Every year, the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award gets recognized bythe Hockey Hall of Fame. There are many NHL play-by-play commentators deserving of the honor, but we look at five in particular.
The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is the most prestigious award in hockey broadcasting.
Selected by the NHL Broadcasters' Association, the annual winner is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Well into 2026, there are five clear play-by-play front-runners for the 2026 edition of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. We break them down in alphabetical order below.
Joe Beninati#
Television play-by-play, Washington Capitals. Previously on the NHL on Outdoor Life Network/Versus.
Beninati is a crisp and well-rounded voice in hockey broadcasting, with experience at the regional and national level.
His voice is synonymous with Alex Ovechkin's career, so much so that the NHL made a unique deal with Monumental Sports Network last season, allowing for the nationally exclusive games to be produced by Monumental for archival purposes in the event Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's record on a national telecast. Thankfully for Capitals fans, Beninati was able to call the historic tally live on April 6, 2025.
Additionally, Beninati's national contributions should not be forgotten.
From 2006 to 2011, he served as the No. 2 play-by-play voice for the NHL on Outdoor Life Network (OLN), and later Versus.
The impact he made on the national airwaves, especially during the playoffs, has fans still pleading for his return 15 years later.
It would be apropos for Beninati to be given the award this year following the record-breaking season of Ovechkin in 2024-25.
Ken Daniels#
Television play-by-play, Detroit Red Wings. Previously on CBC
Ken Daniels has seen just about everything when it comes to hockey.
He served three seasons as the radio voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, filled countless roles for Hockey Night in Canada before joining the Detroit Red Wings in 1997, going on nearly 30 years with the franchise.
Daniels' time in radio gives him significantly more layers to his descriptive ability for television. This allows for Daniels to make the fastest sport in the world feel slower, making it more accessible and entertaining for the fans.
Sergei Fedorov shakes hands with Ken Daniels after unveiling a gift during his jersey retirement ceremony at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Monday, Jan. 12. (Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)Daniels has a genuine love for hockey, which seeps into the living room of every Detroit Red Wings game he calls. He is an institution of broadcasting that will be in the perennial Foster Hewitt Memorial Award conversation, assuming he is not awarded it in 2026.
John Forslund#
Television play-by-play, Seattle Kraken, NHL on TNT, Prime Monday Night Hockey. Previously with Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and NHL on NBC.
"Hey, hey, what do you say!" A phrase that has tied fans of John Forslund together from New England to the Southeast and the Pacific Northwest.
Forslund started his NHL career in 1994 as the final television voice of the Hartford Whalers. He has been the voice of two new NHL franchises, first in Carolina and currently with Seattle.
Having shadowed Forslund in the booth firsthand, I was blown away by his meticulous notetaking and poise on the call. Forslund maintains a conversational tone during the broadcast, making every fan feel like he's talking directly to them.
His old Hartford color analyst, Daryl Reaugh, won the 2025 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. Perhaps Forslund will join his old Whalers partner in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Dave Goucher#
Television play-by-play, Vegas Golden Knights. Previously, the radio play-by-play voice of the Boston Bruins and NHL on TNT.
If you're looking for a technically sound broadcaster who blends the description of radio with the passion of television, then look no further than Dave Goucher.
After two years in the ECHL, the Rhode Island native returned home to broadcast for the AHL's Providence Bruins. Goucher advanced to the Boston Bruins in 2000 after five years and a 1999 Calder Cup in Providence.
After 17 years on the radio in Boston, Goucher became the television play-by-play voice for the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.
His vivid radio-style descriptions, coupled with his great vocal range, make him a very enjoyable listen. These attributes endear him to Golden Knights fans.
Goucher's national broadcasts for the NHL on TNT during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs were well done, and I would not be surprised if he rejoins the rotation again at some point, especially if he wins the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.
Gord Miller#
Television play-by-play, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, World Junior Championship, World Championship on TSN. Previously on NHL on NBC
It is incredibly rare for one person to broadcast for two Canadian NHL teams, but don't tell that to Gord Miller.
The regional voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs and occasionally the Ottawa Senators, Miller has followed the NHL's best since their days at the world juniors. He has worked the World Junior Championship on TSN for well over 20 years.
Through his work, Miller has introduced fans to players like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane well before their professional careers started.
Miller has so much global influence that the IIHF named him the 2013 Paul Loicq Award, which is given for "outstanding contributions to the IIHF and international ice hockey."
He has even done select playoff games at the national level in the United States for NBC and ESPN. Gord Miller is a worldwide beacon of hockey broadcasting and someone who has helped grow the game through his call. It's a matter of when, not if, he is given the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.
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