We then converted the letter grades from those responses to numerical grades, with A corresponding to 4 and F corresponding to 0, and ranked the booths accordingly. See also previous versions of these rankings from 2019-20<\/a> and 2015-16<\/a> (note that many of the booths have undergone significant changes since those last two years).<\/p>\n The average grade across the 30 booths was 2.61, corresponding to a C. This is significantly above the averages we\u2019ve seen in other recent rankings, including 2.31 for local NBA announcers, 2.43 for NFL announcers, and 2.45 for CFB announcers. However, it\u2019s close to the 2.58 for NFL\/CFB rules analysts and below the 2.69 for regular-season men\u2019s basketball announcers and 2.89 for men\u2019s NCAA Tournament announcers.<\/p>\n The rankings for teams placed 17 through 32 are listed below in reverse order. The rankings for the top 16 teams are available on the second page here. Each entry lists the team with its primary play-by-play voice, followed by its primary analyst or analysts, and then notable substitute announcers, listed under \u201calso\u201d where applicable.\u00a0 (We tried to represent other substitute announcers people mentioned in the comments, where possible, as well.) You can use Control-F to find a particular team you\u2019re interested in.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get to the grades and selected reader comments (sometimes lightly edited for spelling and grammar) without further ado. (We apologize for some screengrabs being far from perfect quality and some being missing. We strove for the best we could get, but some teams were difficult to get good\/shots of. If readers have better ones to sub in for any particular booth, drop me a line<\/a>.)<\/p>\n 32. Boston Bruins (Judd Sirott, Andy Brickley): 1.97 Most common grade: C (37.2% of votes) This booth saw one of the most notable personnel shifts this season, with Sirott taking over for the retiring Jack Edwards. And while they wound up at the bottom of our rankings, their grade here was significantly higher than the 1.24 Edwards and Brickley received in 2020 (31st of 31 teams), and the 1.67 Edwards and Brickley got in 2016 (29th of 30).<\/p>\n The grade here was also higher than the lowest number in our recent rankings for local NBA announcers (the Golden State Warriors team of Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike with a 1.59) and NFL announcers (the EA Sports NFL Maddencast team of Paul Burmeister, Kurt Benkert, and Chad Johnson with a 1.40). And part of that is their high number of Cs (108 of 290 responses). However, their 37 Fs were the second-highest in this poll.<\/p>\n Most of the comments were about Sirott (who had previously been the Bruins\u2019 radio play-by-play voice), and they were split. Several found him a step up from Edwards, with lines like \u201ca huge upgrade,\u201d \u201ca major improvement,\u201d \u201ca breath of fresh air,\u201d and \u201cso much better.\u201d But that came with some continued criticism, such as one noting his replacement of Edwards only upped the grade to a D.<\/p>\n And others found Sirott the less impressive half of this tandem. That included lines like \u201cBrick gets an A, but Sirott is a very, very average C-\u201d and \u201cBrick is on top of it as always, a true pro, but Judd comes off as repetitive and too excitable. \u201cOne viewer even found him \u201cjust as insufferable if not worse than Jack Edwards.\u201d<\/p>\n The individual comments on Brickley were generally positive. That included \u201cfabulous\u201d and \u201cLove Brick,\u201d although one found him \u201cnails on a blackboard.\u201d There were also multiple respondents who said this pair\u2019s first year together was promising and something to build on. But the Bruins remain at the bottom of these rankings for now.<\/p>\n 31. Nashville Predators (Willy Daunic, Chris Mason):2.00 Most common grade: C (46.4% of votes) This is a team that\u2019s been together since the 2017-18 season, with Daunic working with Stu Grimson before that and Mason working on the radio side since 2015. Daunic and Grimson received a 1.90 in 2016 (26th of 30 teams), and Daunic and Mason earned a 1.63 in 2020 (26th of 31). Their 16 As (of 226 total votes) were the lowest, but their six Fs were the lowest of any team. So, while this pairing doesn\u2019t have many devoted fans, they have very few people who outright hate them.