BOSTON -- NESN on Thursday announced that Judd Sirott will be the new Boston Bruins play-by-play announcer, and the longtime broadcaster could not be more honored to take on the role.
Former NESN broadcaster Jack Edwards congratulated Sirott on the new gig. And the ex-98.5 The Sports Hub announcer admitted it still was a surreal experience to step into a role Edwards held for nearly two decades.
"This is gonna take a while because of how special this job is," Sirott told NESN.com. "Right off the hop, Original Six city. Not just that, it's the oldest American franchise in the National Hockey League. There is no market in the country that's as rich as this is when it comes to hockey. It's just spectacular in that. But what makes it so special are the people here, Bruins fans. Whether you're at a Bruins game at TD Garden or even at a Bruins game on the road, you experience the same thing. You can see it, you can hear it, you can feel it. And that's what makes this place, this position so special.
"Beyond that, the Bruins are almost to the end of their centennial season. If you think about 100 years of the franchise, there are so few guys that have been in this position. Only six, by my count, have done it full-time. Jack Edwards did it for 19 years. He did it for 19 years, he and Brick. Freddy Cusick did it for 30. Before that, he did for 12 on radio. If you think about the tenure that those guys have had, how few people have had this opportunity, that's what makes it so special, and that is why I am so grateful."
Sirott grew up listening to Pat Foley call Chicago Blackhawks games on the radio and wanted to get into the profession since he was a teenager. Sirott even got into contact with legendary broadcaster Mike "Doc" Emrick where he learned what needed to be done to fulfill his career aspirations.
In 2017, Sirott became the Bruins' radio voice on 95.5 The Sports Hub, and he had a memorable encounter with Edwards.
"I got a chance to talk to Jack on my way to (NESN). I just wanted to relay to him how grateful I am and how thankful I am," Sirott said. "We hit it right from the hop because we're both ski junkies. I came off a flight when I first started in 2017 with a ski magazine. And Jack saw it, and he immediately took out a cocktail napkin and drew a map of New England and drew on the map all the ski areas throughout New England. And I still have that. But beyond that, when I think of Jack and what a tremendous run he had for 19 seasons as the television voice of the Boston. Jack was original. Jack loved his Boston Bruins and that always came across in the broadcast, and I think that is vitally important. I would not have this opportunity without his help, without his support, and I'm grateful for that and his friendship."
Sirott also thanked NESN and Bruins leadership for the opportunity and expressed his excitement to work with the NESN production crew for the 2024-25 Bruins season.
