When the Chicago Blackhawks announced in June that longtime NHL broadcaster Rick Ball would be joining the team to replace Chris Vosters, the news shocked many hockey fans.
Ball had spent the previous 10 seasons as the voice of the Calgary Flames, a role he seemed enthralled by.
On Wednesday, Ball met with the media as the Blackhawks officially introduced the new announcer. He discussed how he got the job and what it meant to him.
“I am really, really excited. This is my favorite stop on the tour…One of the things that broadcasters tend to do when you get your schedule at the start of the year is circle your favorite cities, circle when those stops are, and see if you’ve got a night off before or if it’s back-to-back. Whenever we were here in Chicago on a night off, I was always stoked,” Ball said.
Ball then explained how and when he wound up getting the job.
“I was in the last year of my contract in Calgary. I worked for the network in Canada, not with the team. They wanted me back, and I was looking forward to signing a new deal, and the Hawks reached out. It happened really quick after that. It was basically a week, and there was an offer on the table…The last month has been chaotic — as you could imagine — but very exciting,” the announcer noted.
The thing Ball is most excited about, however, is sharing a broadcast booth with Darren Pang.
“When I went to Calgary 10 years ago, a very attractive component to that whole opportunity was working with Kelly Hrudey, and the same applies to Darren Pang. He’s one of the best in the business and a great guy on top of it…I can’t wait to get started with him, either,” he said.
