Hockey Night In Canada – Oldie But A Goldie
Hockey Night In Canada is almost as important to Canadian Hockey as hockey itself. Dating back to 1929 it’s truly an oldie but a goldie!
It all began with a handshake between Conn Smythe the boss of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Jack MacLaren the advertising agent. The agreement gave MacLaren the right to broadcast the Toronto Maple Leafs games on the radio. The first game aired in November of 1931.
By 1933 there were 20 radio stations that were broadcasting the games with an estimated 1 million listeners across the country. In 1937 CBC was launched and took over the broadcasting of the games. This was when it became called “Hockey Night In Canada.”
The first game to be televised on TV was in October 1952. George Retzlaff oversaw the broadcasts. After finishing his camera training he became the producer of Hockey Night In Canada as well as the head of CBC Sports.
During the same time Gerald Renaud who was a sports newspaper editor got the job as Montreal’s sports producer. He played with camera positioning looking for the optimum view to watch the game. In 1956 he introduced a goal camera to the 3 existing overhead camera. This 4th camera was a hit because it showed action at the ice level which had never been done before.
Retzlaff wasn’t to be outdone. The same year he introduced kinescope which was a method of using film to record a goal so viewers could be shown an instant replay. Renaud and Retzlaff both played an important role in bringing the drama of hockey into the home.
For years the Hockey Night In Canada radio and television broadcasts ran simultaneously mimicking each other. In later years scheduling conflicts created some changes to this. By 1963 the sponsors had grown considerably to include Molson, Imperial Oil, and Ford of Canada. By 1988 some changes made by Molson to ensure the series didn’t make it the independent stations, saw the name changes to Molson Hockey Night In Canada on CBC.
There are some famous sportscasters voices attached to Hockey Night In Canada Broadcasts. Names like Foster Hewitt, Bill Hewitt, Bob Cole, Harry Neale, Dick Irvin Jr., and of course Don Cherry.
Foster Hewitt was the pioneer in sports broadcasters and his son came on the scene to assist in broadcasting when hockey made it to television. Foster Hewitt was great at calling a play and he was uncanny at anticipating where it was going. He really did set the set the standard for future sports broadcasters.
Bob Cole came on the scene in 1973 replacing an ill Bill Hewitt. Bob had an amazing way of building his voice to the plays climax. Harry Neale was more known for his odd lines than his broadcast voice. He had an unending supply of one-liners that kept the crowds laughing. Dick Irvin Jr came to broadcasting with some family hockey heritage as his father had coached both the Maple Leafs and the Canadians.
Don Cherry who is still broadcasting today has become known as the legendary sportscaster around the world. He’s volatile, controversial, and attracts audiences from all around the globe. Combine Cherry with Ron MacLean for the current broadcast team and you’ve got a great mix of entertainment!
It’s quite likely Hockey Night In Canada will be around as long as there is hockey after all the two are truly part of each other.
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