Mike Emrick, NHL Broadcaster

Michael soft today on helping the patriots select candidates for the all decade team. Very ably filling in as my former partner and friend Bob knew Meyer so it's a return to the -- me shell albeit ever briefly here today. Joining us right now is as I've told you on a number of occasions the best hockey play by play announcer on the planet. What you buy our belly insurance our body my camera hello doc.

It is great to talk you I don't know what the greater. I was that you're ever call -- help you remember whether it was in the American leaders in a hell.

American League Archie Anderson and Jeff Brubaker.

All right -- two heavyweight there I know about -- Myers. It's clear that wound up on the back of a 45 rpm records this year between the New England whalers and the -- the -- that seems right.

Absolutely doctor was a billboard that -- Jack Carlson. That was the start of the -- the the Carlson Brothers -- were. You know they were the models after they hit two Brothers in slap shot. Doc you gotta hear this route just very briefly -- listen up yeah.

Just drive to -- okay tell us. I've never seen quite like this and what is.

And I was eighteen years old at the -- Yep I'll ask doctor -- provided for and I say you know -- this question that other voice in the background -- I don't know if you're familiar with this. -- and -- what a gentleman by the name of bill Rasmussen. Whose claim to fame where it's his finding and entities that you may have heard of called ESPN. -- He put a field hockey game on a satellite for UConn back in the day in wound up being the start of what we now know is ESP.

Well I don't mean to -- it down that path that any path that it might be but. Arctic Anderson of course provided American League fan that in some cases damage opens with a lot of excitement with some of the things that that he was able to do with his right hand out on the night Jeff Baker -- talk. Whether alcohol and that came as a surprise to learn Cochran one night Springfield there are ordered to. But I guess we're getting. Well I'll let you hear that the figures show dale I don't know I've built. I know other on the flip side of that what I've rpm record would I still haven't all been described that -- So gateway by your partner there on the other side of the brass bonanza.

Answer which I know I've never heard him isn't for law I I I've never forgiven knew me for that -- he's the one who brought to the whalers attention. At Fenway Park for Red Sox games. And it's unbelievable. Eight -- was the Olympic tournament the best sustained. Hockey that you've been able to call. -- it the whole tournament itself was the best extended period of hockey I can ever remember seeing.

Same with me and you know I I was kind of -- is about a year in advance. When it started overhearing our players telling one another that is going to be the best tournament on history that was a year. The guy that knew they were gonna be -- we're telling one another and I was. Does eavesdropping on the conversation. And that it made me feel more excited about being able though and sure enough it was as well selling property that they had they knew it was going to be the bat and in my mind it is.

Doctor here in Boston needles to say the hot topic is the Matt Cooke hit. On -- that is knocked him out for this season no suspension from the NHL the penguins are in town on Thursday night my question to you -- What you expect what happened on Thursday and what do you think will happen on Thursday.

I've had a history of these kinds of things going back in terms of what you expect and he usually. Wind up with a 183 reverse from what you think is going to be retribution and a back and everything else. And I kind of doubt that it will be immediately put up against against one another in the playoffs you know at that. Well this morning your point five or thirty years ago I think you'd expect right away but. Obviously has more than -- so much at stake that you don't wanna put yourself shorthanded against the penguins by you know by getting. By getting your pound of black. I mean you can get at one time brother and bill to a guy that I -- named Batman and like look at it Leo on the telecast. You've got a whole career -- And they're gonna be others that will pay back Mac market turns out the league office is not. But they'll be others that will take care of that and -- and and -- the -- have the opportunity to do it but. The point there's a critical right now especially this week when they have Carolina coming up down there and then they come back on connect in the Pittsburgh and at the Rangers over. Nipping at their heels on Sundays so. I think it'd probably going to be more peaceful than we'd like to thank. You always like to think that you could pay something back but I don't think it's gonna -- right.

I do agree reader that's been my experience as well dale and I and of course three of us have seen a lot of games at a lot of different levels. I usually and I'm accustomed to seeing teams respond immediately to a situation like that and I'm wondering if you. Founder rather curious that the Bruins did not respond immediately. After that situation.

