Jack Michaels (born January 23, 1974) is an American ice hockey
announcer
An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience on a broadcast media programme or live event either on radio or television.
Television and other media
Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaki ...
who is currently the play-by-play announcer for
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
broadcasts on
880 CHED and
Sportsnet
Sportsnet is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language Discretionary service, discretionary sports broadcasting, sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture betw ...
television. He was previously the announcer for the
Colorado Gold Kings of the
West Coast Hockey League
The West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) was a professional minor ice hockey league active in the Western United States from 1995 to 2003. The number of teams ranged from six to nine. The teams were located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Id ...
(WCHL) from 1999 to 2002, and the
Alaska Aces of the
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
from 2002 to 2010.
Born in
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,050 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Meadville is withi ...
, Michaels attended
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca (town), New York, Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a Music school, conservatory of music. Ithaca College is known for its media-related programs and entertainment program ...
in New York, where he did his first work in sports broadcasting. After graduating in 1995, Michaels returned to Meadville and worked as a sports announcer for
WMGW-AM. In 1999, he decided to focus on hockey full-time and joined the WCHL's Colorado Gold Kings in
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...
as a play-by-play announcer. After the team folded three seasons later in 2002, Michaels moved to
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...
, where he became the play-by-play announcer and media relations director for the WCHL's Anchorage Aces, which later joined the ECHL as the Alaska Aces. Between 2004 and 2010, Michaels also served as the play-by-play announcer for four
ECHL All-Star Game
The ECHL All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that traditionally marks the midway point of the ECHL's regular season, with many of the league's star players playing against each other. The starting lineup for the teams, including the star ...
s. After broadcasting 919 professional hockey games, Michaels became a
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) broadcaster in 2010, relocating to the Canadian city of
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
to join the Edmonton Oilers as their radio play-by-play announcer. In 2021, he became the team's television play-by-play announcer on Sportsnet.
Early life and education
Jack Michaels was born in
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,050 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Meadville is withi ...
on January 23, 1974.
He is the son of Mary and Lloyd Michaels, who is an English professor at
Allegheny College
Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college in Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1815, Allegheny is the oldest college in continuous existence under the same name west of the Allegheny Mountains. It is a member of the G ...
.
His father Lloyd was also a sports fan and read him the sports section of the newspaper at a young age, hoping it would nurture his interest in other literature.
Instead, Michaels became interested in sports, though he described hockey as a "late-developing interest" growing up in Western Pennsylvania, where
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
was the primary sport.
He credits the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
' drafting of
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux (; ; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984–85 NHL season, 1984 and 2005–06 NHL se ...
in the
1984 NHL Entry Draft for his interest in hockey and sportscasting, as it was "when the Penguins got good and I started to pay attention to the announcing."
He was inspired by the fast-paced commentary of Penguins broadcaster
Mike Lange
Mike Lange (March 3, 1948 – February 19, 2025) was an American sportscaster best known for his 46-year career as a play-by-play announcer for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Lange served as the team's play-by-play a ...
,
who he compared to announcer
Dave Johnson in
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...
, another sport he grew up watching. Although Michaels became interested in hockey, he never learned how to
skate.
Michaels graduated from
Meadville Area Senior High School in 1991,
and attended
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca (town), New York, Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a Music school, conservatory of music. Ithaca College is known for its media-related programs and entertainment program ...
to pursue broadcasting.
In his first week of school, he successfully auditioned to be a newsreader and sports announcer for the Sunday morning sportscast on
WICB, the college's larger radio station.
As an announcer, Michaels started with
lacrosse
Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...
and
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
, before getting the opportunity to call his first hockey game, which was for the Ithaca club hockey team.
He also co-hosted a sports program on
Ithaca College Television. In the summer of 1994, Michaels
interned
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...
for
HBO Sports
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based ...
in New York City.
Career
After graduating from college in 1995, rejection from major sports networks led Michaels back to Meadville, where he became a morning news reporter and sports announcer for
WMGW-AM.
One of his first assignments at the station was to call an
ostrich race at the
Crawford County Crawford County is the name of eleven counties in the United States:
* Crawford County, Arkansas
* Crawford County, Georgia
* Crawford County, Illinois
* Crawford County, Indiana
* Crawford County, Iowa
* Crawford County, Kansas
* Crawford County, ...
Fair; the race involved his colleague who was strapped to an ostrich, causing it to fall over as the race began.
According to Michaels, he was then paid 75 dollars a game to do play-by-play commentary for the high school Meadville Bulldogs ice hockey team,
along with the
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, and
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
teams at Allegheny College.
In the spring of 1999, Michaels announced the
Penguins Cup final between the Meadville Bulldogs and the
Central Catholic Vikings,
which he has described as a turning point in his career.
The afternoon game took place in the
Civic Arena, which was to host the Pittsburgh Penguins in the evening.
