Chris Vosters named Blackhawks’ new play-by-play broadcaster, replacing Pat Foley

Chris Vosters’ voice will echo through many Chicago households in years to come.

On Sunday, Vosters was officially named the Blackhawks’ new play-by-play broadcaster — the “Voice of the Blackhawks” — on NBC Sports Chicago, having prevailed in a seasonlong unofficial competition of announcers auditioning to replace Pat Foley.

“It’s the honor of a lifetime to be named the next voice of the Chicago Blackhawks and succeed the great Pat Foley,” Vosters said in a statement. “This is more than just a job: It’s the opportunity to work for one of the NHL’s flagship franchises in a world-class city with the best fans in hockey.

“I’ve had so much fun getting to know the team, its staff and its fans this season. I want to thank Rocky and Danny Wirtz along with Jaime Faulkner for believing in me, and I’m so excited to be a part of the Blackhawks’ family for years to come.”

Vosters emerged as the leader from a pool of candidates that included Jason Ross Jr., Stephen Nelson and Mike Monaco, as the Sun-Times first reported March 3, so the announcement wasn’t exactly a surprise.

But in a season of transition for Hawks broadcasts, prompting plenty of discontent among the fan base, the announcement does bring some stability and clarity.

Foley will call three more games — April 10 against the Stars alongside former Hawks general manager Dale Tallon and April 12 and 14 against the Kings and Sharks alongside longtime color commentator Eddie Olczyk. He’ll be honored with a retirement ceremony at that Sharks game.

Vosters will then call the Hawks’ last seven games on NBCSCH, ushering in the new era that’ll continue next season. He’ll do so alongside Olczyk in five of those seven, indicating Olczyk — even though his contract, like Foley’s, also was set to expire this summer — isn’t going anywhere.

“It [has] been an honor to have sat next to Pat all these years — he’s one of the best,” Olczyk said in a statement. “Not only is he my partner in the booth, but he is one of my best friends. I’m excited for his retirement, and I know he will enjoy plenty of days on the golf course. We have made so many great memories in our time together.

“I’m excited for the future of Blackhawks broadcasts, working alongside Chris Vosters. Chris is a great addition to this broadcast team and will lead us to the next generation of Blackhawks hockey.”

Foley said, in a statement, that he’s looking forward to the April 14 celebration and believes “Blackhawks television will be in good hands with Chris.”

Vosters, 30, a Wisconsin native and University of Wisconsin alum, was previously best known for his work on Big Ten Network and NBC Sports. He called events in three Olympics, including hockey and sled hockey in this year’s Games. In 2018, he was ranked among the “Top 30 Sportscasters Under 30” by the Sportscasters Talent Agency of America.

His earnest, easygoing personality and fresh, youthful perspective were surely appealing as the Hawks enter a rebuild and seek to appeal to a wider range of fans.

“As we continue to ‘reimagine the potential of hockey,’ we have found that our broadcast is a key element to connecting with our fans,” Faulkner, the Hawks’ business president, said in a statement. “Having Chris join and lead our broadcast team moving forward will help push us to the future of Blackhawks hockey.

“For many years, our fans have enjoyed the energy, passion for the game and creativity that Pat has brought to our broadcasts, and we are confident that Chris will carry that tradition to our fans moving forward.”