<\/p>\n The comments saw a fair bit of praise for Mason. who\u2019s also gained some national prominence as an ice-level analyst for TNT. Remarks on him included \u201ca good analyst\u201d and \u201clast guy I\u2019d expect to do colour, but he does a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n One unusual compliment\/criticism of Mason was \u201cis knowledgeable but not enough of a homer compared to other markets.\u201d Most of the comments on homerism across teams are negative, and another respondent found this team \u201cvery homerish,\u201d with yet another saying, \u201cChris Mason can only tell viewers that goals against the Predators were unfortunate or the goaltender had no chance while far too many saves by Predators goaltenders are \u201cincredible.\u201d Tell us why and how plays happened, as opposed to describing via replays what we just saw.\u201d But apparently, there wasn\u2019t enough homerism for one figure here, which reinforces how individual announcing preferences can be.<\/p>\n As for Daunic, he received some significant accolades. Those included \u201ca criminally underrated wordsmith,\u201d \u201calways brings high energy to the broadcast,\u201d and \u201cprovides plenty of information and storylines.\u201d One reader suggested he has \u201ca lack of in-depth hockey knowledge,\u201d though, with another saying he \u201cknows nothing about hockey,\u201d and another (who found this team the \u201cworst in the league\u201d) said he \u201csounds bored.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Still, the overall comments were higher on this team than the numerical grade, including lines like \u201cThis duo kept up the enthusiasm despite team struggles\u201d and \u201cconsistently been in the top 16 for NHL commentary.\u201d\u00a0 The total votes here don\u2019t support that, but this booth does have plenty of people who like them.<\/p>\n 30. Pittsburgh Penguins (Josh Getzoff, Colby Armstrong; also Mike Rupp and Phil Bourque on analysis): 2.10 Most common grade: C (38.4% of votes) This team saw some recent change, with Getzoff (who had previously worked in their radio booth) taking over as the lead play-by-play voice in 2023 and this trio of analysts also joining then. That followed a six-year run for Steve Mears on play-by-play and a 19-year-run for Bob Errey on analysis. Mears and Errey finished 30th of 31 teams in our 2020 rankings with a 1.48, while Paul Steigerwald and Errey placed 30th of 30 in 2016 with a 1.27. Thus, while the numerical grade for the newer booth is higher, the relative placement is similar.<\/p>\n In the comments, one of the most notable criticisms was for Armstrong. \u201cEvery time I hear Colby Armstrong, I wonder whether he is the inspiration for every Letterkenny joke making fun of hockey players<\/a>. He rarely analyzes and mostly just reacts to the play like a fan watching from his living room.\u201d One critic did find him \u201cthe most lively one of the bunch,\u201d but that respondent also found the overall announcing lineup here \u201cdull and boring and lifeless and utterly impersonal.\u201d Other overall criticisms of this booth included \u201d too many tangents from the commentary on this specific team\u201d and \u201cHomers. And sure, all these crews are in the bag for their teams. But you can be in the bag and fair.\u201d<\/p>\n Getzoff drew more individual kudos. That included \u201cReplacing Mears with Getzoff is one of the best choices in Penguins broadcasting.\u201d And there were some somewhat-positive comments overall as well, including \u201ccompetent\u201d and \u201cthe best.\u201d But the general tone of the comments was in line with this group\u2019s low ranking.<\/p>\n 29. Colorado Avalanche (Marc Moser, Mark Rycroft): 2.11<\/p>\n Most common grade: C (25.9% of votes) This was one of the most polarizing teams in this survey. Their 69 C grades (out of 266) weren\u2019t far ahead from their other results, including 46 As and 44 Fs.<\/p>\n Moser and Rycroft have been the Colorado TV color team on a full-time basis since November 2022 following the passing of Peter McNab<\/a>, who had been the Avalanche\u2019s TV analyst since the franchise moved to Denver in 1995. Rycroft had called Colorado games on a limited basis before that, while Moser had been the full-time TV play-by-play voice since 2018. Moser and McNab earned a 1.61 (27th of 31 teams) in 2020, while Mike Haynes and McNab earned a 1.82 (28th of 30 teams) in 2016.