Pat Foley To Retire After 2021-22 Season
The Chicago Blackhawks broke a lot of hearts on Wednesday morning with news that was going to come at some point, but has now arrived.
Hall of Famer Pat Foley will call his final season of Blackhawks hockey in 2021-22.
According to the Blackhawks’ release, Foley will call a portion of the upcoming schedule and use the year to pass the torch to his successor. The Blackhawks have begun the search for their next play-by-play broadcaster.
“Listening to the great Lloyd Pettit fostered a love for the Chicago Blackhawks and broadcasting at an early age. To follow in his footsteps and broadcast for the team for nearly 40 years is a dream come true for a Chicago native,” Foley said in the team’s release. “Any kid who eats, sleeps and breathes sports, grows up wanting to play for their hometown team. Thankfully for me, I realized early on that my playing career wouldn’t last beyond intramurals and that broadcasting was the next best thing to staying around the game. I have had conversations with the Blackhawks about my future, and because I cannot guarantee that I would like to continue beyond the length of my contract that ends after next season, they must look ahead. I support and respect their plan to transition the broadcast booth and I’m thankful to the Wirtz family and the Blackhawks for this opportunity.”
These are going to be enormous shoes to fill. Foley has been an institution with the Blackhawks (and Wolves) for decades; this will be his 39th season on the mic.
Foley’s voice has provided the soundtrack to the latest dynasty of Blackhawks’ history but there are so many names fans cannot hear without them being said in Foley’s voice. If not for Foley, who would honestly care about Murray Bannerman?
And how many times did Foley rip Steve Larmer’s name as hard as Larmer did the puck?
Pat Foley is the Chicago Blackhawks. He has been for almost 40 years. And while this is sad news, it was going to come at some point. I’m glad we get a season to appropriately say goodbye to a Chicago institution.
Patrick is blackhawks hockey no one will ever live up to his standards
in retrospect having the great fortune of listening to almost every hawks game in my life to either pettit or foley is over the top amazing. pettit introduced me to hockey and foley took me through most of the years and the glorious era.
everything in life changes and it is time for him to move on. hope the hawks find and exciting replacement. really hope it is not some eloquent speaker with a vocabulary from here to there and one intent on impressing us with that vocabulary. hockey is a simple game played by hard working, tough guys. hoping for a lunch pail kind of guy (yeah…. not ready for a play by play gal) who speaks the average guy’s language. i am not a fan at all of the doc emrick type. just keep it simple and let the game unfold and speak for itself.
kudos to foley. a great career.
The Blackhawks should make June Twenty-TURD ‘Pat Foley Day’
Pat, good things don’t last forever ! I was friends for many years with Budd Lynch as he was Canadian , born in Hamilton ! He witnessed 8 cups from the press box with the RedWings ! I just remember some of the Quotes, here come the Hawks and Hawks Win ,Hawks Win ! I also remember Brian McFarland and Foster Hewitt in the old 6 team league ! Wow ?, Pops
Wijg lol good idea, he will be missed.
I will miss him, I still love his calls today. Glad to get one more season with him behind the mic. I hope I run into him at a bar one day and share a cocktail with him and let him know how much fun it was to listen to him call a game.
Although the Foley & Eddie O Show has worn very thin the past few years, Pat has given Hawks fans many years of exciting broadcasting excellence and for that he will live in the pantheon of great Chicago broadcasting history. That said, I think it is time to hang up the microphone and I hope this season will be known for exciting plays and progress in the rebuild more so than Foley’s swan song tour.
Just want to echo what Hawks 29 said, totally agree. If Pat was not the best he sure was one of the best. And I did prefer Foley and Tallon, but much respect for Eddzo also.
Best wishes and congratulations on a great career. Looking forward to a smooth transition aided by some Blackhawks victories!
I echo Hawks 29 entirely.
Enjoyed Lloyd Pettit immensely, and Foley was a natural extension of the story. The advent of color commentators and the personal interactions that brought into the booth definitely impacted the Foley story. Like Hawks 29, I hope the replacement isn’t trying to reinvent the lexicon for hockey. I didn’t need Doc requiring me to have a dictionary next to my TV remote, and I don’t need John Forslund using mostly basketball terms during a hockey game (and why is a goalie “freezing” a puck the same as “melting it down”? WTH does that mean?!).
So thanks Pat for sharing an important part of my time on earth. All the best to you.
Loved listening to Pat and Dale more than any others. Lets hope they hire someone like Foley from his early years for those were the best
I have enjoyed very much listening to Pat Foley, as well as Lloyd Petit before him. Well deserved plaque in the broadcaster area of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Will be large shoes to be filled. Have heard some folks wanting Jon Wideman to be replacement, but he has such a terrific way of painting a description of the game over the radio that would be redundant on TV. Regardless, congratulations Pat on your great career.
Thanks for the memories Pat
BANNNNNNNNNERMAN
I hope your retirement treats you as well as we were all treated from your calling of the Hawks games!
Niemi says ‘NO!’
Call the cops! He was robbed!
According to CapFriendly
The league identified 18 players that don’t need to be protected by their Team ( Expansion Draft )
Seabrook and Shaw are on that list .like Crawford with Devils is not protected
This is a good news
Read on Fan sided
Thanks Dollar Bill.
look he was great! but time to move on. bring john and troy over from the radio. or hell blowman loves giving second chances to player why not DAN KELLY the puke!
either way this seems weird, maybe some of his edge comments and having to apologies for them got him to retire early. is it his fault for those no, more likely the snowflakes that bring down this sport and freedom of speech.
hope he enjoys retirement, but you know he will be in the blackhawks family appearance till his passes.
“Jarnkrok with a breakaway.”
What a great connection he was for me to Chicago and the Hawks for the last 40 years. Listening to him and Tallon and then him and Eddie O. The excitement he brought to a broadcast was amazing.
Sadly another Hawks fan favorite is riding off into the sunset. Hopefully the person coming will be able to provide us with as much excitement and laughs as Mr. Foley has. Good luck and best wishes to him in his future.
The next guy will have big shoes to fill.
He will forever be remembered for his rant of Alexander Karpotsiv. Still like to listen to it.
Really glad he came back and was announcers with Eddie for our dynasty it was right to have them and Hull Mikita. Thats something that wont happen again and most teams will never happen for them. We did it. Foley ddint bother me during the dynasty yrs and not too much other times/I know people got sick of it/some stuff.
Just gald he and Eddie and Hull Mikita were here for the show.
Miro, yea for got to say that was thinking same glad he says one more yr and goes in good spirits.
surprised he didn’t get cancelled sooner after that suicide slur last year.
luv the guy- but the time has come
Actually, people are forgetting that Pat Foley did not replace Lloyd Pettit. Jim West did. He wasn’t so great. So, they replaced him after 2 or 3 seasons with Pat.
“Tree-tirty-tree to go in the turd.” My son and I will miss you, Pat. Hopefully, the radio guys will get promoted to attempt to fill your shoes. They are the next best thing.