Mike Emrick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike "Doc" Emrick
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Emrick in November 2014
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| Born | August 1, 1946 La Fontaine, Indiana, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Manchester University Miami University Bowling Green State University |
| Years active | 1973–2020 |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Genre(s) | Play-by-play |
| Sports | Ice hockey, American football, baseball |
Michael "Doc" Emrick (born August 1, 1946) is a famous American sports announcer. He is best known for his exciting play-by-play commentary for ice hockey games. Doc Emrick was the main voice for NHL games on TV channels like NBC and NBCSN.
Emrick has won many important awards for his work. He received the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy in 2004. This award is given for contributions to hockey in the United States. He also won the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008. Emrick has won nine national Emmy Awards for sports broadcasting. He is the only hockey announcer to win even one Emmy. In 2011, he was the first media person to join the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, Sports Illustrated magazine named him the sportscaster of the year.
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Doc Emrick's Early Life and Education
Doc Emrick was born in Indiana in 1946. When he was young, he wanted to be a baseball announcer. But then, on December 10, 1960, he went to his first hockey game. It was between the Fort Wayne Komets and the Muskegon Zephyrs. He loved it!
After that, he started practicing calling Komets games into a tape recorder. A long-time broadcaster named Bob Chase helped him learn. Emrick finished high school in 1964. He then went to Manchester University and Miami University. He earned a Ph.D. (a high-level degree) in communications from Bowling Green State University in 1976. This is why people call him "Doc."
From 1969 to 1971, Emrick taught speech and broadcasting at Geneva College. During this time, he also started covering the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team. He wrote about them for a local newspaper.
Doc Emrick's Broadcasting Career
Doc Emrick began his professional sportscasting career in 1973. He started by doing play-by-play for the Port Huron Flags hockey team. He also handled public relations for the team. In 1977, he joined the Maine Mariners and helped them win two championships.
He then became the first voice for the New Jersey Devils in 1982. He stayed with the Devils until 1986. Later, he worked for the Philadelphia Flyers in different roles. He was a spot announcer and an in-studio analyst. From 1988 to 1993, he was the main play-by-play announcer for the Flyers. He worked with former NHL player Bill Clement.
In 1993, Emrick returned to the New Jersey Devils. He was their main announcer until 2011. He called the Devils' 1995 Stanley Cup victory for a national TV broadcast.
National Hockey League Work
Doc Emrick has worked for many major TV networks. These include CBS, NBC, ABC, TNT, ESPN, and Fox. He was the lead announcer for The NHL on ESPN from 1986 to 1988.
His first national TV job was calling ice hockey at the 1992 Winter Olympics for CBS. From 1995 to 1999, he was the main play-by-play announcer for the NHL on Fox. He called regular-season games and the Stanley Cup Finals.
Before the 2005–06 season, he became the lead announcer for the NHL on Versus and the NHL on NBC. He called the top Conference Final games and all of the Stanley Cup Finals for these networks. He has called games in 22 Stanley Cup Finals on TV. This is more than any other American announcer. He also called 14 NHL All-Star Games. Because of his amazing work, he is known as a "hockey wizard."
Emrick also called the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He has worked at five Olympic Games for NBC. He called water polo in 2004 and 2012. He also called men's and women's ice hockey at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 Winter Olympics. He worked with Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire.
On July 21, 2011, Emrick announced he was leaving the New Jersey Devils. He wanted to work only for NBC Sports.
Retirement from Broadcasting
On October 19, 2020, Doc Emrick announced he was retiring from broadcasting. He had been calling hockey games from his home due to the coronavirus pandemic. When he retired, Emrick shared a video message. He said he still loved seeing the Stanley Cup. He also loved the handshake line after games, where players show good sportsmanship. He thanked everyone for their support.
Kenny Albert took over for Emrick for NBC's last NHL season. NBC's final NHL broadcast was Game 5 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. Emrick narrated a special video montage at the end. He talked about NBC's coverage and highlights over 15 years. He signed off for NBC's hockey coverage by saying, "thank you."
Doc Emrick's Awards and Honors
Doc Emrick has received many honors throughout his career. Here are some of them:
- 1997 National CableACE Award for best play-by-play announcer.
- 2004 Lester Patrick Trophy for his contributions to hockey.
- 2008 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame.
- Nine-time Sports Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play.
- Five-time New York Regional Emmy Award winner for his work on New Jersey Devils games.
- Four-time NSMA Sportscaster of the Year.
- Inducted into the NSMA Hall of Fame in 2019.
- 2014 Sports Illustrated Sports Media "Person of the Year."
- Inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
Doc Emrick's Unique Broadcasting Style
Doc Emrick and his co-announcer Glenn "Chico" Resch were known for their humor. They often made people laugh during games. For example, once Resch was talking about a goalie's new pads. He said the puck would bounce off "almost like a quarter off a balloon." Emrick quickly replied, "But you don't spend too much free time throwing quarters at balloons, Mr. Resch, do you?"
They had other funny moments too. If Emrick thought Resch was being too nice to a goalie, he would make a sarcastic comment. He would talk about how amazing goalies are and how they are "by far" the most important players. Another funny bit was when Emrick would ask Resch where a Canadian town was located. This happened when they talked about a player's hometown.
When something strange happened on the ice, Emrick would blame "the unseen hand." This always made Resch laugh. But Emrick's most famous phrase is "my goodness." He usually said this when a goalie made an amazing save. He also used it when there was a lot of exciting action on the ice.
People say Emrick knows everything about hockey. He uses a lot of interesting words when he talks. For example, he might call a goalie's gear "paraphernalia." During breaks in the game, Emrick often shares fun facts about players. He talks about their lives, hockey records, or what they have done for sports. Sports writer Peter King once said that Emrick is an amazing hockey announcer.
Other Interests and Contributions
Doc Emrick is a founding member and president of the NHL Pronunciation Guide. This guide helps all NHL announcers say difficult names correctly. He is also the Vice President of the NHL Broadcaster's Association. He is part of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Emrick also used to host a weekly podcast called "Emrick's Angle."
Emrick is a big fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. He grew up listening to their games on the radio. He even got to call a few innings of a Pirates game on TV and radio in 2016. On July 8, 2016, he called his first regular-season MLB game at PNC Park. He worked with Bob Costas for that game.
When his NBC schedule allowed, Emrick would go to Hershey, Pennsylvania. He would announce the Hershey Bears' Hall of Fame inductees. He also narrated videos for the American Hockey League Hall of Fame.
In October 2020, Emrick released his autobiography. It is called Off Mike: How a Kid from Basketball-Crazy Indiana Became America's NHL Voice.
Doc Emrick's Personal Life
Doc Emrick lives in St. Clair, Michigan with his wife, Joyce. They do not have children. However, they enjoy spending time with their dogs and six horses. Emrick is a Christian.
Emrick is also a cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991.
