Whether you love him or hate him, if you follow the NHL on a regular basis, you are familiar with Boston Bruins play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards.
Edwards started doing play-by-play for the Boston Bruins during the 2005-06 season, and it didn’t take him long to become a household name. The 67-year-old is never shy when it comes to expressing how he feels, which has garnered him the reputation as a “homer.”
As much as many from opposing fan bases took aim at the way Edwards called games, Bruins fans loved his passion for the game and his obvious love for their team. Those fans will soon be listening to another voice call Bruins games, however, as it has been announced that he will be retiring at the end of the season.
After 19 years as the @NHLBruins Play-by-Play broadcaster, Jack Edwards has announced his retirement following the 2023-24 postseason games on NESN. pic.twitter.com/6ATop0l0N8
— NESN (@NESN) April 16, 2024
“I grew up a Bruins fan, and who had more fun than us over the last two decades?” Edwards said in a statement. “In collaboration with Bruins and NESN leadership, I recently decided that the time has come for me to finish my shift as the voice of the Boston Bruins. I am no longer able to attain the standards I set for myself, to honor the fans, the players, the Bruins organization and NESN with the best they all deserve.”
Thank you for everything, Jack 🖤💛@RealJackEdwards | @NHLBruins | 🔗: https://t.co/KgcdLr4iGo pic.twitter.com/OdVA4dctAY
— NESN (@NESN) April 16, 2024
Regardless of anyone’s personal feelings about Edwards, his retirement is sad news, as he was never able to truly go out on his own terms. Over the past few seasons, it became apparent to those watching that he was often slow on calls, sometimes seeming to slur out words.
Edwards opened up about his recent struggles with calling games in an interview with Chad Finn of the Boston Globe earlier this year. While he is well aware of the situation, he said that despite numerous tests, doctors have been unable to figure out what the issue is.
“There have been a couple of guesses, but they haven’t made a definitive diagnosis and they’ve been working on me for a year and a half,” Edwards said. “It’s very frustrating, as you can imagine, for me to have this slowdown in my speech.”
It is an unfortunate ending for Edwards, but it doesn’t take away from the exceptional work he did with the Bruins. It’s quite rare for play-by-play announcers to be as well known as Edwards has become, showing that, despite some criticism he has faced, he did a fantastic job throughout his 19-year tenure.
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