Chris Vosters on succeeding Pat Foley as Blackhawks TV play-by-play broadcaster: This is not any

May 21, 2024

Chris Vosters held a very specific idea in his mid-20s on where he’d like his broadcasting career to go and when.

At the time, he was calling minor league baseball games for the Great Lake Loons in Midland, Mich. He was happy to have a job and enjoyed what was doing, but it wasn’t where he wanted to end up. Like most, he sought to be at the highest level of his profession. For him, that was Major League Baseball. He envisioned achieving that by a very specific age, too.

“I posted a sign on my refrigerator in my apartment in Midland, Michigan, that said ‘Make the majors by 30,’” Vosters said. “And that was just this goal that I had and I was gonna do whatever it took to make it to Major League Baseball by the time I was 30.”

And in time, Vosters realized his goal was nonsensical. Reaching the majors by 30 wasn’t going to make or break his career. He was being unfair to himself and the process.

“As I got older or matured more, I just kind of realized just how arbitrary a goal like that was and that it was much more important for me to enjoy the journey and just appreciate the chance to get to do what I love, which is be a play-by-play broadcaster,” he said. “And so, I kind of stopped obsessing over what’s the next step going to be for me, or I stopped having concrete goals like that. And you know, it was just like, hey, I feel like I’m on a good path right now, I don’t necessarily know wherever the next twist or turn is going to be or where it’s going to lead me, but I’m ready for it.”

As Vosters was on that less direct path and his 30th birthday came and went, an unexpected twist came his way. In early August 2021, Vosters received a high-level introductory call from Blackhawks vice president of communications Adam Rogowin. The Blackhawks’ long-time TV play-by-play announcer Pat Foley is retiring at the end of the season, and the organization was beginning to search for his replacement. Vosters had been identified as an up-and-coming broadcaster and the Blackhawks were hoping to include him among their candidates.

Over the course of this season, Vosters and others were given on-air auditions whenever Foley wasn’t calling the games himself. Vosters was originally assigned a few games, and then got some more, and then even more. Each step of the way, Vosters proved to the Blackhawks that he was what they were looking for in the position.”

“First of all, we were so lucky that we had so many talented people that wanted this job — not just a lead play-by-play caller but wanted to be in the play-by-play seat for the Chicago Blackhawks,” Blackhawks president of business operations Jaime Faulkner said. “We had a lot to listen to. I think from the start of the process to just listening to Chris this week when he called games in Florida (during the Blackhawks’ road trip), it continued to confirm and affirm for us that he was the right person for the role. But it was hard because we did have so many talented people vying for the job, and they did an excellent job for us throughout the season.”

On Sunday evening, the Blackhawks shared their final decision with the public. During the first intermission of Chicago’s game against the Arizona Coyotes, Foley introduced Vosters on air as his successor and the franchise’s next permanent TV play-by-play announcer.

While Vosters had realigned his priorities since posting that sign on his refrigerator back in Midland, he did nearly reach his original goal anyway. He is 30, at least until next month. He’ll also be calling the National Hockey League, not Major League Baseball, but he’s not complaining. He said he hopes to be the Blackhawks’ TV play-by-play broadcaster for the rest of his career. Of course, he is following someone who spent nearly all of his career, 39 years, in that position.

“It’s a tremendous honor to succeed Pat,” said Vosters, who grew up in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield, Wis., and moved to Chicago three years ago. “This is not any other job. It’s more than just the next stepping stone in my career. This is a really big deal for me and my family, and I’m really excited to be a part of the organization and really continue to plant roots in Chicago. I think it’s the best sports town in America. I’m just really flattered and excited and really eager to pour my heart and soul into this job and be the best person that I can be.”

That last part is especially important to Vosters. For this to work and for fans to accept Vosters as the new TV voice of the Blackhawks, he understands he’s got to be himself and not try to be the next Pat Foley or whomever else.

Foley told him that exact advice, too.

“Before I did my very first game back in early November, he gave me a call and just encouraged me to, ‘Hey, like, be myself,’” Vosters recalled. “He said, ‘When you’re doing the game, I’m absolutely in no way part of the broadcast.’ So, you know, he’s telling me, ‘Just don’t think about me or don’t think about this as my job or my chair or anything like that, just be yourself and call the game the way that you feel fit.’ And that really meant a lot to me.”