<\/p>\n The comments saw significant criticism for this booth, especially when it came to homerism. Some of that included \u201cbrutal bias,\u201d \u201cthere\u2019s bias, and then there\u2019s Marc Moser,\u201d \u201cunreasonable homers,\u201d and \u201cthey take homers to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n In individual comments, Moser drew fire like \u201can absolute pain to listen to,\u201d \u201csteps all over every moment,\u201d and \u201cdoesn\u2019t call play-by-play, would talk about random useless s***.\u201d But others cited his \u201cgreat level of energy\u201d and praised Rycroft as well, with one A grader even saying, \u201cI would give them an A+++, but it\u2019s not a choice.\u201d And they certainly provided one of the most memorable chew cup<\/a> moments in sports broadcasting.<\/p>\n 28. New Jersey Devils (Bill Spaulding, Ken Daneyko; also Bryce Salvador and Rachel Herzog on analysis): 2.25<\/p>\n Most common grade: C (34.3% of votes) The Devils\u2019 broadcasters drew mostly middle-of-the-road grades. That included 95 Cs and 81 Bs out of 277 total votes. They also received 38 As and only 24 Fs. Previously, Daneyko and Steve Cangialosi received a 1.75 (23rd of 31 teams) in 2020 and a 2.01 (22nd of 30 teams) in 2016.<\/p>\n In the comments, many commended Spaulding. That included \u201can underrated PBP man,\u201d \u201ca fresh young voice,\u201d an excellent replacement for Steve Cangialosi,\u201d \u201creally great,\u201d and \u201cdoing very well.\u201d Daneyko was more polarizing, drawing lines such as \u201cshines as Mr Devil\u201d but also \u201cterrible, trite and hard to listen to\u201d and \u201d always defends the Devils like he has a gun to his head even if the dumbest thing possible happens.\u201d<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Salvador drew high praise on the games he worked. That saw lines like \u201cone of the greatest analysts in explaining plays.\u201d But several criticized Herzog, with one calling her a \u201chuge downgrade\u201d from predecessor Erika Wachter. One respondent said her background as a former college player is an asset, though: \u201cShe brings a different perspective, and she will grow into the role.\u201d<\/p>\n 27. Utah Hockey Club (Matt McConnell, Dominic Moore, also Nick Olczyk on analysis): 2.27<\/p>\n Most common grade: C (33.3% of votes) Utah is the NHL\u2019s most recently established team, having come into existence ahead of this season. While the franchise acquired the hockey assets of the former Arizona Coyotes, it is considered an expansion team, similar to how the NFL handled the\u00a0Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens\u2019<\/a>\u00a0move<\/a>\u00a0but different from most NHL relocations<\/a>.<\/p>\n This team\u2019s broadcast booth is also a bit of a mix of the old and the new. That includes McConnell moving over from Arizona (where he\u2019d been the lead TV voice since 2011) but Moore taking on his first team-specific role (he\u2019d previously worked nationally for NBC and ESPN). Substitute analyst Olczyk, son of TNT and Seattle Kraken broadcaster Eddie Olczyk had previously worked in the ECHL and for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Kraken.<\/p>\n The votes here saw almost as many Bs (83 out of 252 votes) as Cs (84) and only 15 Fs. But this booth only got 28 As, keeping them from rising further.<\/p>\n McConnell drew particular raves in the comments. That included \u201cIf not for the great McConnell, this is a D or F,\u201d \u201cplay-by-play is spot on,\u201d \u201csick\u201d (on a B, so presumably in a positive way), and \u201cdid a good job considering their hearts are still in Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n Moore got some positive comments, including \u201ca most underrated analyst,\u201d but also some criticism, including \u201ca clown who yaps the whole time about stuff he doesn\u2019t even know.\u201d Olczyk was generally well-received in his fill-in role, with lines including \u201ca much better analyst than Moore\u201d and \u201can up-and-coming broadcaster,\u201d and the group as a whole earned praise for \u201cgreat chemistry.