Besides Nick, Olczyk's brother Ricky is an assistant general manager for the Kraken and son Eddie Jr. is an amateur scout. He's been the lead hockey analyst for NBC Sports since 2007, working regularly with play-by-play announcer Mike "Doc" Emrick. Over the past year, its been obvious the Blackhawks are trying to get younger in nearly all aspects of their organization, including the broadcast. The credibility that Olczyk brought to his role was second to none. Thats just whatever. In negotiations, sometimes you cant come to terms, and thats what happened here., The Hawks released a statement: For 16 seasons, we were fortunate to have legendary broadcaster Eddie Olczyk bring Chicago Blackhawks hockey into the homes of our fans. Broadcasters can rarely connect with a vast audience, and he was able to do that because of how relatable he is. 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I really have a lot of respect for what theyre doing and how theyre going about it. Wed just lost our mom and it was always something Ricky and I had kind of talked about, Olczyk, a 16-year NHL veteran and U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer, said over coffee this week at the Kraken Community Iceplex during a brief stopover in Seattle. Foley retired after last season after his 39-year tenure as a play-by-play announcer, and less than three months later, fans have to say goodbye to another big part of their team in Olczyk. The Chicago Blackhawks released a statement regarding Eddie Olczyk's decision to leave the team as their color broadcaster and join the Seattle Kraken. His oldest son, also named Eddie, is a 26-year-old assistant coach at Niagara University. There was a contract offer on the table. Hell join the Krakens broadcast booth and continue as an analyst for TNT. Olczyk kept saying, It was time to step back. With his brother Ricky being the assistant general manager for the Kraken, Perhaps he just saw this new opportunity as a better way to go out than the slog that will probably be the Blackhawks for years to come. Hall of Fame play-by-play voice Pat Foley was forced out after last season, the team traded star winger Alex DeBrincat on draft day and now Olczyk is departing. Can you guys wear a name tag for me? He had worked many national games with Forslund over the years, so there was immediate comfort there. We did because I have a lot of respect for Danny (Wirtz) and Jaime (Faulkner), and I also know Jamie Spencer in the organization, Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said. Im envious of his new colleagues in Seattle and all the people he will influence and mentor there, just like he did in Chicago. He shares the same sentiment about his departure. No one will ever be able to replace Edzo, but you need those traits for the lead analyst role. Eddie's youngest son, Nick, 19, plays for the South Shore Kings of the U.S. Premier Hockey League and will play at Colorado College beginning next season. Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) August 11, 2022 Playing Career Back on June 9, 1984 the Chicago Blackhawks selected 20 year old Chicago native Eddie Olczyk third overall. He underwent a surgical procedure to remove the tumor. Nick will live there permanently during the season, and Olczyk will take the smaller bedroom when hes in town. Honestly, you could probably put Olczyk in any hockey TV booth around the league and hed be more than fine. [9] Tom, who played hockey at Penn State, most recently played professionally for the Indy Fuel of the ECHL and the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Jim O'Donnell: Olczyk sends unmistakable message to the Blackhawks with Tommy, 25, is a senior forward for . as well as a few other broadcasts, he accumulated many frequent flier miles! Eddie Olczyk. Fans knew that the iconic duo of Pat Foley and Olczyk calling Blackhawks games wouldnt last forever, but no one expected it to end this abruptly. And so, when extension talks with the Blackhawks snagged this summer, Olczyk didnt hesitate when his brothers team made their pitch. Related: Olczyk Embodies Passion for Life, Hockey. Olczyk was also the lead color commentator for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Men's Ice Hockey, where he partnered with Mike Emrick and "Inside-the-Glass" reporter Pierre McGuire. Everyone's schedule had to be in sync to get to practices on time. He underwent a surgical procedure to remove the tumor. He got to see his old team and his good friend Troy Murray at the Blackhawks game in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche to begin the season, which felt good. Olczyk had talked to a lot of people since the news broke, but he hadnt really seen many Blackhawks personnel since then. