The Calgary Flames will have a new voice in the broadcast booth this season.
Former NHL forward Kevin Sawyer is joining Sportsnet’s Flames broadcast team as the club’s colour commentator, replacing longtime analyst Kelly Hrudey as Calgary prepares for its final season at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Sawyer brings nearly a decade of experience in the broadcast booth with the Winnipeg Jets, where he worked as a regional game analyst before making the move west to Calgary.
The 52-year-old also brings a perspective shaped by nearly a decade spent playing professional hockey.
Sawyer appeared in 110 NHL games over parts of six seasons, suiting up for the St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Phoenix Coyotes and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim between 1995 and 2003. He finished his NHL career with three goals and six points, along with 403 penalty minutes.
His NHL career was built largely around his physical style of play. Sawyer spent his final three seasons with Anaheim, appearing in 97 games and recording 336 penalty minutes. He scored his first NHL goal during the 2001-02 season, when he played a career-high 57 games for the Mighty Ducks.
That experience will again translate to the other side of the game as Sawyer joins Jon Abbott and Brendan Parker for Calgary’s regional broadcasts.
