcasting Career
Emrick launched his professional announcing career in 1973 with the Port Huron Flags, providing play-by-play on WHLS radio and managing public relations for the International Hockey League (IHL) team. In 1977, he assumed similar responsibilities with the newly established Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League (AHL), calling their consecutive Calder Cup victories in 1978 and 1979. Following this, he became the inaugural announcer for the relocated New Jersey Devils franchise starting in 1982 and continued until 1986.
Throughout the 1980s, Emrick contributed to the Philadelphia Flyers, initially serving as a spot announcer from 1983 to 1986. He then transitioned to an in-studio analyst role between 1986 and 1988 before becoming the lead play-by-play voice for local television and cable broadcasts from 1988 through 1993. During this period, he collaborated with former NHL player and national broadcaster Bill Clement for four years.
In 1993, Emrick returned to cover the Devils once more, succeeding Gary Thorne, and remained their primary announcer until July 2011. Notably, he called the Devils’ Stanley Cup triumph in 1995 alongside color commentator John Davidson during national broadcasts on Fox.
National Broadcasting
Emrick’s national coverage includes work with top networks such as CBS, NBC, NBC’s subsidiary NBCSN, ABC, TNT, ESPN, and Fox. He served as lead play-by-play announcer for The NHL on ESPN from 1986 to 1988 alongside Bill Clement. His debut national over-the-air television assignment was at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville for CBS.
From 1995 until 1999, Emrick was the lead play-by-play voice for NHL on Fox, covering regular season matchups as well as Stanley Cup Finals. After Fox lost NHL broadcasting rights to ABC, he transitioned into a regional announcer role for NHL on ABC between 2000 and 2004, calling selected playoff games and contributing reports for ABC Sports and ESPN’s Stanley Cup coverage.
Prior to the start of the 2005–06 season, Emrick was appointed lead play-by-play announcer for both NHL on Versus (previously OLN) and NHL on NBC, roles he maintained through hosting telecasts since 2008. Over his career, he has called games in twenty-two Stanley Cup Finals across various networks—NBC, ESPN, Fox, Versus, and OLN—surpassing any other American broadcaster’s total. Additionally, he has been featured in fourteen NHL All-Star Games broadcasts. His extensive experience has established him as an iconic figure within hockey broadcasting.
Emrick also provided coverage of the World Cup of Hockey tournaments for Prime Network in 1996 and ESPN in 2004.
His Olympic broadcasting credentials include five Games covered for NBC along with assignments for CBS and TNT during other Olympic events. For NBC specifically, he called water polo competitions at both the 2004 and 2012 Summer Olympics, as well as men’s and women’s ice hockey events during the Winter Olympics of 2006, 2010, and 2014 alongside Eddie Olczyk and reporter Pierre McGuire.
Outside of hockey, Emrick has lent his voice to NFL games and NCAA basketball tournament contests for CBS—including Brett Favre’s inaugural game with the Green Bay Packers—and has covered National Lacrosse League All-Star and Championship Games during his tenure at NBC.
On July 21, 2011, Emrick announced his decision to leave his role with the Devils to dedicate himself fully to NBC Sports. Steve Cangialosi took over as Devils play-by-play announcer starting with the following season (2011–12).
On May 5, 2014, it was revealed by EA Sports that Emrick would provide play-by-play commentary for NHL 15, teaming up with Eddie Olczyk and "Inside-the-Glass" reporter Ray Ferraro. This trio continued their collaboration through five consecutive years until James Cybulski replaced Emrick beginning with NHL 20. From 2018 through to 2020, "Inside-the-Glass" reporter Brian Boucher joined them during national broadcasts.
Retirement
On October 19, 2020, following a period of remotely calling NHL playoff games due to COVID-19 protocols, Emrick declared his retirement from the broadcasting profession. In a farewell video essay, he looked back on his lifelong enthusiasm for hockey and the spirit of sportsmanship:
Kenny Albert took over as NBC's primary NHL play-by-play announcer, leading the network's final NHL season before national broadcast rights transitioned to ABC/ESPN and Turner Sports. On February 21, 2021, NBC Sports presented a documentary celebrating Emrick’s distinguished career.
