Dave Hodge
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Dave Hodge (born 1945, in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian sports announcer who currently works for TSN, and has worked in the past for the CBC and CFRB 1010 radio in Toronto. He hosts a Sunday morning show called The Reporters, as well as providing commentary for the network's NHL coverage.
While on the CBC, he hosted Hockey Night in Canada from 1971 until 1987, working 15 Stanley Cup Finals. He was often joined in the studio by colourful analysts, such as Howie Meeker and Don Cherry.
On March 14, 1987, he was hosting a game between the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs, which ended early. CBC then switched the full network over to a regional game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens for the end of the third period. It ended in a tie just before 11:00 PM Eastern Time, meaning it would require overtime. CBC executives decided that only viewers in Quebec, who had seen the game from the start, would get to continue watching after 11:00, while the rest of the network would cut away. "That's the CBC for you," Hodge said in disgust, flipping his pencil in the air as he signed off the telecast. Hodge was fired two days later and replaced by western correspondent Ron MacLean.
Afterward, he was hired by Can-West Global to host their coverage of the 1987 and 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs, which included some games in the finals.
Hodge was also a play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Sabres television broadcasts in their inaugural season 1970–71, the Toronto Argonauts Canadian Football League radio broadcasts from 1974-1980, and the Minnesota North Stars hockey television broadcasts in 1991. He was the lead play-by-play broadcaster for the CFL-produced Canadian Football Network from 1987 to 1990. He has also hosted regional television broadcasts for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Global and TSN and for the Vancouver Canucks on BCTV.
Dave is the nephew of World War II flying ace, Gordon Campbell Nicol, who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for service on bombing raids of Germany.