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. Ed Olczyk Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Salary, Title | Hockey The grueling ordeal, chronicled in hisBeating the Odds: In Hockey and in Lifebook co-authored with Perry Lefko, ended in March 2018 when he announced on-air he was cancer-free. Olczyk won't return as a color commentator for Hawks games on NBC Sports Chicago,. With that said, the fact that Eddie has found his way to being part of the overall teardown just seems all too fitting at this point. He finished his career in Chicago. All Rights Reserved. For as good as Olczyk is a broadcaster, I will even more so miss his personality and what he brought to the broadcasts as a human being. And with their family, was always Diana. There was a contract on the table, but I have decided to step away. Eddie Olczyk Jr., the son of former NHL forward and NBC Sports hockey analyst Eddie Olczyk, released the following statement Thursday on Twitter in response to countless messages the family has received after his father was diagnosed with colon cancer last week: Tweet from @Edzo16: Thank you for your support pic.twitter.com/MdKuObmPr6, "After what has been a very emotional number of days for my family, I'd like to say thank you for the unbelievable amount of support we have received," said Olczyk Jr., an assistant hockey coach at Bemidji State University. Geoff Baker covers hockey and is a sports enterprise and investigative reporter for The Seattle Times. Eddie Olczyk Wife He married a beutiful woman called Diana Olczyk. Brown on the local TV Seattle broadcast in the evening. The boys have a lot of those traits. Im frustrated and sad about this news. Happy to say I've done that today.". Ricky didn't possess the talent Eddie did, though, and his playing days ended in college. Olczyk is the latest big name to leave the organization, which has been undergoing turnover in seemingly every facet of business and hockey operations. "We were simple people. This is my decision. He will be deeply missed. He eventually. "I had a great meeting earlier today with Rocky Wirtz and had a great meeting with Danny Wirtz and Jaime Faulkner. We appreciate his many . But before the horse made it to the finish line, she suffered an injury. Eddie Olczyk: I Want Inside The NBA Crew On TNT NHL Show Anytime you lose a family member, especially a parent, you need the one captain to take the bull by the horns, and Rickys done that. Try a week on us. After Emrick retired on October 19, 2020, at the end of the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals, he was paired with Kenny Albert and John Forslund for most of the regular season but was paired with Albert for the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Finals. He played 16 seasons in the NHL, coached in the NHL and is now one of the game's most recognizable television commentators. Ultimately, fans will have a favourite or two by the seasons end, but I think it may still take a few years before anyone has the type of following that Foley and Olczyk were able to accumulate. "It was a decision that I wrestled with for a while," Olczyk said on Unfiltered while talking to Pat Boyle. Not solely because of the Olczyk news, but more so because of all that led up to it. This was Olczyk making his way through the Kraken Community Iceplex and watching the Krakens morning skate prior to joining John Forslund and J.T. Eddie Olczyk Biography, Age, Wife, Children, Career, Health, Net worth He attended Brother Rice Catholic High School. Longtime analyst Eddie Olczyk will not return to the team. Instead, Olczyk will join the Kraken while remaining as an analyst for TNT. They could have him, Forslund and Brown in the same booth depending on the size of an arenas broadcast area or have one working from a different vantage point. Eddie Olczyk is a famous American ice hockey player. He played the last two seasons of his career in Chicago. Eight months and one day after his final chemotherapy session was finished, Eddie Olczyk stood on a platform stage Monday night, flanked by banner-sized portraits of Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe.. Related: Blackhawks 4 Best Options to Replace Eddie Olczyk as TV Analyst. We appreciate his many contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors.. The Blackhawks honored "Edzo" for his induction in a pregame ceremony on February 22, 2013, at the United Center. This way, we dont have to associate his voice with whats to come. Some changes perhaps will be for the better, but letting the best hockey analyst on TV walk out the door will not be one of them. "For 16 seasons, we were fortunate to have legendary broadcaster Eddie Olczyk bring Chicago Blackhawks hockey into the homes of our fans. He hopes that with the support and encouragement from my family, the Chicago Blackhawks organization, NBC Sports and all my friends and fans he will be back in the broadcast booth soon. Eddie Olczyk - Wikipedia We went to the bank and borrowed $675 and signed a promissory note so he could go on a hockey trip. He wanted theopportunity to join the winners circle with Diana O. one day. Their relationship has changed as adults. View all (84) Evan. He even stated, I will die a Blackhawk. Because of that, he could relay what most were thinking, whether good or bad. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. As a player, he was the winner of the Stanley Cup with the . "We have a plaque, actually, in our house right when you walk in the foyer that says, 'We interrupt this family for hockey.' Olczyk has known Brown since Brown was a teenager, and theyve quickly developed an on-air rapport with Olczyk in the booth and Brown at ice level. For me, what it did was it reassured me that I was in a pretty good place before I was sick. Theres plenty of work ahead perfecting this seasons setup for a second-year Kraken fan base quite different from the Original Six market he left behind. That didn't stop him from continuing to pursue a hockey career, and Ricky made his own way to the NHL through the front office. People always ask me with the cancer whether I look at things differently now