The Kings will be without a voice no longer, as the franchise announced Thursday that veteran play-by-play announcer John Kelly will join the broadcast team for FanDuel Sports Network and KCAL 9 this season.
The void left by longtime action-caller Nick Nickson’s retirement won’t be filled by Kelly exclusively, as Southern California native Josh Schaefer will also narrate select games, while the supporting cast will be fleshed out as well.
In addition to Kelly and Schaefer joining former Kings winger and long-tenured analyst Jim Fox in the booth, insights and analysis will also come from returner Jarret Stoll and two other former Kings, Ray Ferraro and Tony Granato. For the first time, Fox will scale back his involvement in the grueling 82-game schedule, opening the door for three supplementary perspectives. Additionally, former women’s hockey pro Blake Bolden and data analyst Mike Kelly will contribute to the presentation.
“We are thrilled to have such a strong, diverse and enthusiastic team of talent for LA Kings telecasts on FanDuel Sports Network,” team president Luc Robitaille said in a statement.“The LA Kings have always taken great pride in serving our fans with the best team of broadcasters in our sport, and this crew will certainly deliver the level of quality our fans have come to expect each season.”
Kelly brings a wealth of experience, with his pro career to date being bookended by stretches with another “Expansion Six” franchise, the St. Louis Blues. He called the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup run and had begun his career there in the booth with his father, the late Dan Kelly, back in 1988 (Kelly’s younger brother Dan P. Kelly previously called games for the Columbus Blue Jackets and their uncle Hal was also a veteran broadcaster). Between his periods in St. Louis, Kelly also lent his pipes to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche, including during the Avs’ Stanley Cup triumphs in 1996 and 2001.
Now, Kelly joins a diversified on-air crew that will also still include Miracle on Manchester icon Darryl Evans, studio host Patrick O’Neal (son of late actor Ryan O’Neal) and sideline reporter Carrolyn Bathe, the daughter of former Philadelphia Flyer Frank Bathe and a one-time Kings ice crew member.
“Our goal is to elevate our broadcasts and bring our viewers closer to the action than ever before,” FanDuel executive Jay Rothman said in a statement. “We’re excited to bring together such a deep roster of expert voices to deliver a fresh perspective each night the Kings take the ice.”
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The void left by longtime action-caller Nick Nickson’s retirement won’t be filled by Kelly exclusively, as Southern California native Josh Schaefer will also narrate select games, while the supporting cast will be fleshed out as well.
In addition to Kelly and Schaefer joining former Kings winger and long-tenured analyst Jim Fox in the booth, insights and analysis will also come from returner Jarret Stoll and two other former Kings, Ray Ferraro and Tony Granato. For the first time, Fox will scale back his involvement in the grueling 82-game schedule, opening the door for three supplementary perspectives. Additionally, former women’s hockey pro Blake Bolden and data analyst Mike Kelly will contribute to the presentation.
“We are thrilled to have such a strong, diverse and enthusiastic team of talent for LA Kings telecasts on FanDuel Sports Network,” team president Luc Robitaille said in a statement.“The LA Kings have always taken great pride in serving our fans with the best team of broadcasters in our sport, and this crew will certainly deliver the level of quality our fans have come to expect each season.”
Kelly brings a wealth of experience, with his pro career to date being bookended by stretches with another “Expansion Six” franchise, the St. Louis Blues. He called the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup run and had begun his career there in the booth with his father, the late Dan Kelly, back in 1988 (Kelly’s younger brother Dan P. Kelly previously called games for the Columbus Blue Jackets and their uncle Hal was also a veteran broadcaster). Between his periods in St. Louis, Kelly also lent his pipes to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche, including during the Avs’ Stanley Cup triumphs in 1996 and 2001.
Now, Kelly joins a diversified on-air crew that will also still include Miracle on Manchester icon Darryl Evans, studio host Patrick O’Neal (son of late actor Ryan O’Neal) and sideline reporter Carrolyn Bathe, the daughter of former Philadelphia Flyer Frank Bathe and a one-time Kings ice crew member.
“Our goal is to elevate our broadcasts and bring our viewers closer to the action than ever before,” FanDuel executive Jay Rothman said in a statement. “We’re excited to bring together such a deep roster of expert voices to deliver a fresh perspective each night the Kings take the ice.”
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