\u201d<\/p>\n One area that drew repeated comment here was the way this broadcast focused on appealing to those new to hockey, which likely has some relation to their local broadcasts coming on over-the-air independent (Scripps-owned) station KUPX (as well as a direct-to-consumer streaming service). That took some praise (\u201d welcoming approach\u201d), but also some criticism (\u201cspend a lot of time talking about very basic rules\u201d). Overall, though, the most common sentiments were along the lines of \u201cwill probably improve with time.\u201d<\/p>\n 26. Columbus Blue Jackets (Steve Mears, Jody Shelley): 2.28 Most common grade: B (31.2% of votes) We have our first most common B grade for this year\u2019s rankings. And it\u2019s for a somewhat new broadcast booth: while Shelley has been the Blue Jackets\u2019 lead analyst since 2014-15, Mears (who previously called Penguins\u2019 games from 2017-2023) is in his first year with Columbus<\/a>, replacing retiring play-by-play voice Jeff Rimer.\u00a0 (Also, we didn\u2019t catch it in time to note in the poll, but John Davidson also provided analysis on some Blue Jackets\u2019 telecasts, especially when Shelley was away working for Prime Video\u2019s Canadian\u00a0Monday Night Hockey coverage.) Rimer and Shelley received a 1.69 (25th of 31 teams) in 2020 and a 1.96 (24th of 30) in 2016.<\/p>\n In the comments, Shelley received notable plaudits. Some lines there included \u201cone of the great analysts\u201d and \u201cone of the best analysts out there.\u201d And one respondent predicted he \u201cwill eventually leave for a full-time national gig.\u201d<\/p>\n For Mears, the mix was more split. He took a fair bit of criticism, including \u201cHis knowledge is there, but his goal calls are not good, and he lacks enthusiasm\u201d and \u201ca studio host, not a play-by-play person.\u201d Some also noted their dislike of him from national calls for TNT, especially several remote playoff broadcasts. But he also drew praise, including \u201csurprisingly good energy\u201d (on a comment praising him over Rimer) and \u201crock solid on fundamentals.\u201d<\/p>\n 25. Minnesota Wild (Anthony LaPanta, Wes Walz: also Ryan Carter and Lou Nanne on analysis): 2.29 Most common grade: C (34.8% of votes) The Wild broadcasters wound up ahead of the Blue Jackets team despite that most common B grade and a large part of that was about their high percentage of A, B, and C grades. They also received almost as many Bs (85) as Cs (89). LaPanta has been the team\u2019s main play-by-play broadcaster since 2012-13, earning a 1.59 (28th of 31 teams) in 2020 with primarily Mike Greenlay (but also Walz, Carter, and Nanne) and a 1.87 (27th of 30) in 2016.<\/p>\n Each of these figures received positive and negative comments. For LaPanta, those included \u201ccriminally underrated\u201d and \u201csolid,\u201d but also \u201cterrible,\u201d \u201carrogant know-it-all,\u201d \u201cone of the worst announcers in the league,\u201d and \u201csuch a clown.\u201d<\/p>\n Some respondents wished Walz got more games. That included lines such as \u201cIf Walz is full-time, they\u2019re a B+\u201d (on a C grade). But others thought Carter should get more play (\u201cso good this year,\u201d \u201ceasily the best analyst,\u201d \u201cthe most enjoyable of the three\u201d).\u00a0 However, another respondent found Carter \u201cdreadful.\u201d Overall, the broadcast saw a fair bit of reactions like \u201cmeh,\u201d which seems to fit with their placing.<\/p>\n 24. Carolina Hurricanes (Mike Maniscalco, Tripp Tracy): 2.32 Most common grade: B (23.4% of votes) This grade comes with a bit of an asterisk due to an unfortunate error on our end with the voting form, which meant that the radio buttons to vote for this booth wound up as a comments form instead. But thanks to thoughtful readers who figured that out and left letter grades in there, we still have useable results here.<\/p>\n We went through and counted both the sole letter grades and letter grades as part of extended comments, plus one letter grade left in the actual comments column. The distribution fits pretty well with the comments (there are some negative comments that did not come with letter grades, so they\u2019re not counted but will be referenced below), so the results here seem reasonable. However, this did mean that there were far less votes for this team (78) than any other team, so there\u2019s a small sample size caveat here.