As a three-time Olympian, CWHL champion, and the only hockey player to ever captain both NCAA and Olympic hockey teams that won championships, Meghan Duggan is a legend of the game. On October 13, she announced her retirement.
The Danvers, Massachusetts native had a long and fabled career, highlighted by the gold medal won by the U.S. women’s hockey team that she captained in the 2018 Winter Olympics. It had been the first time the U.S. women’s team won a gold medal since 1998, a 20-year difference – a phenomenon that mirrored that of the famous Miracle On Ice, when the men’s hockey team won gold in 1980. Duggan was a leader in many different corners of the hockey community, making an impact in the college game, women’s professional leagues, the Olympic team, and most recently the PWHPA, an organization created by players to promote women’s hockey. Her career will be remembered by how she put a face to women’s hockey and strengthened the sport wherever she played.
Another familiar name is leaving the hockey world -- Mike Emrick, also known as “Doc” Emrick, announced his retirement from the broadcasting booth on October 19 after a 47-year career. Emrick, at 74 years old, was famous for his enthusiasm and energy calling plays in the NBC booth, giving fans memorable moments with his words. Hockey fans know his unique vocabulary well: a collection of distinct action verbs like “shuffleboarded,” “skittered,” and “careened,” along with emphatic interjections involving things like “hitting the post” or when the puck “wouldn’t go,” was Doc Emrick’s trademark.
Emrick called nearly every recent monumental NHL game in the book, including those during the COVID-19 pandemic this past offseason. Every one of his performances in the booth was filled with excitement, eloquence, humor, and knowledge. His presence in the hockey world was unmistakably one that had a great impression on everyone, and he will be missed.
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