Q&A: Legend Bob Cole on fishing with Sid and the future of hockey broadcasting

The NHL season is underway, the first one without Bob Cole in 50 years. His first play-by-play assignment was for CBC Radio on April 24, 1969. Jean Béliveau clinched the Montreal Canadiens’ semifinal against the Boston Bruins with a double-overtime goal at the Garden. Cole also called Paul Henderson’s 1972 Summit Series winner on radio. The legendary broadcaster was among those let go by Sportsnet over the summer, heading a long list that also included Nick Kypreos, John Shannon and Bob McCown. The Star caught up with the 86-year-old Cole during the Leafs’ training camp in St. John’s. The interview has been edited for length.

How is retirement treating you?

I don’t like that word. I didn’t exactly, how should I put it, think about retiring quite yet. But things change. New people are coming along. So I wish them all the very best. I’m going to miss it, of course.

Did you do anything differently this summer, any vacation?

My son and I went to Labrador and did a little salmon fishing with a friend of ours, and Sidney Crosby joined us for a bit. We had a lot of fun.

Do you have a favourite up-and-coming broadcaster, maybe someone who is only 20 or 30 years younger than you?

Up and coming? I don’t get a chance to hear that many, when you think about it. When I’m working I’m alone, in my own world. I stay up late and watch games out west and try to stay abreast of things. I’ve never thought about, how’s this guy doing or that guy. Never occurred to me. Just into the game. What I try to do when I’m working a game. Try to enjoy it. And hope the viewer or listener enjoys the game, too. I think that’s our role as a play-by-play person. Make sure you enjoy the game. If you don’t, you’re in the wrong business. And you should think about helping the fan enjoy the game. There’s a difference. You can talk too much, you can talk too little. You have to find that happy medium. Hockey fans are abreast of times. They know what’s going on. You don’t have to teach them anything. Just make sure they enjoy the game. If you can do that broadcasting a hockey game, you’ve done your job.

People talk about the five levels of Bob Cole. Is there something to that?

Yeah, there is.

Explain it to me.

That’s a difficult question, to tell you the truth. It’s trying to make the fan enjoy the game. You’ve got to find different levels, because that’s what the excitement of hockey is all about. It’s not like baseball or football or soccer. It’s hockey. There are so many levels in a hockey game, you’ve got to rise and fall with them. You’d be surprised how the fan can maybe turn away from the television monitor for a second to go do something, get a sandwich, and your voice can bring them back quickly if you follow the game.