Hockey isn’t quite the same without the legendary Mike “Doc” Emrick behind the microphone.
Emrick was the voice of the Stanley Cup Final for multiple networks over the course of multiple decades and delighted fans with his energy and affection for the game as well as his prodigious and impressive vocabulary.
So it must have been a real treat for Pittsburgh Pirates fans when Emrick made a cameo in the broadcast booth for their final series of the year in Detroit against the Lions. The hockey voice has been a Pirates fan for over 60 years and lives in Michigan, so it was a great opportunity to visit with the broadcast of his favorite team.
And to start the game, he played on his time in hockey with some very unique keys to the game that appear to be straight out of Major League… or maybe Slapshot.
Doc Emrick’s keys to the game: Hit the first batter and clear the benches 😭
“Shake somebody up out there. Why not? It’s the last weekend, there’s nothing to save it for.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/KLewlbMguQ
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) September 25, 2026
Yes, those keys are first, hit the first batter and two, clear the benches.
While “clearing the benches” is a great hockey phrase, it was effectively put on ice by the NHL all the way back in 1987 as a way to discourage the kind of mass brawls that were once a part of the game. Clearing the benches is definitely a thing in Major League Baseball, as well as emptying the bullpen, but it usually doesn’t come with the same tenacity as a hockey fight.
Maybe MLB could loosen up and consider doling out five minute majors for fighting instead of straight ejections for the last week of the season to give fans some extra entertainment. At least while Doc Emrick is in the booth.
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