Dave Strader facts for kids
David Strader (born February 24, 1955 – died October 1, 2017) was a famous American sportscaster. He was best known for his exciting play-by-play commentary for ice hockey games. During his career, he worked for many National Hockey League (NHL) teams. These included the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, and Dallas Stars. He also worked for big TV networks like ESPN, ABC, Versus, and NBC.
On April 17, 2017, the Hockey Hall of Fame gave Strader a special honor. He received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. This award is given to people who have made great contributions to hockey broadcasting. While hockey was his main focus, he also called games for college basketball, the WNBA, and the NBA D-League.
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About David Strader
David Strader grew up in Glens Falls, New York. He learned how to be a great broadcaster in college. He studied communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. There, he worked at the college radio station, WMUA 91.1.
Starting His Broadcasting Career
Strader's professional career began in 1979. He worked for the Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL. He was their radio announcer and helped share news about the team. He won awards from the New York State Broadcasters Association twice. In 1984, he was named the AHL's top public relations professional.
Calling the Games: Local Teams
In 1985, the NHL's Detroit Red Wings called Strader to join them. He became their main TV play-by-play announcer. He called games with Mickey Redmond until 1996.
Later, Strader called games for the Florida Panthers in 2005 and 2006. He also worked for the Phoenix Coyotes starting in 2007. There, he worked again with Darren Pang, who he knew from ESPN. In 2011, Strader left the Coyotes to work full-time for NBC and Versus. He then joined the Dallas Stars as their TV play-by-play voice in 2015.
In June 2016, Strader was diagnosed with a type of cancer. Despite his treatment, he returned to the broadcast booth on February 18, 2017. He called five home games for the Dallas Stars. After one game, the Stars players honored him on the ice. He also called some Stanley Cup playoff games in April 2017.
Calling the Games: National TV
After a long-time ESPN broadcaster passed away in 1996, Strader was hired by ESPN. He joined their National Hockey Night broadcasts. He often worked with Darren Pang and Brian Engblom. When ABC got the NHL contract in 2000, Strader worked for them too. He also called NHL games for Fox in the mid-1990s. From 1997 to 2015, he called the Stanley Cup Finals for NHL International.
He moved to NBC and Versus when they got the NHL contracts in 2005. Strader also called hockey games for NBC during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy. He also worked at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. In 2009, he filled in for Mike Emrick to call the 2009 NHL Winter Classic. Emrick couldn't broadcast because he had lost his voice. Strader also called the 2011 NHL Heritage Classic game.
In 2012, he covered a college basketball tournament for the NBC Sports Network.
A Special Award and His Legacy
David Strader passed away on October 1, 2017. He was 62 years old. He died at his home in Glens Falls after his battle with bile duct cancer.
The Hockey Hall of Fame had announced earlier that year that he would receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. This award is a huge honor for hockey broadcasters. Strader had said it was the greatest honor he had ever received. His sons accepted the award for him at the ceremony in November.
Many people in the hockey world honored him after his death. Mike Emrick, a lead announcer for NBC, gave a special tribute to him. On October 7, 2017, the Stars and Vegas Golden Knights held a moment of silence for him.
