On Missing Doc

If there was one BU event I would do anything in my power to be at, it was the contest between Comm. Ave rivals that featured Jerry York’s first chance at tying the all-time wins mark tonight. Although that milestone would have been pretty impressive, it didn’t have anything to do with why I wanted to be in attendance.

I’ve only heard great things about Doc Emrick. The NBC Sports hockey broadcaster has spent decades calling NHL action for fans all over the country, and is hockey’s Vin Scully. (You could also make the case that Vin is baseball’s Doc Emrick, but that’s a debate for another post. P.S. Happy Belated Birthday, Vin.) Doc is a mentor for one of my AHL colleagues, and I’m sure many other people in the hockey world too. His ability to capture the stories within the game without missing the action on the ice is about as impressive a skill as any in sports media these days. The AHL pace of play is incredibly fast this season due to the NHL Lockout. I can only imagine how quickly it can pass you by in the bigs.

I could easily turn this post into long-form praise for one of hockey’s longest-tenured broadcasters, but if his modesty from a few weeks ago is any indication, he wouldn’t want it that way. Doc called an ECHL game with his idol earlier this month. Who broadcasts hockey two levels removed from the biggest stage in the middle of Indiana when his or her usual job is sharing only the upper echelon? Apparently, Doc does. That’s how important it was for him to be there.

Although I can’t guarantee I would have met Doc had I been at Agganis for the game, I still would have loved to be there. Hopefully our paths will cross someday in the near future. Until then, I’ll be tuning in whenever I can and adding my own personal flair to the basic Doc-style of broadcasting.