<\/p>\n In the comments, many had notable compliments for Tracy, who has been calling Hurricanes\u2019 games since 1998-99. That included \u201cgives great insight to the game and is a little goofy as well,\u201d \u201chas always been a fun listen,\u201d and \u201chas a deep well of knowledge and is so well-connected.\u201d But one respondent who praised his knowledge said he sometimes can \u201cget carried away with personal stories and relationships\u201d and asked for him to \u201cstick to the game.\u201d And other commenters significantly disliked him, with lines such as \u201ctoo often comes across as frivolous,\u201d \u201cgrating,\u201d and even \u201cpossibly the worst in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n On the play-by-play side, Maniscalco took over for John Forslund ahead of the 2020-21 season. Forslund would sign on with the Seattle Kraken ahead of their debut season in 2021-22. He and Tracy placed sixth in our 2020 rankings with a 2.80, and fifth in our 2016 ones with a 2.98.<\/p>\n Many of the commenters here preferred Forslund to Maniscalco, with remarks like \u201cwhat a clear downgrade,\u201d \u201cthey dropped the ball when they let Forslund go,\u201d and \u201cstill feeling the loss of Forslund.\u201d However, Maniscalco drew some individual praise, including \u201chas come a long way as a play-by-play guy, his chemistry with Tripp is great.\u201d And the overall duo drew some praise, with one notable element there being praise for their ability to be fair when called for. That included lines like \u201cGreat chemistry and passion for the team but objective when needed.\u201d<\/p>\n 23. Anaheim Ducks (John Ahlers, Brian Hayward): 2.32 Most common grade: C (45.3% of votes) This group edged the Hurricanes thanks to a 2.322 mark versus a 2.321. And while we\u2019re back into most common Cs here, this booth rose above the ones below them thanks to that high percentage of A\/B\/C grades.<\/p>\n This is a big jump for Ahlers and Hayward (who have been calling these broadcasts together for decades, with Hayward calling the team\u2019s games since their 1993 beginnings and Ahlers replacing original play-by-play voice Chris Madsen in 2002) from the last time we did this, as they placed 29th in 2020 with a 1.56. However, 2016 saw them place 19th, albeit with a 2.12.<\/p>\n In the comments, Ahlers received regard for both this role and his work calling national NHL radio broadcasts for Sports USA Radio Network. One notable line on him was \u201csuper underrated.\u201d But others said he \u201coften gets opponents\u2019 names wrong\u201d and \u201cmesses up names even for Ducks\u2019 players.\u201d Hayward took harsher individual criticism still, including \u201cinsufferable blowhard,\u201d \u201cterrible,\u201d and \u201ctreads into the territory of complaining too much about refs and accusing opposing players of more maliciousness than they actually intend,\u201d but some noted they\u2019ve always liked him.<\/p>\n Overall, this booth received some positive comments. That included \u201cThe best! Fair and competent analysis,\u201d \u201cgood chemistry,\u201d and \u201cgood energy.\u201d But they had their overall critics as well, including \u201cboring like their goal horn\u201d and \u201cnot overly exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n 22. Buffalo Sabres (Dan Dunleavy, Rob Ray): 2.43<\/p>\n Most common grade: B (40.1% of votes) This duo has been working together for a long time overall, but they\u2019ve only been in this specific pairing recently. Ray started as the Sabres\u2019 rinkside reporter on MSG broadcasts in 2003-04, then was elevated to lead analyst in 2012-13, replacing Harry Neale. Dunleavy started backup play-by-play work there (behind the legendary Rick Jeanneret) the next season, then took over the primary role in 2022-23. Jeanneret, Dunleavy, and Ray drew a 2.39 (14th of 31 teams) in 2020, while Jeanneret and Ray earned a 2.68 (10th of 30) in 2016. (Martin Biron also serves as an analyst on some broadcasts when he\u2019s not in studio.) This team drew 28 A votes (out of 274) and 13 Fs.