Vosters has had a few conversations with Foley during the season. They had that early phone call and also met for lunch more recently. Their second talk ended up being more pro to pro and Vosters picking Foley’s brain about preparing for games, points to do the job and more. Vosters said he was grateful for Foley communicating with him as much as he has.

Vosters isn’t oblivious to how fans feel about Foley departing. Vosters is on social media enough to see what fans have posted about the number of games Foley has called this season and their thoughts on his potential replacements. Vosters gets why fans feel that way. He also understands that stepping in for a legend won’t be easy. He just hopes the fans give him a chance.

“I know that fans are used to, for their entire lives, listening to Pat Foley call Blackhawks games, and for many fans, a significant part of their lives has been Pat and Eddie (Olczyk), so it’s a different sound,” Vosters said. “And look, I’m a fan. I got into sports broadcasting because I was a sports fan first. I’ve got my announcers of my local sports teams growing up in Wisconsin that I love and never want to leave. I don’t want to hear anybody call Milwaukee Brewers baseball other than Bob Uecker. So I totally understand where fans are coming from. You get used to a voice, a personality and a presence. That’s part of what makes games comforting and enjoyable to watch or listen to.

“I think that’s helped me alleviate some of the pressure that I might be otherwise putting on myself, because when I see things on social media about disgruntled fans or people asking like, ‘Where’s Pat?’, I understand where they’re coming from. I really do. And I don’t take it personally, and I don’t begrudge anybody for feeling that way, because change is hard. But I think over time, I know that I’ll continue to deepen my relationship with fans, and I think fans will get used to me and my style after just the passing of time.

“And as great as Pat is and as much as I’ve gotten to enjoy listening to Pat call Blackhawks games, I’m not going to come in here and try and imitate Pat, because I don’t think that would be respectful to him or the fan base. Because the only thing that I can do on these broadcasts is be myself and give Blackhawks fans the most authentic version of who I am, because I think that will be the best way to ultimately endear myself to the fans the way that Pat is. And I think that’s actually one of Pat’s strengths. Through his 39 years as the voice of the Blackhawks, he has unapologetically been himself, and I think that’s a big part of the reason why fans adore him so much.”

Vosters describes himself as “laidback, low key, low maintenance.” He has a strong voice and authority to his calls. He seems to understand when the moment calls for some extra vigor. He also tries to keep the mood light with his color analyst and seeks to create an inviting atmosphere for the listener. He’s known as a versatile broadcaster and has been hired by NBC Sports, FOX Sports, Big Ten Network and ESPN to call everything from the Olympics to an assortment of college sports.

For the Blackhawks, Vosters was everything they were looking for. They sought someone who had national experience and Vosters checked that box. He’ll obviously be on the TV, but he can also be on podcasts, do social media, meet with season-ticket holders and engage fans in a variety of ways as that voice of the organization.

“We needed somebody that could feel comfortable and could be great in those settings, which we believe Chris to be,” Faulkner said. “We wanted somebody who is going to exhibit our values. So he’s extremely collaborative. He works very, very hard. This job is hard, as I’ve talked about before, so his level of discipline, his level of hard work.”

Faulkner also noticed Vosters seemed to be well-liked and able to build trust with people throughout the organization, including on the hockey side. And while fans have been very vocal about Foley’s departure, Faulkner said Vosters scored the highest among Foley’s replacements in focus groups and surveys. That helped in the decision.

Vosters is a bit new school in some ways but also some old school in other ways.

“I think what we learned (on why Vosters is a good fit) is he still has a traditional call, but a little bit more updated, so he can be in conversation,” Faulkner said. “He’s very relatable, but he also knows how to call the game. So I think that was a good combination for our fan base as well, those that absolutely grew up on Pat Foley’s voice and love his call and some of our next generation fans that want to learn and hear a little bit more about the team and not necessarily every play being called on the ice.”

Faulkner picked Vosters, but she gathered input from others, most notably Foley and Olczyk, in the decision. It was among the topics Faulkner and Foley discussed at their breakfasts at Omega Restaurant in Niles.

