Doc Emrick Retires

[mfitz804 11,701]

As a young Devils fan, I was not happy to learn that Gary Thorne would be leaving our broadcasts. He was the voice I knew. 

Then Doc arrived and I realized what calling a hockey game should sound like. Doc and Chico were a near perfect team in my opinion, and I still miss them calling the games. 

Enjoy retirement Doc, and thanks. 

NY Post
 

 

 

[Devil Dan 56 2,414]

I'm really happy for Doc. I'm sure I'm not the only one who grew up with Doc as the voice of the Devils. We were very lucky since he called a lot of national games too and we got to hear our guy call our team in the playoffs and finals a few times. 

[Devil Dan 56 2,414]

For some reason this one always stuck out for me, Odelein hitting the post during all this chaos and Doc calling it with disbelief 

 

[mfitz804 11,701]

2 minutes ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

For some reason this one always stuck out for me, Odelein hitting the post during all this chaos and Doc calling it with disbelief 

 

100%, that’s a classic Doc call. “HIT THE POST WITH THE SHOT!!”, remember it like it was yesterday. 

Apologies to Lyle who probably doesn’t like reliving that one lol. 
 

[Chimaira_Devil_#9 847]

Not one of the best. THE best there was. 

[Guadana 863]

This may sound selfish, but it means as much to me as it does to you. May be more but in absolutely other way.
I rooted  for the team for a very long time with the help of small newspaper articles. Sometimes it turned out to meet games on TV if I was lucky(there worked Russian commentators and they didn’t do well) or when we met parents friends in their house, they had Sputnik tv, where I watched my first games on english.

 I finally got the Internet, the first thing I did, besides porn, was watching devils games live. His voice was the first, he was like a father who told stories. admittedly, he was a great storyteller.

thanks, Doc, for magic of my memories. And good luck.

Edited October 19, 2020 by Guadana

[eaglejelly 431]

Love how his voice cracked up on this call

[MadDog2020 8,962]

Long live Doc! Enjoy retirement GOAT. 

[jagknife 3,603]

15 minutes ago, eaglejelly said:

Love how his voice cracked up on this call

 

 

Same crack here, I remember this one thinking we were gonna win gold... Thanks, Ryan Miller...

 

All but 2 of my Devils memories have Doc calling them in my mind (Arnott goal & the final seconds of G7 2003 being the real outliers). Hell, I still have NHL Faceoff '99 or whatever year it was cause he did the PBP.

I really REALLY want the Devils to bring the Ring of Honor back and give Doc his rightful place.

Edited October 19, 2020 by jagknife

[Devilsfan118 3,031]

The best ever. Feel like I grew up with Doc and Chico. 

This is probably one of my favorites:

https://youtu.be/HFDz_59XS6s

[MB3 5,503]

Back in 2009, when I had season tickets, the Devils has this goofy little area setup right at the top of the escalators of the north entrance tower (now i think it’s a liquor bar or something?) where they’d have stuff to do at intermission. Sometimes it was videogames, usually there was table hockey.

Well this one time there was a fake play-by-play booth. There was a green screen behind you and you did color commentary for “Doc”, who was recorded, and you had lines you could read or you could improvise. Doc’s lines would also show up on the screen so you’d know what to say. 

I was pumped. I was a teenager ready to show my hockey knowledge so I made sure to be the first in line, right as we got in the building. As I start to riff and talk about why the Devils really need Langenbrunner to pick up his scoring and why I thought Sutter was going to be a hall of fame coach for us, fvcking Doc walks up. Says something like “let’s see what this is all about”, plops down next to me and asks them to start it from the beginning. We have a great little banter, he tells everyone watching that I’m a “natural” and I basically pass out because of how happy I am. 

Cherry on top; he mentions it to Chico on air after the second intermission about how he “found chico’s replacement, a young man from Monmouth county with a knack for talking Devils’ hockey.” My mom recorded it and we have it on a DVD somewhere lol. 

Will always adore Doc.

[MB3 5,503]

37 minutes ago, eaglejelly said:

Love how his voice cracked up on this call

Correct me if I’m wrong, but what made this extra special was that it was “Doc Emerick night” at the Rock.

[MB3 5,503]

Working so I can’t find the video right now but one of my favorite doc voice cracks was the final game of the 2006 season, when they came back from down 2-0 or 3-0 against Montreal to win the division on the last night of the season as part of that awesome win streak. The go ahead goal was unreal. Top of my head, something like:

“Here’s a 2-on-1, may be a THREE (crack) on one. Langenbrunner moves on innnnNnnnNnNnnnnnnnn..... SCARRRRRRS” with chico whooping and hollering in the background. 

[bobilly45 136]

Simply the best.... give him a statue at the rock

 

[HellOnICE 385]

I love Doc. I had the chance to work with him for 3 weeks everyday during the 2006 Torino games. I was a PA for the coverage in Italy, and working with him, JD, Michelleti, Bill Clement, Ferraro, Pierre, Cammi Granato and others - was one of the highlights of my college experience. Doc was always so gracious with his time. I remember running into him on the street on a day off, and he stopped me, and was so excited to have found a hockey store in Torino that sold all kinds of hockey jerseys - he collects them. Anyway - he took out his map gave me detailed directions to make sure I stopped by. I still have the Italian hockey jersey from the store.

In the booth before puck drop one game, I was just sitting there and was watching him prepare before the crowd started to file in. Before every game - he would close his binder, and look at a photo of him and his wife with their dogs on the front cover. He would always take a moment to take them in. 

