‘I can’t help but feel a sense of loss’
Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley have been partners on NESN’s Boston Bruins broadcast since 2005. After 19 years together, Edwards announced that he would retire following the conclusion of the 2023-24 NHL postseason.
Brickley said Edwards informed him of his decision to retire prior to the Bruins’ matchup with the Washington Capitals on Monday night.
“It just kind of floored me,” Brickley said on NESN’s pregame coverage. “For the last 24 hours, it’s been a flood of memories and emotions. I can’t help but feel a sense of loss, yet I want to celebrate this awesome career he’s had representing NESN and the Boston Bruins and the Bruins fan base, the organization, everything. It’s been a true pleasure.”
As the voice of the Bruins, Edwards not only provided entertainment for the Black and Gold fans across New England, but he also brought out the best in Brickley.
Couldn’t have had a better teammate by my side these past 2 decades. Congrats on the upcoming retirement, Jack! But first, one more playoff ride together. Giddyup, Partner! pic.twitter.com/glmkVMZ0bG
— Andy Brickley (@AndyBrickley) April 17, 2024
“He drew the emotion out of me,” Brickley said. “I was a pretty stoic player, pretty quiet in the locker room. It’s actually amazing that I talk for a living covering hockey because I was one of the quiet guys in the locker room. But he would draw that emotion out of me because that’s his passion.
“He has such a love for the game and he respects the game and understands what his job is. He makes you ride that emotional rollercoaster that NHL hockey, particularly playoff NHL hockey is. I think he brought that out in me. He was a mentor to me in terms of learning the television business.”
Edwards had some pretty iconic calls over the past two decades. From “this building is vibrating” to “the Bruins showing hearts of lions,” and everything in between, Edwards was a legend in the NESN booth “high above the ice” on the ninth floor.
“He never wanted to be vanilla,” Brickley said. “That was the thing he hated the most in the job he had. He would never be vanilla. He would have an opinion.”
Boston will host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins will hopefully hear Edwards call the Leafs “mulch” in the series before he hangs up his headset for the last time.
