Everett Fitzhugh facts for kids

Everett "Fitz" Fitzhugh (born 1989) is a super cool American sportscaster. He's the exciting voice you hear on the radio, calling the games for the Seattle Kraken in the National Hockey League (NHL). He made history as the first full-time African American broadcaster in the NHL.

Early Life and Hockey Dreams

Everett Fitzhugh is African American. He was born in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in northwest Detroit and went to Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Later, he studied at Bowling Green State University.

His love for hockey started when he was just a third grader. He watched a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Edmonton Oilers. He noticed that the Oilers had two Black players, Mike Grier and Georges Laraque. This made him really interested in the sport.

Starting His Broadcasting Career

Everett started his career calling games for different hockey teams. He was the play-by-play announcer for the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL. The ECHL is a professional minor hockey league. He also worked for the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League.

He was also a play-by-play announcer and color commentator for the Bowling Green Falcons. Everett also helped the Cyclones with their media relations. In 2017, he won an award for his excellent work in media relations. He even helped broadcast the 2018 ECHL All-Star Game on NHL Network.

In 2018, he got a special chance to call a preseason game for the Washington Capitals. This was a big step for him!

Making History in Hockey

In 2020, a sports reporter named Ryan S. Clark shared something important. He reported that Everett Fitzhugh was the only Black play-by-play announcer in professional North American ice hockey. This showed how special and important Everett's role was.

People who worked with him, like Kristen Ropp, praised his hard work. They said he was always ready to do whatever it took to help his team. Many people believed that if an NHL team hired Everett, it would be a huge moment for hockey. It would show that the sport was becoming more diverse.

Joining the Seattle Kraken

Tod Leiweke, the CEO of the Seattle Kraken, heard about Everett. He read the article about him and decided to reach out. He also got a great recommendation from famous NHL announcer Mike Emrick.

In August 2020, the Kraken hired Everett as their very first team broadcaster. This was a historic moment! He became the first full-time African American broadcaster in the history of the NHL.

Everett also narrated the audiobook for Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player. This book is about Willie O'Ree, the first Black player in the NHL. Everett recorded the audiobook in just four days before moving to Seattle.

He often appears in promotional videos for the Kraken. He also hosts interviews and Q&A sessions on the team's YouTube channel.

On February 17, 2022, Everett Fitzhugh and J. T. Brown called a Kraken game together. They were the first all-Black TV broadcast team in NHL history!

Everett has received many honors for his work. In 2023, he was named the Washington State Sportscaster of the Year. He also won a Northwest Regional Emmy Award for his broadcasting.

Personal Life

Everett Fitzhugh married Shelly Pinto on October 15, 2021.

He looks up to many great broadcasters from Detroit, like Ernie Harwell and Ken Daniels. He also enjoys listening to the announcers on Hockey Night in Canada.