Bob Cole, the longtime voice of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, passed away on Thursday at the age of 90. He called some big-time Islanders games.
Bob Cole, the longtime voice of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, passed away on Thursday at the age of 90.
Cole was a legendary broadcaster, calling games from 1969 to 2019. During his storied 50-year career, he saw his share of legendary moments in postseason play, including some from the New York Islanders.
Cole had his headset on for each of the four Stanley Cup Finals appearances the Islanders made across their dynasty. While he didn't call the final seconds of the 1980 and '82 championships, he did call the Islanders' victories in 1981 and '83.
Even in years when the Islanders didn't win Stanley Cups, Cole's fingerprints were ever-present. Take 1984, when the Islanders played the rival New York Rangers in a decisive fifth game of the opening round.
After Dave Maloney tied the game inside the final minute of regulation, Islanders Hall of Famer Ken Morrow helped the Islanders recover. Naturally, Cole was on the call for the big moment.
While the dynasty ultimately ended that spring, the Cole-Islanders connection only grew stronger over the next 20 years. Take 1988's "Easter Epic" between the Islanders and Washington Capitals. Pat LaFontaine from the high slot beat Bob Mason to give the Islanders the series-deciding win, and Cole once again had the call.
Even after the days of Al Arbour and championships were over, Cole got another chance to call Islanders playoff hockey in 2002 when the team faced the Toronto Maple Leafs in the First Round.
Cole was on the call for all seven games of the series, including Game 6 with the Eric Cairns brawl with Darcy Tucker to end the game. Most notably, he was there when Shawn Bates took his penalty shot that almost made Nassau Coliseum collapse on itself.
While Bob Cole may not necessarily be synonymous with the New York Islanders, he has his share of memories calling games for the franchise. He introduced Canadian hockey fans to the Islanders and their players and brought some of the great moments in postseason history to life.