Pat Foley

Who is Pat Foley?

Pat Foley is the television play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.

A native of Glenview, Illinois, Foley graduated from Loyola Academy and received a degree in telecommunications from Michigan State University. He joined the Blackhawks' broadcasting crew at the age of 26 after calling games for the now-defunct Grand Rapids Owls of the International Hockey League, and he quickly became recognized as the "Voice of the Blackhawks." From 1995 to 1998, he called NHL games on Fox.

In May 2006, the Blackhawks organization made the controversial decision to withdraw their contract offer to the popular Foley, citing unspecified "personal" reasons. The unabashed Blackhawks homer was often criticized by fans and media for his inability to keep in step with the action on simulcasts, on which he rarely gave the score and the time left in the period. The team finally ended their simulcasts, replacing Foley on radio with former New York Islanders broadcaster John Wiedeman and on television with former Columbus Blue Jackets voice, Dan Kelly, Jr..