For millions of hockey viewers, the enjoyment of their favourite game diminished with the absence of a voice that had become synonymous with the annual pursuit of the Stanley Cup. Danny Gallivan, the man known for his poetic descriptions of hockey games, retired in July, 1984 after 32 years of doing play by play for the Montreal Canadiens.

A native of Sydney, Nova Scotia, Gallivan’s first love was baseball. He was an excellent pitcher and led his team to numerous area championships and one Maritime title. In 1938, he was invited to the New York Giants training camp, but an early injury cut short any hopes of a pro career.

While at St. Francis Xavier University, Gallivan landed a job with the campus radio station, where he broadcast his first hockey game in December of 1943. He moved to Halifax in 1946 to become the voice of the Halifax St. Mary’s junior hockey team. It was during a Memorial Cup playoff series at the Montreal Forum that the Canadiens brass first noticed his talents.

His big break came on New Year’s Eve, 1950 when the Canadiens’ regular announcer, Doug Smith, became ill and Gallivan was asked to fill in. By 1952, Gallivan was the full-time announcer for the newly established Hockey Night In Canada. During his 32-year career he covered 1,900 regular season games and playoff matches.