Pat Foley announced before the start of the NHL season that this would be his last as the television voice of the Chicago Blackhawks. Throughout the year, he would take games off so that the team could audition broadcasters to replace him. On Sunday, the team announced that honor would go to Chris Vosters.
Vosters will turn 31 next month. He has been alive for less time than Foley has been calling Blackhawks games.
He told Scott Powers of The Athletic that as soon as the audition process began, Foley reached out. The veteran showed his support and encouraged Chris Vosters to be himself and own the broadcast.
“Pat said, ‘When I’m doing the game, I’m absolutely in no way part of the broadcast,’” Vosters said. “So, you know, he’s telling me, ‘Just don’t think about me or don’t think about this as my job or my chair or anything like that, just be yourself and call the game the way that you feel fit.’ And that really meant a lot to me.”
The Chicago Blackhawks’ search prioritized candidates with national TV experience. Chris Vosters has called college sports, events at the Olympics, and minor league baseball in his career. He has worked for NBC Sports, FOX Sports, Big Ten Network and ESPN.
Fans were not shy about expressing their opinions this season as new voices would step in for Foley. Eddie Olczyk, who will continue to serve as the color analyst on the NBC Sports Chicago broadcast, says he expects his new partner to win over Blackhawks fans quickly.
“He’s got a great personality. He’s very outgoing. I think he’s got a quick mind, a quick wit that will go over very well moving forward,” Olczyk said. “His call, to me, just was very comfortable, and it was easy to work with him. And that’s no disrespect to anybody else that sat in the chair. I think I got along, I felt comfortable with everybody, but just kind of felt with Chris, he has some air under him and he’s got some experience. I think fans will appreciate his cadence and (I’m) looking forward to being able to build a following and build that camaraderie and that trust with a fan base, because, as we’ve always said, we’re pretty much the voice for the franchise when we’re on television, so that’s a very important seat, and just enjoy getting to know Chris and work with him.”