“I learned a lot from him about this process going through this process with him,” Faulkner said of Foley. “He was a great teacher, quite honestly, about the things we should be caring about, the things you should be looking for, not only in the delivery of the call, but in the person in the seat. The one thing Pat was pretty consistent about was you need to have somebody who wants this seat, who wants to be here full time, and that was something we saw in Chris pretty quickly. He wanted this job. He wants to call the games every night. He didn’t want this to be a stop in his path, and I think that was appealing to Pat.

With Olczyk, she wanted to be sure he was comfortable with Vosters. He does come with Olczyk’s stamp of approval.

“I think our fans are gonna fall in love with him very quickly,” Olczyk said. “He’s got a great personality. He’s very outgoing. I think he’s got a quick mind, a quick wit that will go over very well moving forward. His call, to me, just was very comfortable, and it was easy to work with him. And that’s no disrespect to anybody else that sat in the chair. I think I got along, I felt comfortable with everybody, but just kind of felt with Chris, he has some air under him and he’s got some experience. I think fans will appreciate his cadence and (I’m) looking forward to being able to build a following and build that camaraderie and that trust with a fan base, because, as we’ve always said, we’re pretty much the voice for the franchise when we’re on television, so that’s a very important seat, and just enjoy getting to know Chris and work with him.”

Vosters feels honored to be alongside Olczyk and understands his role in the booth alongside him.

“On a personal note, it’s really, really cool because, like, this guy does the Stanley Cup and is a Chicago institution,” Vosters said. “So, it’s just on a personal note a lot of fun to get to do games with a guy like that. But then because he has worked with so many different broadcast partners, he knows how to, frankly, carry a broadcast, and he does a really good job about it. And so when I’m working with Eddie, not that I take a backseat or anything like that, but I know that just as long as I can sort of tee him up and make sure that he’s getting the things that he wants to say in, then that’s OK. I’m totally OK being more of like a traffic cop in those situations, and just letting it be Eddie, and that’s what I want. I don’t bring any ego into this.

“I think even in hockey, television is an analyst medium, and I think he brings so much richness to his broadcast by the way he breaks things down. There were times when I do a game with Eddie where I get caught, like, watching him break down a replay and his recall ability is so impressive. So I think, frankly, the best part for me working with Eddie is how much I learned about the game just by listening to him talk about it. So that’s really boosted my confidence. And he’s been so great to work with. He busts my chops, which I like, and I feel like I can go back and forth with him. And it’s a relationship that I’m really excited to continue to develop going forward.”

One piece of business that will need to be tied up for that to happen: a new contract for Olczyk. His current deal expires after this season. Olczyk and Faulkner have said they expect him to be with the organization in the future.

“I’m planning on it,” Olczyk said. “That’s the plan. It’s business as usual right now. There’s nothing in place moving forward, but I’m planning on being here, that’s the best way to say it. … I’m looking forward to being a part of this thing with Chris for as many years as we possibly can.”

Faulkner said, “Everybody’s contracts are up this year, so we’re in the process of working on that. So, yes, 100 percent. He’s been part of the Chicago Blackhawks. He will be part of the Chicago Blackhawks. He will be Chris Vosters’ partner in the broadcast booth.”

Fans will get to know Vosters more in-depth over the coming weeks, months and years. Just a quick rundown: He attended the University of Wisconsin and began calling hockey games on the radio there. Away from the job, Vosters enjoys the outdoors and takes an annual wilderness trip with his father. He lists Eagle Scout on his resume. He also likes going to the theater and mentioned recently seeing Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s King James production. His sister is an actress. He also likes trying new restaurants with his girlfriend. He purchased a home in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood last year.

Fans will start hearing more of Vosters later this month. Foley will continue to call Blackhawks’ home games until his final one on April 14. It’ll then become Vosters’ chair.

Faulkner has one request when that happens.

“I just ask that our fans give him a chance, and that they don’t compare him to Pat, because I don’t think anybody can be compared to Pat Foley,” Faulkner said. “I think it’s been a pretty special thing for the Chicago Blackhawks to not only have Pat and his really distinct call and voice on air, but to have the combination of Pat and Eddie — that’s a true gift. That’s something most franchises never get. We’re not trying to replace that in any way. And I just hope that the fans give Chris and Eddie, this new pair, a new shot to be great. I think they’re going to be great. I think we all think that they’re going to be great. And so we just hope that they get on board with us and give them the chance to be great.”

(Photo: Courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

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