The Voice of BU Men’s Hockey
Play-by-play announcer Bernie Corbett is celebrating 40 years calling games
The Voice of BU Men’s Hockey
The Voice of BU Men’s Hockey
To say that the Boston University men’s hockey program is in Bernie Corbett’s DNA might be an understatement. The son of BU parents (with a grandfather also a BU grad), Corbett was seven when he attended his first Terrier hockey game—at the old Boston Arena. His family had season tickets and would attend not only all home games, but most road games and Beanpot Tournament games as well.
“It was very much a part of my life and a part of the life of my family, going all the way to the beginning,” says Corbett (CAS’83).
When he arrived on campus as a student, the men’s hockey program was fresh off of winning the 1978 national championship. At the time, BU still had a men’s hockey JV team and during his freshman year Corbett was the manager. By sophomore year, he was working with the varsity team as a statistician. After graduating with a degree in political science, he began working for the team as a color analyst. He got his big break when the play-by-play announcer at the time left to become a commercial airline pilot.
Some 40 years later, Corbett can recall his first season with amazing clarity. “We beat BC in the Beanpot final, we beat BC in the Hockey East final. We made it to the NCAA tournament, where we were eliminated by Minnesota in a series at Walter Brown Arena, but that was a pretty good first year.”
As the program’s play-by-play announcer, Corbett says, his job is to describe what’s happening on the ice: “A play-by-play announcer is a guide, somebody that needs to be able to bring the facts across, tell the story, paint the picture of the action.”
When he’s working, Corbett has to find a rhythm. He describes it as a performance—the lights in the stadium go dark, the puck drops onto the ice, and it’s time to go. “You’re trying to find the game as much as the players on the ice are trying to find the game,” he says.
In the early years, the games were carried only on radio and Corbett had to set up all his own equipment—something he acknowledges could be a challenge. “Anyone who knows me knows I have zero—and I mean zero—technical expertise or aptitude,” he says. “I’m very grateful for how it’s evolved. The games are now streamed on GoTerriers.com and we’re on TV, on ESPN+, so there’s now an audio and video presentation, which I’ve really come to enjoy.”
Men’s hockey coach Jay Pandolfo (CAS’96) has a unique take on Corbett’s role with the sport over the past four decades. “It doesn’t seem like there’s BU Hockey without Bernie Corbett,” Pandolfo says. ”I came in here as a 17-year-old and got to know Bernie very well back then. He’s very personable, especially when you’re a player here. He gets to know everyone, knows a lot about them and their family. I think that’s a big reason why people gravitate towards Bernie. He just cares so much about the program. He really understands what this program’s all about—the history, the tradition, and what it means to the alumni that played here. He’s a great ambassador for our team. He’s not only great at what he does, but he’s a great person.”
With four decades come a lot of memories. Asked to share some personal highlights, Corbett says it’s been beyond his wildest dreams. He talks with pride of the team’s national championships in 1995 and 2009 and the time BU beat Michigan State in a best-of-three game series in 1990. Michigan State was then number-one in the country, and no one expected the Terriers to win. That victory sent them to the Frozen Four that year. Corbett also cites the team’s trips to the Frozen Four the past two seasons.
He says he thrives on the energy and talent each new roster brings to the program. “There’s that excitement about each class that comes in, getting to see the new players, seeing how they’ll fit into the program and how they’ll keep that long scarlet line of success perpetuated…we’ve been blessed by so many great guys at BU.”
When he’s not doing play-by-play at Agganis, the Stoneham, Mass., native can be found on SiriusXM, where he anchors Hockey on Campus, a weekly college hockey program. Then there’s his podcast, Inside BU Hockey. He’s also an author, with a history of the Beanpot Tournament and another about the long-standing Harvard-Yale football rivalry under his belt. A huge rock and roll fan, Corbett has even written a book about the Rolling Stones. And in warm weather months, you’re likely to find the proud season ticket holder in the stands at Fenway Park.
With four decades and counting, Corbett has no plans to retire: “This job has been beyond my wildest dreams. It’s the job that I always wanted. It’s really special. It’s a family, it’s a bond, and I’m just honored to be part of it.”
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