Beloved Flames broadcaster passes away after defining generations of Calgary hockey: Honouring Peter Maher
Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports
The voice that called three decades of Flames hockey has gone silent.
Peter Maher, the man who narrated the Calgary Flames for generations of fans, has passed away, and the organization is grieving one of its most beloved figures.
Maher became the first ever radio voice of the Flames back in 1980 and stuck around for 33 consecutive seasons, a run that included the franchise's only Stanley Cup in 1989 and the emotional 2004 playoff push.
He retired after the 2013-14 season, but for anyone who grew up with a radio pressed to their ear during a Flames game, his voice never really left.
A signature style fans never forgot
What made Maher so beloved wasn't just longevity, it was personality.
Phrases like "Yeah, baby!" and "You can put it in the win column!" became part of the fabric of Flames fandom, instantly recognizable to anyone who followed the team through the 80s, 90s and 2000s.
His calls carried weight because they came from someone who clearly loved the game and loved calling it for Calgary.
Maher's résumé extended well past the Saddledome booth too.
He called the 2005 IIHF World Championship, six NHL All-Star Games, four Stanley Cup Finals and Canada's entire slate at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, including the unforgettable Golden Goal.
A legacy built on more than broadcasting
Maher was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and earned the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 2006, landing him in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Flames later named their broadcast booth after him and created the Peter Maher Award, given annually to the player who best represents sincerity, integrity, dedication and respect.
Beyond the mic, Maher was known as a warm, generous presence in the Calgary community, someone who genuinely cared about the people around him.
May he rest in peace.
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