He grew up watching the Blackhawks on TV and then he was drafted by them in 1984. He spent 16 years in the National Hockey League, playing for six teams, including the Penguins. Meet the Rumored New Head Coach of the Utah Jazz. That became more complicated when the family moved from Niles, a northwest Chicago suburb, to Palos Heights, a southwest suburb, and Eddie still had practices in the northwest suburbs. Ed Olczyk Position: C Shoots: Left 6-1 , 207lb (185cm, 93kg) Born: August 16 , 1966 (Age: 56-199d) in Chicago, Illinois us Draft: Chicago, 1st round (3rd overall), 1984 NHL Entry As Coach: 2 Yrs, 316418, 80 Pts. With that, our Blackhawks team wanted to get together to reflect on this monumental change. As though the Blackhawks were giving onlookers much to be optimistic about in the first place, their ability to find the right fit in this regard that quickly seems farfetched at best. Daughter Zandra, 20, is attending University of Alabama. 204 ratings24 reviews. He often traveled for NHL games and his work still leads him to travel across the country. And it all began with that little yellow pamphlet. 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).. His older fans followed him from his days in National Hockey League while his younger fans . He grew up watching the Blackhawks on TV and then he was drafted by them in 1984. 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. The Family Man. He shares the same sentiment about his departure. 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. Instead, Olczyk will join the Kraken while remaining as an analyst for TNT. All rights reserved, Eddie Olczyk on Unfiltered: 'This was my decision', They couldn't come to terms on a new contract, Indiana State Trooper Struck and Killed by Suspect During Police Chase, Chicago FOP Lodge Reelects John Catanzara as President, New Ranking Names Most Expensive Cities In Illinois and These Chicago Suburbs Top the List, Chicago Suburb Lands on List of Happiest Places to Live,' Another Midwest City Makes Top 10, Chicago-Area Counties Under Winter Storm Advisories and Warnings, Actor Tom Sizemore, of Saving Private Ryan,' Dies at 61. Eddie's sons are continuing the hockey tradition in the Olczyk family. If they put something to mind, there's a good chance they'll succeed at it.". His adoration for the organization was obvious and it oozed out in the best of ways. 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 Im happy for the organization, obviously, on a professional level, but on a personal level, Im just ecstatic and over the moon.. Over the past year, its been obvious the Blackhawks are trying to get younger in nearly all aspects of their organization, including the broadcast. (Scott Powers / The Athletic). In 2003, he moved from the booth to the bench and served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from June 11, 2003, until December 15, 2005. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments, 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Men's Ice Hockey, National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame, List of NHL players with 1,000 games played, "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA", "New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils Box Score May 25, 1994", "Wayne Gretzky, Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk Join Turner Sports' NHL Coverage Team", "Source: Olczyk moving on from Hawks as color analyst", "Alison Lukan & Nick Olczyk to join Kraken broadcast team this season", "Blackhawks TV analyst Eddie Olczyk bolts for Seattle Kraken after Hawks talks break down", "Seattle NHL expansion team hires Ricky Olczyk as assistant GM", "Amazing news: Eddie Olczyk is cancer-free", "Eddie Olczyk talks new book 'Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life', Ed Olczyk's profile at hockeydraftcentral.com, Chicago Black Hawks first round draft pick, History of the NHL on United States television, NHL All-Star Game SuperSkills Competition, United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing on television, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eddie_Olczyk&oldid=1142330530, Ice hockey players at the 1984 Winter Olympics, National Hockey League first-round draft picks, Olympic ice hockey players of the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from May 2021, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox ice hockey biography with unknown parameters, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Biographical information and career statistics from, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 20:28. CHICAGO Eddie Olczyk is leaving the Chicago Blackhawks after 16 years as a color commentator on their television broadcasts. On Buzzlearn.com, Eddie is listed as a successful Hockey Player who was born in the year of 1966. The news of Olczyk leaving the Blackhawks. He is one of us, a Blackhawks fan. 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. . Tommy is a nationally ranked senior forward for Penn State. That's what we did.". According to multiple media reports, Eddie Olczyk is leaving his role as the color analyst for NBC Sports Chicago's broadcasts of Blackhawks games. He's a phenomenal teacher of the greatest game in the world and will now be showing everyone how he will overcome this obstacle. She would take their sons to their hockey games and trips, carrying three bags of hockey gear, and tied their skates. By: Caroline John - Published: August 9, 2017 at 10:20 am, Photo: Ronald Martinez / Staff/ Getty Images. