Rick Ball remembers how he was drawn to the intensity of a Chicago Blackhawks playoff rivalry — and to Chicago itself — when he was based in Vancouver.
The Hawks and Canucks battled in the postseason for three straight years (2009 to 2011) during the early stages of the Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toews dynasty.
“I watched all three of those series, every game, every second,” Ball, the Hawks’ new play-by-play announcer, said in his first address to Chicago media. “That was a lot of fun, but I wasn’t actually calling those (games). I was hosting between periods and pre- and postgame shows.
“But what that did, what I did experience, was how incredible the city (of Chicago) is with teams in the playoffs. The energy in the (United Center) is unbelievable, even in the regular season. You start with that anthem and you add the intensity of the playoffs on top of that, it was an incredible experience three years in a row, covering Hawks-Canucks.”
When the Hawks next reach the playoffs, Ball likely will be the voice on the call, occupying the TV booth alongside color analyst Darren Pang for the new Chicago Sports Network.
After calling Calgary Flames games for 10 years, he’s taking on a new challenge in a new city — one that has thin patience for those who broadcast its favorite teams.
Pat Foley, who called Hawks games for nearly four decades, still proves to be a tough act to follow.
“I’m sure it’s like most rabid fan bases,” Ball said. “It’s going to be a tough crowd to impress, but I’ve done this a long time. I worked in Vancouver and I worked in Calgary, and those are both hockey hotbeds too. Hopefully, I would say to people, the work will speak for itself.”
Many fans never warmed to Chris Vosters, whom Ball is replacing after two seasons on the job, particularly Vosters’ inexperience with hockey.
The Hawks asked Vosters to wear several hats — including keeping up a social media presence, even during games, to connect to young fans — but they weren’t keen on him calling games for side ventures such as Big Ten Network instead of focusing solely on hockey.
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Ball, if nothing else, should bring stability. And he’s not about flash either.
“I’m not a screamer or don’t have a bunch of catchphrases,” he said. “I just like to capture the moment with my own emotion and hopefully find the right words to fit any given situation.
“It’s difficult to describe my style. I’m probably more old-school.”
His idol is legendary “Hockey Night in Canada” announcer Bob Cole, who died in April at 90.
“If I can capture even a small percentage of what he did, it’d be a huge compliment because I think he’s the best that ever did it,” Ball said.
Ball grew up in Kelowna, British Columbia, listening to radio in the kitchen with his family.
A custodian at his school, who happened to be a former hockey coach who did color commentary for junior hockey broadcasts, introduced him to a radio sports director.
“I was playing in a basketball tournament, (and) he’d have me phone a report in at the end of the weekend and they’d run it the next day on the morning show,” Ball said. “That’s how I got started. That was kind of cool.”
Along the way, he manned broadcasts for the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, the CFL’s BC Lions, the Winnipeg Jets, Canucks and Flames as well as “Hockey Night in Canada,” calling the Prime West games along with Flames partner Kelly Hrudey.
Ball said he was happy in Calgary and prepared to sign a new contract when the Hawks came calling, ready to deal.
“Basically a week and there was an offer on the table,” he said. “Sort of a blink of an eye.”
Hawks officials on the business side courted him over dinner.
“It meant a lot to me that (CEO) Danny (Wirtz) was there as well,” he said. “My message to them is I just want to do the best show I can do and hopefully we’re one of the best shows in the league.”
Ball said one big draw was getting to work with Pang
“He’s one of the best in the business,” he said. “When you have a great partner when you’re a defenseman, your game is so much easier. Broadcasting works the same way.”
The other lure was Connor Bedard.
“You have a superstar player, a team I feel is on the rise that may get better faster than people think,” Ball said. “I hope I can do it justice when he’s doing things on the ice that you don’t see very often.”
Funny enough, Bedard had been the subject of conversation long before Ball took on the Hawks gig.
“I actually have a good friend of mine, his son played with him briefly in Regina,” he said. “He’s been telling me about Connor since they were kids, when he was still on the lower mainland of B.C.: ‘This kid’s going to be unbelievable.’
“About three or four years later, when (Bedard) went to junior, I go, ‘That’s the guy you’ve been talking about.’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’ve been watching him since he was 10 years old.’ Interesting I get a chance to call him now on a regular basis in the NHL.”