NBC’s concluding NHL broadcast was Game 5 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals on July 7. After the postgame segment on NBCSN, a 13-minute highlight reel narrated by Emrick showcased NBC’s pioneering contributions and unforgettable moments from 15 years of NHL coverage. Emrick ended NBC’s NHL era with this statement:
National Football League
Emrick provided commentary for multiple NFL matchups on CBS during the 1992 and 1993 campaigns. In 1992, he partnered with Matt Millen, while in 1993 he worked alongside Hank Stram, including Week 5 of the '92 season. A notable moment in his NFL announcing was calling Brett Favre’s inaugural NFL start in 1992 (Packers versus Buccaneers), where Favre’s first completed pass was inadvertently deflected back to him.
| Year | Week | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Week 1 | Vikings vs. Packers |
| Week 2 | Packers vs. Buccaneers | |
| Week 5 | Saints vs. Lions | |
| Week 10 | Vikings vs. Buccaneers | |
| 1993 | Week 1 | Vikings vs. Raiders |
| Week 2 | Saints vs. Falcons | |
| Week 3 | Buccaneers vs. Packers |
Honors
- Recipient of the 1997 National CableACE Award for outstanding play-by-play announcing
- Awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2004
- Honored with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 2008
- Winner of nine Sports Emmy Award honors for Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play
- Five-time New York Regional Emmy Award recipient for work on New Jersey Devils broadcasts on MSG Network
- Four-time recipient of the NSMA Sportscaster of the Year award
- Inducted into the NSMA Hall of Fame in 2019
- Named Sports Illustrated Sports Media "Person of the Year" in 2014
- Entered the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2023
Style
The broadcast pairing of Emrick and color commentator Glenn "Chico" Resch for the Devils was recognized for lightening tense game moments with spontaneous humor. For instance, during the 2008–09 NHL season, Resch made a quip about a puck rebound off Devils goaltender Scott Clemmensen:
Their routine humor often featured Emrick sarcastically applauding goaltenders while Resch empathized due to his own experience as a goalie. Another recurring joke involved Emrick querying Resch about lesser-known Canadian towns when player hometowns were mentioned. Emrick frequently attributed unusual puck trajectories to "the unseen hand," which drew chuckles from viewers. His trademark exclamation "my goodness" punctuated exceptional saves or lively plays.
Emrick’s knowledge of hockey has been described as "encyclopedic," complemented by his refined vocabulary—referring to goalie gear as "paraphernalia." During intermissions, he would share insights about players’ statistics, records, or their impact on sports history. Esteemed sportswriter Peter King lauded him as "one hell of a hockey announcer," comparing him to legendary broadcaster Jack Buck, particularly if hockey enjoyed greater popularity in the United States.
Miscellaneous
Emrick is a founding figure and currently presides over the NHL Pronunciation Guide, a resource broadcasters rely on for correctly pronouncing challenging player names. Additionally, he holds the position of Vice President within the NHL Broadcasters Association and participates as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee. He also hosted the weekly podcast titled "Emrick's Angle," where he shared his perspectives on the NHL.
A dedicated Pittsburgh Pirates enthusiast, Emrick's early years were influenced by listening to Bob Prince on KDKA Radio. He witnessed a memorable moment when Garrett Jones launched a home run into the Allegheny River during a game. In 2014, NPR's All Things Considered featured an interview with him discussing his professional journey and broadcasting approach. By 2016, Emrick collaborated with Pirates commentators during spring training and called his inaugural MLB regular-season game at PNC Park for MLB Network alongside Bob Costas.
Whenever NBC's schedule permitted, Emrick annually announced the Hall of Fame inductees for the Hershey Bears in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He also provided narration for American Hockey League Hall of Fame induction videos and was the television play-by-play announcer for the 2011 AHL All-Star Game.
Following his retirement announcement in October 2020, Emrick published his memoir, Off Mike: How a Kid from Basketball-Crazy Indiana Became America's NHL Voice.
Personal life
Doc lives in St. Clair, Michigan with his wife, Joyce. Though they have no children, they cherish their time spent with their dogs and six horses. Emrick identifies as a Christian.
He is also a cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991.