He was referring to the boredom players had to deal with while on the road because of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols.
Blackhawks play-by-play announcer Pat Foley apologized Monday for making an on-air remark about putting “a bullet in my head” during the team’s season finale against the Dallas Stars.
Foley has been calling away games remotely this season for NBC Sports Chicago, and during the third period, he praised the players for playing through difficult COVID-19 protocols on the road without needing to have a game rescheduled.
He mentioned that players were limited to their hotel room and the rink and couldn’t go out to dinner or visit family and had to deal with a lot of boredom.
“Had I been traveling with the team this year, I might have put a bullet in my head,” he said during the Stars’ 5-4 overtime win. “I wouldn’t even have had access to the player lounge.”
Foley apologized on air during overtime for the imagery.
“I wish I didn’t say that,” he said. “I’m sorry if I offended some folks. Apparently I did, so I apologize.”
Foley has called Blackhawks games for nearly four decades, starting in 1981-2006 and returning for the 2008-09 season. He received the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Foster Hewitt Award in 2014 for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.
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