I'm you have to -- my remembering what the score in the game was going over the one goal -- put may have been too tight you know I realized that that a lot of us are and I include Mike -- because the united feel like on some things and not on others but -- sort of blockers of the old school of pocket if you wanna pay that back right away. And it would feel good to do that but it again what I thought it was. Clothes and I don't remember this or at the time.

One goal one goal game yeah.

As a one goal game in it and the one the whole game has ever -- due to the one I think. So it probably wasn't the right time but for the purpose of getting the point that are necessary out of it I think that -- take. First precedence right now because they're not guaranteed a spot yet they've -- earned that and then they're playing. Around 500 in the most recent gains after that awful wreck that they had before the Olympic break. Well that -- paper presents and then they'll be they'll be more time to get back to somebody like ability art.

Doc we're seeing a troubling trend around the game no one players have talked to -- about. The lack of respect and you can go back to Patrice Bergeron -- hit from Randy Jones and Alexander Ovechkin last night against Campbell. -- you'd think the players themselves would have an understanding that there are boundaries and there are lines that you shouldn't cross and yet they continued across the.

Yeah I know and I think it may have been different and in this sound like something that people -- slightly great air -- I think it was different in our time because the pay wasn't so great. As it is now. And they're kind of like individual entities out there now as opposed to where they were does that mean that worked and it last no. Does it mean if not a team -- no it's still the same team cohesiveness. That we've seen in the past. But the the element of danger. Is not there in the perception of minds at any Altec specifically yesterday because I'm not a former player yes. And -- when I got Michael that it is going back to deal with a guy like Campbell order to avoid him or whatever he decides to do that he had time to think about that. And does -- know the consequences of what he's doing -- yet. You can wait that you might even have a split second you're awkward thing. User -- by -- and you make that decision but that's the reason that there's I was just hearing on that is break there that there's going to be. -- hearing about -- and it comes at a time when we're seeing so much other. That the one that got -- is going to be loud for a long time until they start punishing the one that.

It. -- Couple these hits in the aftermath of the crook situation Alla Ovechkin some people that set and I don't know if it was it doubles game dark where there was a major penalty assessed. That's some people thought was unnecessary some people think that. While resting up pushed Campbell and he didn't exactly run him from behind into the boards and did not particularly deserved. 510 game misconduct. Should have been penalized but it wasn't as -- As nasty as some might believing that the NHL has kind of not overreacted in the aftermath of the cork incident agreed.

It well amid they have but it's my understanding that Apple's history. And so maybe it wasn't that as light as we thought uploading -- an -- oftentimes wind up being an accident. Where it is the force with which you go into the boards that brings the penalty not the fact that there was anything intended to send you there. A lot of times -- guy won't put a white guy and they'll go violently into the boards and should -- all of you out because it was bloody spot. Any intent to cause. Kind of strap and only then but it is the aftermath outlet so. What can we do not the reason the boarding penalty is oftentimes on the drilling not a guilty of eyes stickers or. A cross checkers something where you really did some damage and and you put your pick there with the intention of doing so. I don't know but brighter -- the miners have to figure this out that somehow or other. Want the play it is basically the players but after police that themselves and in the represent just gonna continue to assess penalties or permit them now on man. And I Eric is going to look at video and they have the right to make a decision regardless of what was on the guys based on the video they'll do their part. But the players are very there is some power would get a grip on. Right now they're union leadership need to get a grip on things that happen reorganize. As as apparently that need to act out. Before they can even address these other issues that I think until the league start with -- with some automatic suspensions and you know we have. We have category 12 -- three for abuse of the officials I think it's going to need that would put things like this where you have. What is no player will admit that no player will admit that he intended to hurt somebody they'll say it was following the -- checked accurately what is that. At the structure of the world I'm just finishing my check so you don't expect him to admit that they did it but the one thing that the will be asked to determine is whether it was deliberate. Deliberate yet deliberate injury has to be the ultimate penalty whatever that it turns out debate. Or abuse of officials which is altogether different what again. Category to it and in -- category 383. If you have a situation where guys injured but it is rule not the content and it happened in the -- and level. In my mind and then in the third if it is -- you know something where there was no injury but -- And you have to at least -- the intent. Even though there was no injury implement that not. Somehow they're gonna have to be done that way until the players economic belt and I think they're less likely to take it on themselves now. Then they -- 20/20 five years ago.