<\/p>\n Commenters had praise and criticism for both of these figures. For Dunleavy, a lot of the criticism was in contrast to Jeanneret, including \u201cI miss Rick Jeanneret,\u201d \u201chard to replace a legend,\u201d and \u201cimpossible to replace RJ, but this isn\u2019t the answer. Boring play-by-play with an enforcer analyst.\u201d However, he also earned positive lines from \u201cgood\u201d to \u201cgreat.\u201d<\/p>\n For Ray, many particularly cited his battling through taking a puck to the face<\/a> in February. (Remarkably, that\u2019s at least the second time that\u2019s happened to him<\/a> on a broadcast, which maybe led to his one-game stunt of broadcasting from the nosebleeds<\/a> afterward.)\u00a0 That saw lines such as \u201cHow can you not vote for someone who take a puck to the face, gets stitched up, and then [is] back rinkside doing color analysis?\u201d and \u201cRob Ray getting hit in the face and then sitting in the top row the next game makes this an automatic A.\u201d<\/p>\n Buffalo Sabres color commentator Rob Ray took a puck to the face, and he made it loud and clear when he got hit. \ud83c\udfd2\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f\ud83e\udd2c\ud83e\udd15pic.twitter.com\/NgYa5z96a3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 23, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Ray also drew other praise, such as \u201cbeauty\u201d and \u201csuch a gem.\u201d But some said he \u201cbrings nothing\u201d and is predictable: \u201cTake a shot drinking game every time Rob Ray says the phrase \u2018a little bit,\u2019 and you\u2019ll be drunk by the first intermission.\u201d Overall, many found the broadcast \u201cstale\u201d or \u201cboring,\u201d but also noted that the team\u2019s struggles (a 36-39-7 record, 14th of 16 Eastern Conference teams) factored into that.<\/p>\n 21. Winnipeg Jets (Dan Robertson, Kevin Sawyer): 2.43 Most common grade: B (35.6% of votes) Sawyer has been calling Jets\u2019 games since the 2018-19 season, with Robertson joining him (replacing Dennis Beyak) ahead of the 2022-23 season. Beyak and Sawyer (with Ray Ferraro also as an analyst for some games) earned a 2.40 in 2020 (13th of 31 teams). This booth drew one more B vote (85 of 239) than C.<\/p>\n In the comments, several people noted that they miss Beyak. However, Robertson drew praise of his own, including \u201creally improved during this season\u201d and \u201cknows his stuff and is very enjoyable to listen to.\u201d The tandem received significant positive recognition, including \u201creliable team offering thorough and engaging broadcasts\u201d and \u201cthe most underrated booth in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n Overall, though, the comments were more positive than the grades. This team placed where they did, thanks to a lot of C, D, and F grades without comments.<\/p>\n 20. Vegas Golden Knights (Dave Goucher, Shane Hnidy): 2.47 Most common grade: B (30.1% of votes) Hnidy\u2019s new booth comes in here just ahead of his old one in Winnipeg, where he worked from their 2011 return to that city through the 2016-17 season. He and Goucher have been working together since the Golden Knights\u2019 inaugural season in 2017-18, and they earned a 2.26 (16th of 31 teams) in 2020. They received quite a few As (64 of 259 votes), but also 61 Cs, 27 Ds, and 29 Fs.<\/p>\n Both halves of this booth received strong individual plaudits. That included \u201cGoucher is my favorite local play-by-play [voice]. His way of calling a game keeps you on the edge of your seat, and he has the ability to rise and fall\u201d and \u201cHnidy the best at ice level.\u201d Hindy also received lines like \u201cexcellent at analysis and breaking down plays in terms that are easy to understand,\u201d while Goucher earned \u201cthe perfect hire for play-by-play for this team.\u201d<\/p>\n There were still critics, though. One wrote, \u201cGoucher is horrible at announcing and should go drive a truck or something. He definitely spends all his time at the casinos,\u201d while another called Hnidy \u201ca douche.\u201d But the general commentary sentiment was positive.