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Blackhawks Broadcast Booth Taps Veteran Voice in Rick Ball

Published

4 months ago

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The Chicago Blackhawks are making a change in the broadcast booth bringing in veteran broadcaster Rick Ball to pair with Darren Pang next season.

Ball is a veteran caller, a contrast from Chris Vosters, who was in the booth the past two seasons calling hockey primarily for the first time with the Hawks.  Ball comes in with a more robust hockey background, announcing games on some of the sports biggest games.

Vosters wasn’t always a favorite amongst many Blackhawks fans, but he had a tough job coming in after the long career of fan favorite Pat Foley. Now they pivot to Ball, who will bring in decades of hockey experience into a market that will likely be seeing the rise of Connor Bedard and a young Blackhawks squad.

Rick Ball Hire Comes After Blackhawks New Television Deal Announced

With the news of Ball being hired, the newly formed Chicago Sports Network now boasts two large names with he and Pang manning the TV broadcast booth. It’s also a departure for Vosters at least from the hockey side, but it sounds as if the Hawks will still be trying to find a spot for him in new setup.

From a personal side, Vosters was not only a pro’s pro, but also a stand up and kind human being. The match might not have always worked for Blackhawks fans, and the criticism was certainly loud from time to time. But Vosters always gave his best and was incredibly kind to everyone he interacted with, which includes me starting out on the beat.

But hockey is a business, and the organization has brought in a top tier talent to call the games with one of the most knowledgeable, and popular analysts in the game.

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