I really miss Gary Thorne. Emrick and Beninati are the only ones that are remotely bareable on Versus and NBC, everyone else is horrible. Whatever amount of money it takes, Versus and NBC, I don't care, just bring Gary Thorne and Bill Clement back to the NHL and the Stanley Cup! Thorne is, in my opinion, by a mile the best hockey announcer. Does anyone know why Thorne was not hired by Versus/NBC and why they turned Bill Clement into a studio host for two seasons only to drop him?

Thorne was and is under contract with ESPN.

...along the lines of why they didn't renew Clement (who's doing radio with Sam Rosen on Westwood One), what happened to Brett Hull and Chicken Parm (Ray Ferraro)?

Brett Hull is now the Co-GM of the Dallas Stars.

Ray Ferraro was just fired by NBC along with Clement because they cut the studio show altogether. I believe he is the color guy for the Oilers.

As for Thorne is was the definition of an awful announcer. constantly screwing up names and mis-identifying players (you know that small part of doing play by play). Emrick is by far better. Beninati is the worse with his talking over the play with nonsense and not calling what happens on the ice.

I always thought Gary Thorne was awful. Whether it was the always-on-a-seemingly-five-second-delay goal scoring call, or his penchant for calling players by names that they don't go by (case in point: Nikkie Lidstrom), he bugged the shit out of me. Emrick is a pro. That said, for us Northerners, Bob Cole on CBC is Vin Scully.

Doc Emrick is the man. Unfortunately, Versus is the pits.

Another vote for Gary Thorne as being absolutely dreadful. Doc Emrick is a very solid hockey PbP guy. Edzo, despite being a ridiculous Penguins homer (which is okay with me, a Penguins homer), is pretty good, too.

That said, I recommend finding somewhere on the series of tubes to watch a stream of the CBC broadcast. Them Canuckians know how to present their hockey.

Bill Clement is also the back-up color commentator for the Flyers when the regular color commentator Keith Jones has to fill obligations at the Versus Hockey Central. Clement did 8 regular season games for the Flyers and all of the locally televised playoff games with play-by-play man Jim Jackson.

Um do we remember the Cup winning goal by Uwe Krupp in 96?

THE COLOLOLORADO AVALANCHe WIN THE CUP!

Great job Gary...Emerick is the best US announcer and its not even close. He's crisp and he has some great one liners.

matskralc-

I agree about the Canadian broadcasts. The NHL should reach a deal where they show the Canadian broadcasts on a US network.

There is no doubt that the only thing CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) does well is hockey. It is our NFL and the broadcast is always professional with great play by play and analysis. I truly hate that the NHL has to pander to those who don't get hockey so much. Sorry, also having a guy speak to the coach during the game bugs me a ton (though this happens in almost all sports now).

Falling on the ice >>>>> Breaking the Memorial Cup

Joe "WITH THE NHL ON VERSUS" Beninati is not bearable, at all. Also Ovechkin is balls deep into him.

Beninati does Caps local TV, too, so that's understandable.