Danny Gallivan was a true maestro on the mic
Danny’s dramatic descriptions and inventive sporting vocabulary have forever entrenched him as an ice hockey legend.
Danny Gallivan was a play-by-play maestro, serving as the Anglophone voice of the Montreal Canadiens for 32 years. A native of Sydney, Nova Scotia, Danny first landed a job with the St. Francis Xavier University campus radio station, CJFX, as a way to help pay for his schooling. His first ice hockey broadcast, in December 1943, was of an exhibition match between St. Francis and the New Glasgow Bombers. In September 1946, Danny moved to Halifax radio station CJCH to become the voice of the local junior team, St. Mary's.
It was during a Memorial Cup playoff series at the Montreal Forum that his talents were first noticed by the Canadiens. His big break came in 1950, when the Canadiens' regular announcer, Doug Smith, took ill and Danny was asked to fill in. By 1952, he was the full-time announcer for the newly-established Hockey Night in Canada television crew.
Over the course of his 32-year career, he covered some 1,900 regular season and playoff matches, including 16 Stanley Cup victories for the Canadiens. Dan
ny's accuracy, enthusiasm, and sophisticated understanding of the game made him more than just an announcer. His eloquent, exciting phrasing and his imaginative descriptions brought the game to life for radio listeners, and the transition to television was an easy one for him.
He was renowned for creating new words and phrases apropos of his play-by-play. His most famous phrase came about during a Montreal power play when a hard slapshot reminded Danny of a ball being shot from a cannon. He called it a "cannonading drive." Serge Savard's signature pivot soon became known as the "Savardian spinnerama," while defenseman Larry Robinson's actions became known as "Robinsonian efforts." Danny's playful use of the English language was met with some criticism from the academic world, but for the most part, these "Gallivanisms" have become a treasured part of ice hockey folklore.
In 1974, Danny was honoured with the ACTRA Sportscaster of the Year Award. His alma mater, St. Francis Xavier University, bestowed upon him an Honourary Doctor of Laws Degree in 1985. In addition, he is an honoured member of the Hockey Hall of Fame's media category. Danny Gallivan was awarded the Order of Sport and inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.