<\/p>\n 19. Los Angeles Kings (Nick Nickson, Jim Fox): 2.50 Most common grade: B (33.5% of votes) Nickson, who announced in the fall<\/a> he\u2019d retire after this season, has been calling Kings\u2019 games in some fashion since 1981. He started with Bob Miller on a joint TV-radio broadcast, serving mostly as a color analyst, then took the play-by-play reins on the radio side when those were split in 1990. When the broadcasts were again merged ahead of the 2023-24 season, TV play-by-play voice Alex Faust was let go, and Nickson took over the joint call.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Fox has been the Kings\u2019 main TV analyst since 1990, shortly after his retirement as a player.<\/p>\n Faust and Fox drew a 2.43 (11th of 31 teams) in 2020, while Miller and Fox (with Nickson as a substitute play-by-play voice) earned a 3.26 (tops of 30 teams) in 2016. Thus, this is quite a ways from where the Kings have been in these polls. And this booth only received one more B (87 of 260) than C.<\/p>\n The comments saw lots of questioning of the decision to merge those TV and radio broadcasts and part ways with Faust. Some of that included \u201cShouldn\u2019t have got rid of Alex Faust. He\u2019s A-level,\u201d \u201cI miss Alex Faust,\u201d and \u201cFox is still great. Nickson is a legend but better suited for radio.\u201d<\/p>\n But many expressed appreciation for Nickson as well, including \u201cLike Bob Miller, Nick Nickson will be a Hall-of-Famer after he retires this year,\u201d \u201cNickson was awesome, I\u2019m going to miss him,\u201d and \u201cStill calls a good game. He\u2019ll be missed.\u201d Several liked his work with Fox, including \u201cTwo absolute legends who are great at what they do and who seem to take great honor in carrying the torch of the long history of world-class sports on-air talent in LA\u201d and \u201cNick and Jim are both treasures in LA.\u201d Fox took some individual criticism of his own, including \u201cthe ultimate homer,\u201d but many people liked what this booth did.<\/p>\n 18. Florida Panthers (Steve Goldstein, Randy Moller): 2.52 Most common grade: B (32.0% of votes) The defending Stanley Cup champions have another well-established booth, with Goldstein and Moller together in these roles since 2019<\/a>. Moller had previously been the team\u2019s radio play-by-play voice from 2007-2015, and had served as a host and between-the-benches analyst on the TV side since 2014 (with Denis Potvin in the main analyst role), while Goldstein has been calling Panthers\u2019 TV play-by-play since 2007. Goldstein and Moller drew a 1.69 in 2020 (24th of 31 teams) and a 1.98 in 2016 (23rd of 30 teams). This time around, they received 62 As of 272 votes.<\/p>\n While the numerical grades left them in the middle of the pack, the comments on this team were highly positive. There was some criticism of homerism, but it was in the minority. Some of the favorable comments included \u201cLove Goldie\u2019s endless energy,\u201d \u201calways energetic, accurate, and fair about the other team,\u201d and \u201cquality, consistent broadcasting.\u201d One respondent wrote \u201cThey are universally beloved by Panthers\u2019 fans. They have been with the team through thick and thin. They are as much a part of the team as [Aleksander] Barkov and [Matthew] Tkachuk.\u201d<\/p>\n 17. Calgary Flames (Jon Abbott, Kelly Hrudey; also Greg Millen on analysis): 2.56<\/p>\n Most common grade: B (43.7% of votes) This broadcast booth saw some tragedy this year, as Millen (who mostly worked games when Hrudey was working nationally) passed away at 67<\/a> just before the end of the season. That led to Sportsnet picking up the Sharks\u2019 local broadcast<\/a> for the next game. There also was change before this season, with Rick Ball leaving for the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> and Abbott (who had previously worked in a variety of roles<\/a> on NHL broadcasts in Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa, as well as called junior hockey) stepping in. Ball and Hrudey (also Cassie Campbell-Pascall) drew a 2.09 in 2020 (18th of 31 teams), and that duo drew a 2.45 (13th of 30 teams) in 2016.<\/p>\n The comments here saw a lot of tributes to Millen, including \u201can awesome analyst\u201d and \u201cvery good.\u201d Many of the other comments focused on the shift from Ball to Abbott, with several noting Ball\u2019s shoes as big ones to fill. That saw lines like \u201cAbbott got better as the season went along\u2026his and Hrudey\u2019s chemistry got better and was more fun to listen to down the stretch\u201d and \u201cJon\u2019s really improved over the last few years.