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. First, he hit on Majestic . Itll always be home. Eddie Olczyk is leaving the Chicago Blackhawks after 16 years as a color commentator on their television broadcasts. And so to be able to work with him, its extremely satisfying, gratifying. Twenty is a nice round number. Will M's decision to stick with J.P. Crawford at shortstop pay off. "At the end of the day it is always about money and terms. On December 30, 2010, it was announced that Foley and Olczyk signed a three-year extension to stay with the Blackhawks. Olczyks brother Ricky is a Kraken assistant general manager, his son Eddie is an amateur scout and general manager Ron Francis is a close friend. "I knew what I wanted to do when I was 12 years old. Well, now two different voices. Through their ups and downs, he was the voice of reason for Chicago and was one of the teams biggest ambassadors. In the big picture, the Hawks are focused on saving money. 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. 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. He has his gig with TNT to call national hockey games and he reportedly is in agreement to broadcast games with the Seattle Kraken (even though he didn't verbally admit it). Eddie Olczyk serves as a handicapper and analyst for NBC Sports' Triple Crown horse racing coverage. . Lets face it; he was the voice of the Blackhawks for the last 16 years. Steele retired all six Padres batters he faced, then headed to the bullpen to throw 25 more pitches. 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. About 25 years ago, Diana O. ranin the Pocahontas Stakes while Eddie was in Winnipeg for the hockey game. Brad Johansen Leaving NBC4 Columbus: Where Is the Anchor Going? Every time his dad would get traded or signed somewhere new, there was the rest of the Olczyk clan. Hed thought about it plenty while mourning with his younger brother, Ricky, a Kraken assistant general manager, and the rest of his close-knit family in their Chicago hometown, where onetime NHL center Olczyk spent years as a Blackhawks player and 15 more as a broadcaster working their games. Reviews. However, it feels like there may have also been a little more at play in this particular scenario. "It was a decision that I wrestled with for a while," Olczyk said on Unfiltered while talking to Pat Boyle. He returned to Pittsburgh to become the color commentator for the Penguins on FSN Pittsburgh, where he was given the nickname "Edzo" by current radio announcer and then co-announcer Mike Lange. As a youth, Olczyk played in the 1978 and 1979 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Chicago. Nick played for the Colorado College Tigers and, in 2022, became a television studio analyst for the Seattle Kraken. Zandra is a student at the University of Alabama. CHICAGO (AP) Eddie Olczyk is leaving the Chicago Blackhawks after 16 years as a color commentator on their television broadcasts. Despite adding marquee free-agents, the Penguins started the season with a disappointing 8176 record, leading to Olczyk's dismissal on December 15.[5]. Some will do it better than others and an imbalance in air time will ensue. We'd go north for hockey. A third brother, Randy, 44, works at Chicagoland Commercial, an area real estate company. Their sons, Nick, Tommy and Eddie III followed their father's footsteps. In his NBC Sports horse racing debut on June 28, 2014, Olczyk correctly picked the longshot winner in both races on the $500,000 Gold Cup in the "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In" telecast. Born as Edward Walter "Eddie" Olczyk on 16 August 1966, Ed is a native of Chicago, Illinois. 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. next general manager on Blackhawks Banter,, Blackhawks 4 Best Options to Replace Eddie Olczyk as TV Analyst, reported he left the organization as well, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker Live Updates, NHL Trade Bait List for the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, NHL Rumors: Bruins, Coyotes, Senators, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Blackhawks Bytes Deadline Edition: Johnson, Lafferty, Kane, Domi, Grading the Wilds Trade for John Klingberg, Flames Acquire Stecher & Ritchie in Uneventful Deadline, NHL Trade Deadline Minor Moves: Hunt, Asplund, Brown & More, Deadline Moves Oilers Didnt Make Will Lead to Offseason Swings, Sabres Acquire Greenway from the Wild for Picks, Bruins Get Gritty Boost with Hathaway Trade Deadline Addition, Flames Acquire Nick Ritchie & Troy Stecher From Coyotes, 4 Fun Facts About Edmonton Oilers Newest Player Nick Bjugstad, Blue Jackets Use Trade Deadline to Setup Big Offseason, Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Schenn, McCabe, Woll& More, Wild Acquire Sundqvist from Red Wings For a Draft Pick. Still, he continued to negotiate with the Blackhawks and only decided later to turn down their offer and agree to a deal with the Kraken. 