Though he joined the Kraken’s TV booth in the summer of 2022, Eddie Olczyk’s permanent residence remains in northwest suburban Long Grove.
“Oh, yeah, I’m commuting,” Olczyk said.
That is some commute to Seattle, but it’s working for the former Blackhawks analyst, who has an apartment in east suburban Bellevue, Washington, that he shares with his son Nick, who’s also a Kraken analyst.
“We’re roommates,” Eddie said. “I pay the rent, and he’s got the biggest bedroom in the apartment. That doesn’t really seem to go hand in hand.”
Nevertheless, Olczyk is loving his living arrangement out west, where he’ll host some familiar faces Wednesday night, when the Hawks visit the Kraken for a game Olczyk will call (9 p.m., TNT, 720-AM). He’ll be joined by current Hawks analyst Darren Pang and play-by-play partner Kenny Albert.
Olczyk, a Chicago native who had been part of Hawks broadcasts since 2006 after being the team’s first-round draft pick in 1984, admitted it’s still emotional to see his old team. After Olczyk’s contract expired, Hawks management wouldn’t give him the same contract length that the Kraken did.
“It’s always emotional, but it’s always fun,” he said. “It brings a smile to my face because of all the history of being at home and doing what I did at home and representing the team. There’s always that emotional tie when I do the games.”
Family ties abound for Olczyk in Seattle, where younger brother Rick is the Kraken’s assistant general manager and son Eddie Jr. is a scout.
“On a nightly basis, there’s a couple of Olczyks in the building,” Olczyk said. “Some nights there might be three, other nights there could be four.
“Nicky and I drive to the rink every day, [we’re] on the same shows. It’s been a tremendous opportunity and great bonding. We’ve always bonded through hockey. It’s a lot of fun.”
Nick, a full-time Kraken employee, appears on the team’s pregame, intermission and postgame shows, in addition to games that Olczyk misses. Similar to when he was with the Hawks, Olczyk calls 44-50 games for the Kraken to accommodate his TNT schedule.
“It’s worked out,” he said. “Sometimes it gets a little long. I don’t bounce back like I used to.”
As Olczyk watches the Hawks’ rebuild from afar, he has been impressed by coach Luke Richardson’s demeanor and mentality, calling him “a perfect hire to be able to help develop and teach.” Olczyk also sees Nick Foligno, who signed a two-year extension two weeks ago, as a key player.
“Of all the moves that [GM Kyle Davidson] made in the offseason, the best move was bringing in Nick Foligno to help mentor and teach and protect not only Connor Bedard but the other young players and show them the way to be a professional,” Olczyk said.
“He has no agenda. Those guys are hard to find, and when you get them, you gotta keep them. That will pay dividends many, many years down the road, just like what Marty Lapointe did for Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.”
