A legendary hockey voice turns 90. Happy birthday to my dear friend, Dick Irvin. A celebratory reflection on our incredible friendship.

Dick Irvin turns 90

A huge congratulatory acknowledgement to my long time dear friend, Dick Irvin, celebrating the 90th anniversary of his birth today, March 4, 2022. What a life!

I met Mr. Irvin in October of 1983 at station CFCF in Montreal. Shortly after our meeting he started bringing me on as a guest during Montreal Canadien radio broadcasts. It was an incredible experience getting a press pass for games at the Montreal Forum. I was on cloud nine heading to the radio broadcast booth for the first intermission to go on the air with him and frankly I felt I was in the clouds with the booth and catwalk so high off the ice. Going on the air live on coast-to-coast Montreal radio was euphoric. I would put on the head set which partly drowned out the Forum crowd. I could see and hear the zamboni on the ice below us. I was always filled with so much anticipation of his questions and our conversations. Those memories are some of the best of my life and I’m so thankful to have met him and have had those opportunities.

Later I began guesting on his TV show Hockey Magazine and those appearances, fourteen in total over 7 years until he signed off in 1991 took our relationship and friendship to a whole other level.

Let’s say in those early years I was ‘between’ cars. I would bus to Montreal, Mr. Irvin would pick me up at the bus station, we’d drive to CFCF, tape the TV show then we’d hit the cafeteria, he’d buy me a little meal and drive me back to the bus station. We talked hockey nonstop. In the car, on the air, in the cafeteria, back in the car, nonstop hockey history, stats, trivia, anecdotes and his amazing life stories of his early days and his father’s. Was it heaven? Sure was for me.

In 1993 I wrote my first book. We released it on April 25, 1994 and when it came time to ask somebody to write the forward for me there was only one man. Mr. Irvin had become like an uncle to me at that point. We were in constant touch and even though his Hockey Magazine show had ended we still did radio and TV together only now it was mostly me doing the interviewing as he guested regularly with me where ever I was working.

I’ve enclosed the forward he wrote for me and a pic of the cover of my aptly named first book lol. Not very creative but what the heck, I had become a published author. What he wrote about me, now almost 28 years later, 39 years after we met, as simplistic as the words are, they still mean so much to me because they came from him. The man, the myth, the legend, his voice was part of the soundtrack of my youth with the late, great Danny Gallivan and you can just close your eyes- hear his unique diction, his inflection, who among us that grew up listening to him is not transported back in time the second you hear him speak.

Happy birthday Mr. Irvin! I wish you many more, the best of health and happiness that I know you enjoy these days with your grandchildren living so close to you. May the big band sound you love so much ring in your house today and may God bless you for all you’ve done to entertain millions of hockey fans especially those of us who are lucky enough to call you a friend. Cheers,

Liam