Penguins commentators Mike Lange and
Matt McConnell
Matt McConnell is an American sports broadcaster and is currently the play-by-play announcer for Utah Mammoth.
Announcing career NHL
McConnell got his start in the NHL as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, a position ...
were in the building and heard Michaels' calling the game; after the game ended in double-overtime, they approached him and encouraged him to focus on announcing hockey games full-time.
Michaels subsequently sent out recordings of his hockey broadcasts to pro teams across the country, and was hired by the
Colorado Gold Kings of the
West Coast Hockey League
The West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) was a professional minor ice hockey league active in the Western United States from 1995 to 2003. The number of teams ranged from six to nine. The teams were located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Id ...
(WCHL) in
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...
later that year.
Colorado Gold Kings
Michaels started in Colorado Springs as the Gold Kings' director of broadcasting in August 1999, calling the team's games on
KKCS (1460 AM). He was named the WCHL's Broadcaster of the Year for the
2000–01 season,
and became the Gold Kings' assistant director of marketing in 2001.
The Gold Kings folded on August 1, 2002, ending Michaels' three-season tenure with the team.
According to Michaels, he was desperate at the time, as job opportunities would be filled with
training camp
A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
starting in a month,
and believed he was "not well established enough to take a year off".
His job search left him with the option to go to
Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville ( ; ) is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, sixth-most pop ...
or to join the WCHL's
Anchorage Aces in
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...
.
Michaels was hesitant to join the Aces at the time, as the team was poorly managed to the point that the owners tried to sell the team on
eBay
eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...
.
Nonetheless, of the two options, Michaels believed the Aces had more potential with its devoted fan base, and accepted the offer to work in Anchorage.
Alaska Aces

The Anchorage Aces announced Michaels' hiring as the team's new broadcaster and director of media relations on August 25, 2002. He replaced Fred Rannard, who was the team's broadcaster since the
1996–97 season. Flying to Alaska on September 11,
Michaels began calling games for the Aces a month later, on
KFQD 750 AM. In addition to his duties as the Aces' play-by-play announcer, Michaels also handled the team's public relations and coordinated team travel and scheduling.
He also sold sponsorships and advertisements, and managed the team's website.
At the end of Michaels'
first season with the Aces, he received his second WCHL Broadcaster of the Year award.
After the
2002–03 WCHL season, the league folded and the Anchorage Aces joined the
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
as the Alaska Aces. Michaels continued his work with the Aces and announced the 2004
ECHL All-Star Game
The ECHL All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that traditionally marks the midway point of the ECHL's regular season, with many of the league's star players playing against each other. The starting lineup for the teams, including the star ...
, with
Neil Smith as
colour commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
. He was also selected for the ECHL Broadcaster Award at the end of the
2003–04 season.
For the 2006 ECHL All-Star Game broadcast, Michaels was in charge of interviewing players, coaches and other officials. During the
2006 ECHL West Division Finals in May 2006, Michaels became known for his call of the Aces' 4–3
triple-overtime win over the
Las Vegas Wranglers
The Las Vegas Wranglers were a professional ice hockey team based in Las Vegas Valley. The Wranglers were members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League). The Wranglers were founded a ...
, in a game that lasted almost five hours.
His call of the game-winning goal was broadcast nationally, and subsequently voted by listeners of
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
as the "
Homer
Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
Call of the Week".
The Aces proceeded to win the
Kelly Cup
The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the playoff champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup, named after former American Hockey League president Jack Riley. Th ...
after defeating
Gwinnett Gladiators
Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, being located about northeast of Atlanta city limits. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the ...
in the Kelly Cup finals.
Michaels' non-broadcasting duties expanded in July 2006, when he was promoted to Vice President of Communications and Team Operations; in this capacity, he was responsible for hockey operations, as well as matters related to the ECHL.
Michaels has cited the extra income from his additional responsibilities, as well as a reluctance to move his family, as reasons he rejected several broadcasting positions with teams in the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL); this was despite the AHL being a higher-tier league and thus a path to a broadcasting career in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL).
Instead, Michaels wanted a direct path to the NHL, saying in an interview that "after '06 or '07, it was NHL or bust."
In 2007, an Aces home game at
Sullivan Arena
George M. Sullivan Arena (commonly shortened to "Sullivan Arena" and often referred to colloquially as "The Sully") is a 6,290-seat arena in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The arena is named after former Anchorage mayor George M. Sullivan. It ...
was attended by the singer
Steven Tyler
Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, h ...
, who joined Michaels in the third period as his colour commentator. Michaels returned as the play-by-play commentator for the ECHL All-Star Games in 2008,
2009 and 2010.
By the end of the
2009–10 ECHL season
The 2009–10 ECHL season was the 22nd season of the ECHL. It ran from October, 2009 until April, 2010, followed by the Kelly Cup playoffs which lasted until May 21, 2010 as the Cincinnati Cyclones won their second Kelly Cup championship in th ...