Doc you've got the NHL game of the week tonight on versus the Bruins are in New Jersey did to face off against the devils. Are you finding and is versus finding is NBC finding. The post Olympic bomb that many people were hoping for.

I think in terms of interest yes but we have to expect that that the numbers would not be comparable because when you have historic numbers like that where a lot of people that are. Better fans are. Olympic. And and watching the Olympic. Almost regardless of which particular venue is being shown are you understand that you're going to ask them them dropped off. But what you hope that you get are people who are entry did not start watching NHL -- and more specifically. This sounds like therapy for television. Being a game in person whether it going to beat. The hockey east final war and I know we don't need to teach people in New England about the fact that -- is around. Or seeing a live game somewhere whether in its Internet ETA yelled out and barter our when that. In Georgia or somewhere going to see a game in person because that's the one thing that those of you if television. And then. You wanna listen to games on the radio you wanna watch him on television because you'll love this sport. But at that great Arenas -- I think the first period that really literate people in -- dispute in line.

I was concerned -- that that the quality of play in the Olympics was so high. That the NHL would almost have to suffer by comparison and that if it did draw some new fans into the game. They would watch an NHL game in civil that's not what I was watching in the Olympics it it couldn't be like that.

You're absolutely right I think the one thing that we have which we didn't have there as we have. Maybe three of war huge star players per team because the salary cap -- you know that -- I think I think -- is that the teams are equal amount and the climate here is that enough. That you're going to be a battle for example between Boston. New Jersey because you certainly want to. At Pittsburgh and at that higher. And -- desperately need the point later in the week you're gonna get desperate battle between Boston and New York Rangers for the very same reason and I think those separate battle in the fact that we have so much of that person's word in some people's minds. And not a person others parity. That the games are battled on pretty even terms that's why so many of them built over time. I wish so many of them didn't go to shoot out but that might prejudice I just I think that a lot of energy -- out of the game one Q. Have everybody clear the site and you're going to -- competition can you imagine. What the gold medal game would've been like if it's like twenty minutes and and had been -- out I don't think it would be remembered. As as your wallet because there was no overtime goals scored a -- the past month by.

Well -- those of us that are now -- middle agent wax nostalgic about some of our great memories in sports and I've been around you and often worked -- enough to know that I'm sure that at the top of the list. It was obviously the the Olympics in Vancouver and in other games that you called Stanley Cup finals. One after another but the night but I respect you when you throughout the first hit check your beloved Pittsburgh Pirates game is that standing out out -- okay.

Yeah I you know I think about that everything in I don't know why can't get. Yet the thing is it when you're when -- and other certain team and read and certainly at an apartment that you don't change it's just like get your. -- and a certain religion and it means something you don't. And I think it would name him that well that actually be tricked. One minute before so I didn't have time to think about it only you're gonna throw out the first pitch even though the players weren't there it was 3540. Minute war. Before the game even started it was still a nerve -- feeling and I now understand -- guys they Winamp that the penalty shot in Little League game yet nervous. Because that was nerve racking situation it was fun -- went. Down -- apple morning with these Latin that I grew up loving mother of the pirates in 1960. They're in their seventies now and but I never map of the war about it always idolize them because of how well they play hard they played absolutely. So I got that would probably along with going out first all the biggest highlight the baseball and we're. Sixty some years as it was being able to actually kicked him -- But guys like they'll match Iraq yeah I had a nickname in high school and I'll bet dale could do because -- Because stop now in the New York Yankees were -- chase dale Bauman and get technical and professional baseball obviously I'm glad he didn't. But yup my nickname and I know what map has has played second baseman warmer -- all the onsite finally got to meet the guy and it was it was well worth the morning and there.

He -- the world's greatest Pittsburg pirates and minorities I don't -- and -- you got very similar guns to his Massa ross' he had when you're playing second base.

At that well it's only public -- one -- was up night either say get a.

Great to see a doc -- great to talk -- is always tonight's game is on versus devils and the Bruins in UB they're calling it will be listening as we always are. Daycare -- At my camera via the best hockey play by play announcer on the planet around he's like our belly insurance they're for your auto home and business here.