SEATTLE KRAKEN

Color commentator Eddie Olczyk set to join Seattle Kraken

Jul 19, 2022, 11:38 AM | Updated: 1:07 pm
Seattle Kraken Eddie Olczyk...
Eddie Olczyk speaks during the Chicago Blackhawks' convention in 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky, File)
(AP Photo/Amr Alfiky, File)

CHICAGO (AP) — Eddie Olczyk is leaving the Chicago Blackhawks after 16 years as a color commentator on their television broadcasts and is expected to work Seattle Kraken games next season.

Olczyk’s brother Ricky works for the Kraken an assistant general manager.

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“For 16 seasons, we were fortunate to have legendary broadcaster Eddie Olczyk bring Chicago Blackhawks hockey into the homes of our fans,” the team said in a statement Monday. “We are going to miss him as much as our fans will. Though we are disappointed to learn today that he has decided to go in another direction, Eddie will always be part of the Blackhawks family. We appreciate his many contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Olczyk also does national broadcasts for TNT, as does John Forslund, the Kraken play-by-play announcer for ROOT Sports. Olczyk has become one of the leading hockey voices in the U.S. after playing more than 1,000 NHL games as a forward for six franchises, primarily Chicago, Winnipeg (the first version prior to its move to Arizona to become the Coyotes) and Toronto.

SeattleSports.com staff contributed to this report.

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