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Detroit Red Wings fans will miss long-time radio broadcaster Paul Woods, who announced his retirement from the booth at the end of the season today.
It’s sad to hear, but the Detroit Red Wings will lose another seasoned veteran at the end of the year. It will be longtime radio analyst Paul Woods has announced that he’ll be retiring at the end of the 2025-26 NHL season.
Woods has held the position with the Red Wings for 40-years now, confirmed in his own words on Saturday:
“It’s time,” Woods said. “It’s been 40 years.”
Woods originally joined the Red Wings organization in 1977 as a player. He was claimed off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens in the “NHL Waiver Draft”.
He was selected in the third-round of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft by the Montreal Canadiens.
He was a speedy forward who hit a career-high during his first year with the Red Wings (1977-78), scoring 42 points (19-23). The first year the team had made the Stanley Cup playoffs since 1969-70.
“I’ll never forget as a little boy running to get the Globe & Mail, so I could read the boxscores of the NHL games,” Woods said. “That was back when there were only six teams.
“Then I made it to the NHL. I always felt like I was the lucky one.”
Woods continued his career with the Red Wings until the 1983-84 season. In 1987, he’d make a career transition to the booth, joining Bruce Martyn in play-by-play calling.
He’s been a consistent presence since then, as Ken Kal took over for the retired Martyn during the 1995 season.
The Longtime Detroit Red Wings’ broadcaster sets records in the booth
Woods set a career record in the booth on October 17th, 2022, when he called his 3,000th game in the broadcast booth for the Red Wings.
Making him the longest-serving analyst in Detroit sports history. His next chapter in life is to focus on his life in Windsor, Ontario, and focus on being a grandfather.
“I have family things I want to do,” said Woods, who makes his home across the Canada-US border in Windsor, Ontario. “I’ve got grandkids, and I want to be able to spend more time with them.”
As all things do, his storied career has come to an end with the Original Six franchise, where he’s contributed both on and off the ice in a major way.
Previously on Detroit Hockey Insider
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Longtime Detroit Red Wings broadcaster calling it quits at the end of the season
Are you sad to see radio analyst Paul Woods of the Detroit Red Wings call it quits at the end of the 2025-26 season?