Ted Darling

Edgar Lee "Ted" Darling (June 9, 1935 – December 19, 1996) was the original "Voice of the Buffalo Sabres" ice hockey team for twenty-two seasons, calling the team's games on television from the team's inaugural season in 1970 to 1991. Prior to his work with the Sabres, he hosted Hockey Night in Canada telecasts from Montreal.^[2]

Darling was relieved of his duties by the executive producer of Sabres broadcasts, Paul Wieland, on December 12, 1991 due to worsening Pick's disease an Alzheimer's-like degenerative illness. He was brought back as a studio analyst for games on WUTV in the 1992-93 season. After a five-years with the illness, he eventually died in 1996 at the age of 61.^[3]

Awards and accolades

• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994.
• Inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
• Inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2002.^[4]
• The press box at the team's new First Niagara Center was named the "Ted Darling Memorial Press Box" in his honour.

Memorable calls

When the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 hit the city of Buffalo, Darling called a game between the Sabres and Montreal Canadiens at the Montreal Forum from his apartment—phoning in his commentary while watching the action on his television.^[5]

References