Pat Foley to call Blackhawks game at Wrigley Field, 15 years after missing out on first one

The one downside of Pat Foley being the Chicago Blackhawks TV play-by-play announcer during such a winning time was that he would be sidelined for the biggest games.

Marquee weekend game? National TV swooped in to take it.

The playoffs? Same.

Stanley Cup Final? Of course.

Theres no question, local guys (miss out), if youre not the network guy, Foley said by phone recently.

Advertisement It was the same with the Blackhawks outdoor games, and there were a lot of them in which Foley was left to be a spectator.

Whether it was at Wrigley Field in 2009, Soldier Field in 2014, Nationals Park in 2015, TCF Bank Stadium in 2016, Busch Stadium in 2017 or Notre Dame Stadium in 2019, they were all national broadcasts.

But since Foley stepped away from calling Blackhawks games in 2022, hes gotten more of those national opportunities.

He called the 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park for Sports USA, which broadcasts NHL and NFL games on the radio.

This year, he did both Stadium Series games at MetLife Stadium for Sports USA.

And now hell be calling the Blackhawks in one of those games.

Foley again was asked to do the Winter Classic for Sports USA, and this seasons matchup happens to be the Blackhawks vs.

the St.

Louis Blues on Dec.

31 at Wrigley Field, a short drive for Foley in the Chicago suburbs.

Im excited about it, said Foley, who will turn 70 this month.

Its a big event.

With that sort of marquee billboard attached to it, Im looking forward to it.

The settings unbelievable.

The rivalry is there.

Hoping to work with Chaser (Kelly Chase).

Hes a great guy.

That would be a fun broadcast to do.

You know what Im about.

I live for fun.

Thats what we do.

We work in the toy department, so I want to make broadcasting fun.

Foley called Blackhawks games from 1980 until 2006 and then returned to the booth in 2008 until he retired in 2022.

He was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.

If you happen to spot Foley at the United Center this month, just know hes on a work trip, gathering information on the Blackhawks for the broadcast.

Like a lot of people in the Chicago area, hes had trouble getting the Blackhawks on CHSN.

Hes already been to a couple Blackhawks games.

Advertisement Foley misses parts of the job, but definitely not all that goes into being prepared for a broadcast.

Its a lot of work, Foley said.

I cant follow the Blackhawks.

Theyre not on TV.

I will probably go to a game or two in December just to watch them.

I will watch three or four Blues games to get prepared for them.

Im reading some (stories).

Its certainly harder because Im not in the game.

I dont know or really care much about who the Blues third-line left winger is.

But to be properly prepared to do this the right way, its going to take way more hours I would have spent if I was still in the league.

Doing a game or two a season is enough for Foley, too.

He enjoys being involved in the big games and calling them with his friends.

Hes done recent outdoors games with Eddie Olczyk, who was Foleys TV partner with the Blackhawks, and Nick Olczyk, a color analyst for the Utah Hockey Club .

Foley spends Christmas Eve at Eddies house every year, and Foley will be back together with him in the booth for the NHLs Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium in March 1.

I enjoy sitting with my friends to do that, Foley said.

It is way too much work.

I dont mind, but this is my limit.

I do a couple games a year if asked, and thats plenty.

Dont misconstrue that Im missing it enough to get back into it.

I do not.

Eddie Olczyk was ecstatic Foley got the chance to call the game at Wrigley Field.

Pats a Chicago guy, hes a lifer, Olczyk said.

For him to be able to call the game growing up there, Im happy for him that he agreed to do it.

To be able to listen to him and take you back a few years, for some of us to take us back to our childhood when we used to listen to him as a kid, Im happy he wants to do.

Im happy he gets the opportunity.

Its really amazing to call a game from Wrigley.

He loves the game.

He has an amazing personality and demeanor.

I think thats the one thing we did and heard from Blackhawks fans for so many years was just the humility, the candor that we did the games with.

We didnt take it too seriously, even though we wanted the Hawks to win.

Advertisement The Winter Classic will be the first time Foley calls one of Connor Bedard s games.

Bedard was still a year away from being drafted by the Blackhawks when Foley departed the organization.

It takes a lot to impress Foley, though.

When asked whether he was excited to see Bedard, he gave a very Pat Foley answer.

No, I wouldnt say that, Foley said.

Ive watched some pretty good players for a very long time.

Look, I got nothing against the kid, but is it a draw? Not really.

Im excited about the event.

Hopefully he does something special.

Thatll be great.

But I watched Denis Savard for a pretty long time.

I watched Patrick Kane , and I watched all these guys.

Its nothing against him, but Ive seen some pretty amazing things on the ice and tried to describe it.

Heres hoping he does something special that day.

Thatd be awesome.

What does excite Foley is adding another unique experience.

He skated on the ice at Wrigley Field in 2009 and did the same before calling the game at Fenway Park.

Hell now add calling a hockey game at Wrigley Field.

This puts me on quite a short list, I would say, Foley said.

Because if you list the people who have skated on and broadcasted hockey from Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, thats a pretty short list.

I will now have accomplished all four of those things.

Thats pretty cool.

Its those type of experiences Foley is searching for these days.

Theres been little rest in semi-retirement.

If the phone rings and its something fun, the answers yes, every time, Foley said.

Im not waiting until tomorrow.

Im doing it today.

(Photo: Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).

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