than I did before I was sick, Olczyk said. God bless! Along with being a longtime color commentator for the NHL . Like many Blackhawks fans, Edzo has done a lot for me. Theres negotiations, and we agreed to disagree, and everybody has moved on, he said. Eddie Olczyk had built a life and career most people could only dream of. A few years ago, I got his book Eddie Olczyk: Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life, which is a fascinating read. However, I feel like that may not be a realistic possibility, considering the teams apparent youth movement. Eddie preserved the puck from the game he played that day and wrote Diana O. on it. Their parents have enjoyed watching the relationship evolve and witnessing how each son arrived at his goal of the NHL in his own way. The Olczyks had been more of a football and baseball family to that point, but 6-year-old Eddie wanted to give skating a try. Eddie Olczyk Biography - Married Bio On July 18, it was announced that beloved Chicago Blackhawks broadcaster Eddie Olczyk would leave the organization after serving 16 years as a color commentator for the team, and will join the Seattle Krakens broadcast. Leiweke pitched Olczyk as he does anyone he wants to hire: He sells being part of a new NHL franchise and all the exciting things happening within the organization. He expects to do about 45 Kraken games and probably another 50 NHL games, including the playoffs, with TNT. Honestly, I shouldnt say, but its only rained one day in like the 30 Ive been here so far. NHL -- Eddie Olczyk and his familiy are living and loving the hockey life Ricky also happens to be a Kraken assistant general manager. Olczyk joins Kraken broadcast team after leaving Blackhawks NHL trade tracker: Latest deals and grades, NHL trade grades: Sabres smartly buy low on Greenway, NHL trade deadline 2023: Fantasy hockey live reaction, Flyers GM: Red Wings nixed van Riemsdyk trade, Avs' Makar OK'd to return 2nd time from protocol, Wild acquire defenseman Klingberg from Ducks, Sabres add size up front, get Greenway from Wild, Penguins acquire defenseman Kulikov from Ducks, Sources: No discipline for Watson hit on Motte, Surging Bruins fastest to 100 pts. Theres a hockey history here, but you always have to assume theres somebody new watching, Olczyk said. The Hawks and Olczyk had been talking for weeks about a potential contract, but the team essentially let him test free agency. "They love what they're doing," Ed said of his sons. Eddie Olczyk, Former NHL player, coach, and commentator It was not until August 4, 2017, that his life changed forever. He also uses those flights to catch up on whats going on around the league or in horse racing, which he still broadcasts for NBC. Last season, he got a chance to call his first NHL games for the Blackhawks and did many more than expected when Murray missed games while battling cancer. If it was me, I would give her a shot. That's as far as I'm gonna go on that. Plus, like with all of his contracts, Olczyk had asked his brother, Ricky, a former lawyer, to look it over before signing. They were hoping Eddie would be a bridge to that newness. But I dont see that happening for a long time. Ill walk in there as I always have and be proud of what Ive been able to do for the franchise over all these years. Blackhawks' Eddie Olczyk set to join Kraken's broadcast booth - USA TODAY He then moved to Canada to play for the Stratford Cullitons junior team before joining the 1984 U.S. Olympic hockey team. "[14], In October 2019, Olczyk released his autobiography, Eddie Olczyk: Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life, in which he shares details of his fight with stage 3 colon cancer.[15]. Eddie Olczyk released a statement sayinghe wasdiagnosed with colon cancer. Just the way everything worked out and everybody kind of being in the places and the opportunity that was there, I needed to take a step back and figure out if that was (what I wanted).. Tommy, 25, is a senior forward for nationally ranked Penn State. I had one goal. And the rumor mill started swirling. Blindsided. The 55-year-old spent the past 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks as their TV color . He understands Chicago fans, and he connected with them so well because of that. Theres great disappointment, but this was my decision. The Blackhawks teardown includes the TV booth. All Rights Reserved. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League, Bienvenue LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin, Vlkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida, Vtejte na NHL.com, oficilnch strnkch National Hockey League, Vitajte na NHL.com, oficilnych strnkach National Hockey League, Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League, Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League. We are going to miss him as much as our fans will. The Blackhawks are undergoing a true rebuild, and Olczyk would have been a credible voice for the fans. But if youre Olczyk, do you really want to do that?Just like with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. My mom would take my dad's car to go home to go south. He called the Blackhawks' games through a historic run of championship hockey. FACT CHECK: Dave Ramsey Made a Statement About America Online, FACT CHECK: CIA Director Gina Haspel Found Dead, FACT CHECK: Kwik Trip Launches Kwik Strip Gentlemens Clubs, Eddie Olczyk has a high-flying career literally.