, his last with the Aces, Michaels had broadcast a total of 919 professional hockey games, 679 of which were during his eight-season tenure with the Aces.
In January 2016, Michaels was inducted into the Alaska Aces Hall of Fame.
Edmonton Oilers
The
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
of the NHL had an open play-by-play position in the summer of 2010, which Michaels did not take seriously at the time.
He had previously unsuccessfully applied for the position with the
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...
and
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
, and was doubtful an American would be hired by a Canadian team, based on tradition and issues with immigration. He recounts making the sudden decision to apply while driving to the airport for a family vacation, which led him to turn around and mail in a rushed application.
He flew to
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
for an interview a month later, and was offered a position a week and a half later, while on vacation in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
.
Michaels later described himself as "one of the few people who can say I got my dream job in the dream location, with a week in Hawaii to celebrate".
He later attributed the success of his application to a positive recommendation from a former Alaska Aces player that lived next to a member of the Oilers' hiring committee, and his inclusion of
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
national ice hockey announcer
Mike Emrick
Michael "Doc" Emrick (born August 1, 1946) is an American former network television play-by-play sportscaster and commentator noted mostly for his work in ice hockey. He was the lead announcer for National Hockey League national telecasts on both ...
on his reference list. In the press release announcing Michaels' hiring, Emrick stated he first met Michaels in 2005, and was "immediately struck by the quality of his call", adding that "there is no question
ichaelsis 100% NHL ready".
The Edmonton Oilers officially announced Michaels as their new radio play-by-play announcer on August 24, 2010.
According to the Oilers, he was the only American play-by-play announcer for a Canadian team at the time. Michaels would announce all Oilers games on
630 CHED, alongside colour commentator Bob Stauffer, beginning in the
2010–11 season. Outgoing play-by-play announcer of 37 years,
Rod Phillips, would return for 10 "Rod's Classics" games that season, before officially retiring on March 29, 2011.
Michaels has said that he did not seek to "replace
..or stack up to" Phillips, instead feeling free to retain and develop his own announcing style.
In December 2013, Michaels made his NHL television debut on
Sportsnet
Sportsnet is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language Discretionary service, discretionary sports broadcasting, sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture betw ...
as a fill-in for Oilers television announcer
Kevin Quinn.
His second TV appearance was for a
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...
home broadcast in April 2017, as one of a series of fill-in announcers for
Bob Miller, who had experienced health problems and was due to retire at the end of the season.
Move to television
In January 2021, the Oilers announced Michaels as the new lead play-by-play announcer for regional Oilers television broadcasts on Sportsnet, replacing Kevin Quinn.
He was joined by former Oilers forward
Louie DeBrusk
Louis Dennis DeBrusk (born March 19, 1971) is a Canadian sports analyst and former professional ice hockey player. He is currently a colour commentator for Edmonton Oilers broadcasts on Sportsnet and the late game of ''Hockey Night in Canada''. ...
, who replaced
Drew Remenda as colour commentator.
The duo began broadcasting in the
2020–21 NHL season
The 2020–21 NHL season was the List of NHL seasons, 104th season of operation (103rd season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, COVID-19 pandemic, the regular season was reduced to 56 gam ...
,
which had been delayed to January 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Michaels moves back to radio for nationally televised Oilers games, as well as all playoff broadcasts. Cam Moon is the radio voice for all regional broadcasts.
An annual survey of fans by ''
The Athletic
''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...
'' ranking regional NHL broadcasts in September 2021 reported "near-unanimous support" for Michaels after his move to television, which elevated the Oilers' ranking from 26th to 16th in the NHL. In November 2021, Michaels called two Oilers games on ''
Hockey Night in Canada
''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') is a long-running program of broadcast ice hockey play-by-play coverage in Canada. With roots in pioneering hockey coverage on private radio stations as early as 1923, ...
''.
Personal life
Michaels is married to Emily Michaels (), who graduated from Meadville Area Senior High School a year after him in 1992.
In 1999, the couple moved to Colorado Springs, where they married on May 26, 2002.
The Colorado Gold Kings folded three months later, leading Michaels to leave for a job in Anchorage, Alaska while Emily stayed behind to fulfill her commitment as a teacher for the local school district.
Michaels ended up spending his first nine months in Anchorage away from his wife, until she moved to join him.
Their daughter and son were born during their time in Anchorage.
Moving to Edmonton, Alberta in the summer of 2010, Michaels was joined by his family in September; the family initially rented out a house in neighbouring
Sherwood Park
Sherwood Park is a large hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Strathcona County that is recognized as an urban service area. It is adjacent to the City of Edmonton's eastern boundary. While long confined to generally south of Highway 16 ( Ye ...
.
See also
*
List of Edmonton Oilers broadcasters
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michaels, Jack
1974 births
National Hockey League broadcasters
American sports announcers
People from Meadville, Pennsylvania
Edmonton Oilers announcers
American expatriate ice hockey people in Canada
Ithaca College alumni
Living people