Sportsnet's Kelly Hrudey replacement has been unveiled
Photo credit: Image via Sportsnet
Calgary Flames fans are getting a new voice in the broadcast booth this season. Sports media insider Jonah Sigel reported that Kevin Sawyer will take over as the Flames colour commentator on television, filling the void left by Kelly Hrudey.
Sigel stated he was told Sawyer is the Kelly Hrudey replacement and that Sawyer will be on the Calgary Flames regional games.
The move comes just days after Hrudey confirmed his own departure.
Who Is Kevin Sawyer?
Sawyer is a former NHL enforcer who racked up 403 penalty minutes across 110 games with the St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Phoenix Coyotes and Anaheim Mighty Ducks, before playing his final professional game in the 2002-03 season.
The 52-year-old, who hails from Christina Lake, B.C., had been calling Winnipeg Jets regional broadcasts for TSN since the 2017-18 season, giving him established experience behind the mic before making the jump to Calgary.
Hrudey revealed this week that he had parted ways with Sportsnet after the network chose not to renew his contract.
The 65-year-old had been a Hockey Night in Canada staple since retiring from playing in 1998, making him one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian hockey broadcasting for nearly three decades.
A Broadcast Booth in Flux
Sawyer's arrival continues a wave of turnover for Flames broadcasts in recent years.
Play-by-play announcer Rick Ball departed for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2024 and was replaced by Jon Abbott, while Ryan Leslie left last year for the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Brendan Parker stepping into the host role. Sawyer now joins that reshaped broadcast team.
Meanwhile, the radio side remains unsettled. Rogers pulled Sportsnet 960 off the air in Calgary and relinquished the Flames' radio broadcast rights entirely, leaving fans without clarity on where to hear games on the radio this season.
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