\u201d But some still found him \u201cworse than Ball.\u201d<\/p>\n Hrudey, a well-established national voice, drew a decent amount of overall praise. That included \u201cI really like Kelly Hrudey.\u201d But one respondent who liked his national work said he \u201cintentionally says pro-Calgary things close to 80% of the time when calling games.\u201d Overall, though, the comments here were pretty positive, including \u201cvery enjoyable broadcast.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n![\"Judd](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Judd-Sirott-e1748547842449.jpg\")
<\/a>Judd Sirott and Andy Brickley on NESN in January 2025. (NESN.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 68.6%<\/p>\n
\n![\"Nashville](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/willy-daunic-chris-mason.jpg\")
<\/a>Nashville Predators\u2019 voices Willy Daunic (L) and Chris Mason on Fox Sports South in 2020. (Fox Sports South.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 73.9%<\/p>\n
\n![\"Penguins'](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/colby-armstrong-josh-getzoff.jpg\")
<\/a>Penguins\u2019 announcers Colby Armstrong (L) and Josh Getzoff in November 2023. (@Penguins on X.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 74.4%<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 68.0%<\/p>\n![\"Marc](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/marc-moser-mark-rycroft-e1748549861641.jpg\")
<\/a>Marc Moser (L) and Mark Rycroft in a pregame interview on Denver\u2019s 9NEWS in October 2024. (9NEWS on YouTube.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 77.3%<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 77.4%<\/p>\n
\n![\"Jody](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/jody-shelley-steve-mears.jpg\")
<\/a>Jody Shelley (L) and Steve Mears ahead of an Oct. 2024 Blue Jackets game. (Columbus Blue Jackets on YouTube.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 75.9%<\/p>\n
\n![\"Anthony](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/anthony-lapanta-wes-walz.jpg\")
<\/a>Anthony LaPanta and Wes Walz previewing a 2021 Minnesota Wild series. (FanDuel Sports Network North on YouTube.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 79.8%<\/p>\n
\n![\"Mike](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Mike-Maniscalco-Tripp-Tracy-e1748553515234.jpg\")
<\/a>Mike Maniscalco (L) and Tripp Tracy on a Carolina Hurricanes\u2019 broadcast in October 2022. (Awful Announcing on X.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 70.5%<\/p>\n
\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/john-ahlers-brian-hayward.jpg\")
<\/a>John Ahlers and Brian Hayward on a Nov. 2023 Anaheim Ducks\u2019 broadcast. (@FanDuelSN_West on X.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 86.4%<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 87.2%<\/p>\n
\n![\"Dan](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/dan-robertson-kevin-sawyer.jpg\")
<\/a>Dan Robertson and Kevin Sawyer after an April 2025 Jets\u2019 broadcast. (TSN on YouTube.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 85.4%<\/p>\n
\n![\"Dave](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/dave-goucher-shane-hnidy.jpg\")
<\/a>Dave Goucher and Shane Hnidy on a 2020 Vegas Golden Knights broadcast. (AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 78.4%<\/p>\n
\n![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/nick-nickson-jim-fox-2.jpg\")
<\/a>Nick Nickson (L) and Jim Fox on a Kings\u2019 broadcast. (MayorsManor.com.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 85.0%<\/p>\n
\n![\"Steve](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/steve-goldstein-randy-moller.jpg\")
<\/a>Steve Goldstein and Randy Moller on a Florida Panthers\u2019 broadcast in 2020. (Fox Sports Florida.)<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 80.5%<\/p>\n
Percentage of A\/B\/C grades: 89.7%<\/p>\n
![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/john-kelly-jamie-rivers.jpg\")
<\/a>John Kelly (L) and Jamie Rivers on a 2023 Blues\u2019 broadcast. (Bally Sports Midwest, via The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.)<\/p>\n