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. The wrong time for another loss, as the Bulls were now two games out of a play-in spot. Im not very confident. People always ask me with the cancer whether I look at things differently now than I did before I was sick, Olczyk said. Edward Walter Olczyk Jr. (/oltk/; born August 16, 1966) is an American former center in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. If thats the case, do you blame him? My mom would take my dad's car to go home to go south. "The hockey world is something we wouldn't trade for anything, and the positivity and encouraging messages that have come our way during this unexpected and difficult time has truly been incredible. His son Eddie was a Kraken amateur scout. He became, as Boyle put, "the soundtrack" to the Hawks' dynasty. CHICAGO (AP) Eddie Olczyk is leaving the Chicago Blackhawks after 16 years as a color commentator on their television broadcasts and is expected to work Seattle Kraken games next season. At least the way Eddie Olczyk sees it. He'd thought about it plenty while mourning with his younger brother, Ricky, a Kraken assistant general manager, and the rest of his close-knit family in their Chicago hometown, where onetime NHL. These are some really, really big shoes to fill. Thanks so much for this great birthday video . Beginning with the 200607 NHL season, Olczyk was the color commentator for the Chicago Blackhawks television broadcasts, partnering play-by-play announcer Pat Foley. He is currently assistant general manager for the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Olczyk was ready to give up. We went to the bank and borrowed $675 and signed a promissory note so he could go on a hockey trip. He has one sibling Rick Olczyk, who is additionally engaged with hockey calling. I feel bad, but its hard not to do that.. Scott Powers is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Blackhawks. I will also miss him always saying, Keep an eye on the goaltender if the Hawks or the opposing team were down by a goal with a couple of minutes left. He will be deeply missed. Click here to follow the Blackhawks Talk Podcast. That kind of reminds you, 'Work hard and you do what you have to do and it's for your children.' Theres negotiations, and we agreed to disagree, and everybody has moved on, he said. No matter where they lived, the boys didnt let go of their hockey dreams. Exactly one year after his diagnosis, there was one goal remaining: Olczyk was to watch son Eddie Jr. get married Saturday. Send the video to friends and family and don't forget to capture their priceless reactions. His deal expired after last season. The NHL player turned broadcaster was on his second round of chemotherapy for stage 3 colon cancer, and the effects were so severe that he told his wife, Diana . Having said that, this is a huge, huge blow for the Blackhawks and their fans. Olczyk, who turns 51 on Aug. 16, has been the in-game analyst for Chicago Blackhawks games on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN-TV since the 2006-07 season. Toward the end of this weeks interview, Olczyks son emerged from the Krakens offices to get his dad for a scheduled broadcast meeting. The couple is blessed with four children namely Nick Olczyk, Zandra Olczyk, Tom Olczyk, and Eddie Olczyk.. All of his sons are involved in hockey as Nick and Tom are currently playing professional hockey and Eddie is a former player who currently is an assistant coach for Niagara . Eddie also leads hockey analyst for NHL on NBC and, The Chicago Blackhawks. A few years ago, I got his book Eddie Olczyk: Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life, which is a fascinating read. Im frustrated and sad about this news. I'm just proud as heck.". 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. Burish seems like someone who could fly off the handle, or perhaps not be as controlled or professional as the organization might want. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, he fell in love with the game of hockey during an era when most kids preferred balls to pucks. The trio have provided commentary for every EA Sports NHL game until NHL 19, when Ferraro became the new color commentator. 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. T Eddie Olczyk is moving on from the organization after 16 seasons as the team's TV color analyst, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago. Id like to say that Im shocked, but numb might be a more fitting word to use at this point. In the 1989-90 season, Olczyk recorded an 18 game point streak, setting the record for longest point streak by an American player. In a lot of ways, all this seems very normal. Previously, he covered the Blackhawks and the White Sox for ESPN Chicago. Join host Nick Olczyk for exclusive interviews, analysis, and dispatches from the road. The Chicago Blackhawks released a statement regarding Eddie Olczyk's decision to leave the team as their color broadcaster and join the Seattle Kraken. He was hired by the Edmonton Oilers in 2007 as director of hockey administration and legal affairs, and eventually was promoted to assistant general manager.

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