In NHL.com’s Q&A feature called “Sitting Down with…” we talk to figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice. In this edition, we feature Chicago Blackhawks play-by-play broadcaster Rick Ball.
CHICAGO -- When Rick Ball moved to Chicago, he certainly had familiarity with the city.
After all, Ball, the voice of the Calgary Flames for Sportsnet for 10 seasons before the Blackhawks hired him this season, has been here plenty.
“But until you live in it, you really don’t know,” Ball told NHL.com prior to the Blackhawks’ 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at United Center on Saturday. “Getting to know my neighborhood and all the great restaurants and stuff around it, I feel way more comfortable than Week 1, but I’m sure there’s lots more to discover. I’ve had family visiting this week so kind of been a tourist again, showing them all around, so it’s been great.”
Ball’s transition to the Blackhawks has gone smoothly. The longtime announcer, who also served as play-by-play announcer for Hockey Night in Canada beginning in 2011, has shown immediate chemistry with color analyst Darren Pang.
NHL.com talked to Ball about joining the Blackhawks broadcast, his idols growing up and memories of the late Johnny Gaudreau from his days in Calgary.
How has it been calling games for the Blackhawks?
“I expected it to be a lot of fun and it hasn’t disappointed. It’s a great hockey town, Original Six market, the fans are rabid. I was here for the red-carpet ceremony (before the home opener) the other night, Darren and I emceed, and I was surprised how many fans came over and said, ‘Hi,’ and ‘Welcome to Chicago.’ The level of friendliness was overwhelming and really nice. So, yeah, the whole experience has been outstanding. I didn’t expect anything less. I’ve come here many, many times as a broadcaster. It’s always been my favorite city and that hasn’t changed.”
You got an early season trip back to Calgary. How was that?
“It was great. I love it there. To see so many faces, go to the morning skate, I couldn’t walk five feet without someone coming over and saying, ‘Hi.’ It really messed up my gameday routine (laughs), but I don’t care. It was so nice to see everybody. It was a great place to work, a great city to live in, the organization’s fantastic, I’m glad to see they’re off to a great start. I still have a ton of friends there. I’m glad I got there quickly. It was a really nice couple of days and the fact that we got back over Canadian Thanksgiving and had two days off, the timing couldn’t have been better. I had ‘Panger’ over, we had a bunch of turkey, maybe a glass of wine or six (laughs) … it was fun.”
I heard you say on the Calgary broadcast that Pang was part of your Thanksgiving celebration. Does that help build chemistry/a relationship too?
“For sure. He’s been so good to me, just coming into the city. In professional terms he’s the best but him and I getting to know each other a little more, he’s introduced me to people in and out of the hockey world and that’s so nice to have. I’ve moved to new cities before where I didn’t really know many people and it takes a while to kind of figure out the lay of the land and get to know people around town. Darren’s been a really nice connector with a lot of Chicago. He’s only been back for a couple of years, but he has such a long history here going back to when he played. It’s been really nice to have him and he’s such a great guy. it’s been quite helpful me getting comfortable.
You called a lot of moments in Johnny Gaudreau’s career in Calgary. What memories stand out?
“It was an honor to call his eight years in Calgary. He was a great player, one of those who every night was going to bring you out of your seat a couple of times. A special, special player and I would say 80 percent of my favorite calls as a Flames broadcaster involved him, including the Game 7 overtime winner against Dallas (in the 2021 Western Conference First Round). That was terrific. He would try that top-corner, sharp-angle shot a couple of times a game. Once in a while it worked, and none bigger than that one.
“But the more impressive thing to me about him was, as I saw him mature, he came in as a wide-eyed kid, the last couple of years when he was in Columbus, and I’d chat with him when they came into Calgary, how he went from a kid to a man. The pride he took in being a family man. He was always about family and just talking about his kids and his wife, and just beaming. That, to me, is even bigger than his ability as a hockey player. That was the real crushing part of what happened. Anytime someone gets killed, especially like that at that age, it’s heartbreaking. But [it’s] extra painful knowing how proud he was and had another child on the way. Just really, really tragic and I feel so bad for Jane and Guy and his entire family. I got to know them a little bit because they were around a lot. My heart goes out to them.”
Who did you look up to when you aspired to be a broadcaster?
“There were two specifically. The first is longtime Vancouver Canucks play-by-play radio guy Jim Robson, who’s in the (Hockey) Hall of Fame. He’s one of the greats. I grew up in an era when not every game was on television and I grew up in a place called Kelowna, probably four hours outside of Vancouver. Robson was the Vancouver Canucks to me, because I was a kid listening on the radio for 60 of the 80 games. He was so good at his job and when I got to Vancouver, I got to know him because he was always around. A very, very nice man and very helpful too. Gave me some great advice over the years.
“The other guy was (the late) Bob Cole, the longtime Hockey Night in Canada voice. He was the voice of every big game in Canada -- Stanley Cup Final and the Olympic games. I think back to so many of the international battles between Canada, the Russians and Americans, and Bob was the guy. He had a real feel for the energy of the game. I don’t think there’s ever been anyone better than Bob. They were different in terms of style, but they were my two favorites.
“I probably borrowed a bit from both. When you start doing play-by-play, you’re probably doing a bad impression of people you’ve listened to, and you eventually develop your own style. Instead of mimicking, they’re influencing. I think I take a bit from both of those guys.”
It was a tough go for the Blackhawks last season. Now they’ve brought in veterans, young guys who are a little older. How encouraged are you that they could be on the upward trajectory?
“It’s exciting. It’s been a good start and that was a tough road trip. To bring in as many vets as they did in the offseason, I knew they’d be a better team. You have more guys who have been through the battles in the NHL, who have won championships. It was obvious they were going to improve. How much remains to be seen.
“Will they be a playoff team? We’ll see. That’s a pretty high bar in a tough (Central) Division. But structurally from the games I watched last year as a visiting broadcaster, or on TV to what I’m seeing this year, it’s a massive improvement in almost every area. Special teams look better, defensively they’re way better. Connor Bedard is obviously a great player, but they’ve added depth on the blue line so there aren’t as many breakdowns. I’m not that surprised they’ve been better because of the veteran players they added. I just hope it continues and they have a great year.”