I did get him coffee once in the Torino rink, always black, he turned to me with a laugh and said "what truck stop did you get this from?" 

Years and years earlier - when I was probably 12 or 13 - I went with a parent (can't remember which one) to see the Devils play the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The Devils had played the night before, and so he was on our first flight to Toronto the next day. (I think it was a Saturday night game - HNIC) - anwyay, on the flight - my parent noticed Doc was there and must've said something to him. (My memory is foggy) - but I do remember he came and sat next to me for a couple minutes and chatted, I think he gave me a signed media guide (i'm not sure I still have it, or maybe in the. basement in parents place). 

Anyways- I love Doc and wish him nothing but amazing things. I think the pure love of the game rubbed off through his broadcasting over the years, and gave all of us so much to enjoy. I'd love to see a send off in NJ - or one more game - Detroit/NJ selfishly. Sad he had to go out without a live game.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2020 by HellOnICE

[RunninWithTheDevil 1,582]

The voice of hockey. I remember around 2009 or 2010 me and my friend were wandering the concourse after a game where Patty buried a shootout goal against Toronto and we ran into Doc. He stopped to chat with us for what seemed like 45 minutes, couldn't have been a nicer guy.  He signed my jersey right next to my Chico autograph. Little did I know that we would run into Chico not long after that, and he would NOT let us leave lol. Guy talks like an old lady at a hair salon. We were in the goal bar with Chico just sitting at the bar and shooting the sh!t until the ushers literally had to kick us out as they were about to close the doors for the night. 

[SterioDesign 3,307]

i'm surprised it hasnt been brought up already but...

HENRIQUE! IT'S OVER!!!!!

that call to me is just as much part of devils history as scott stevens nailing lindros, as elias making that blind pass, as brodeur scoring his first goal etc etc

[aylbert 374]

Without a doubt, I can't read this without hearing his voice.

'The Unseen Hand...'
'and play........ continues!'

[MB3 5,503]

2 hours ago, RunninWithTheDevil said:

The voice of hockey. I remember around 2009 or 2010 me and my friend were wandering the concourse after a game where Patty buried a shootout goal against Toronto and we ran into Doc. He stopped to chat with us for what seemed like 45 minutes, couldn't have been a nicer guy.  He signed my jersey right next to my Chico autograph. Little did I know that we would run into Chico not long after that, and he would NOT let us leave lol. Guy talks like an old lady at a hair salon. We were in the goal bar with Chico just sitting at the bar and shooting the sh!t until the ushers literally had to kick us out as they were about to close the doors for the night. 

Chico loved, loved, loved to talk. I got into a habit in 2008 or 2009 of seeing him on the concourse between intermissions and striking up conversation. He loved to talk to fans, he loved to hear what they had to say and he loved to give his input. He remembered my name by the end of the year, and even invited my dad and I to go sing happy birthday to Stan Fischler before the game with a cake. Such a bizarre and fun memory. 

[Chuck the Duck 394]

So many of my favorite memories from my childhood had Doc on the call.  I only had the chance to meet him once (on the upper level concourse at the Rock a few years back), but I felt like I knew him forever. 

For me, I will always remember him for his line at the end of Game 4 of the SCF vs. Detroit - "The Championship to New Jersey.  The Devils win the Stanley Cup!"  I was at the game live, and only heard the call Doc made that night sometime thereafter.  But it still brings chills and a flood of great memories of going to games with my father that I will cherish the rest of my life.

Thank you Doc for everything you've provided to the sport of hockey and us Devils fans over the years.  Simply the best is the only way to describe you and your broadcasting career.    

[RunninWithTheDevil 1,582]

20 minutes ago, MB3 said:

Chico loved, loved, loved to talk. I got into a habit in 2008 or 2009 of seeing him on the concourse between intermissions and striking up conversation. He loved to talk to fans, he loved to hear what they had to say and he loved to give his input. He remembered my name by the end of the year, and even invited my dad and I to go sing happy birthday to Stan Fischler before the game with a cake. Such a bizarre and fun memory. 

That was one thing I found remarkable is that when I met Chico again he actually remembered my name. fvcking stand up guy that one. 

[Devil Dan 56 2,414]

49 minutes ago, aylbert said:

Without a doubt, I can't read this without hearing his voice.

'The Unseen Hand...'
'and play........ continues!'

I love the old Doc-isms. A couple others that came to mind:

"waffleboarded away"

"meanwhile back at the ranch"

And after a wild close game or overtime game... "we had them all the way"

[HellOnICE 385]

Shuffleboarded, Knifed ahead

And play continues! --- when he was looking for a call is among the best. 

 

[eaglejelly 431]

He almost lost his voice on the GWG

[Nicomo 6,506]

Some great stories and memories in here. I don’t have anything like that, but Doc was a big part of my Devils fandom right from the beginning. I started following this team in early 2000’s, and right away it seemed like nearly everything about the franchise was top notch. From the product on the ice itself, to the coaching, to the jerseys, the GM, and definitely the guy that called the games. 

I would watch broadcasts of other teams and I just didn’t like any of their guys nearly as much (especially Jeff Rimmer for CBJ who I watched a lot of). And it wasn’t even a matter of being a homer, as I had literally just started following the Devils, but Doc and Chico just made the games a little more fun than a lot of the other broadcasts that felt kind of boring in comparison. As mentioned the Doc-isms were just the absolute best. And he seemed like one of the most likable guys on the planet. 

I’ll miss the hell out of hearing him call games, but I hope he has a long and enjoyable retirement. Every time his Pirates beat my Reds I’ll take a little solace in the fact that at least it made Doc happy.