Photo caption: Chicago Blackhawks logo (courtesy of the NHL)
In June, the Chicago Blackhawks, in collaboration with their television broadcast partner NBC Sports Chicago, announced that Darren Pang will join play-by-play announcer Chris Vosters in the Blackhawks’ broadcast booth as the color analyst for the 2023-24 season. According to the Blackhawks, Pang returns to the organization where he started his long broadcast career over 30 years ago after playing two seasons as goaltender with the club.
“It’s an honor to return to Chicago and join the broadcast booth at such an exciting time for this franchise,” said Pang. “Coming back to where my NHL playing and broadcasting career started means a lot to me and my family, and I’m thankful to the Blackhawks for this opportunity. Chris Vosters is one of the best young broadcasters in the game, I look forward to working with him and telling the story of Blackhawks hockey to the great fans of this organization.”
Pang, 59, returns to the Blackhawks after spending the last 14 seasons as the lead color analyst for the St. Louis Blues on Bally Sports Midwest, his bio states.
His broadcast career comes full circle with this hire, as Pang’s first industry experience came in Chicago on Hawkvision and covering Blackhawks’ games on WBBM-AM Radio in the early 1990s. He also serves as a lead analyst and ice-level reporter on TNT, where he is currently covering the Stanley Cup Final. Before joining TNT, he worked as an ice-level analyst for NBC Sports on their NHL coverage from 2008-13, including covering various NHL Winter Classics. Pang also served as a color commentator for the Phoenix Coyotes (2005-09) and was a studio and game analyst for TSN from 2005-14.
Pang worked as a top analyst for ESPN and ABC from 1993-2005, has broadcast 97 Stanley Cup Final games on national TV and worked three Winter Olympic Games (1998, 2002, 2010). Pang was the first Olympic ice hockey reporter to get a “between the benches” position with CBS for the 1998 Winter Olympic games in Nagano, Japan.
“Darren is a great analyst because of his hockey knowledge and experience, but it’s also his entertaining style and fun personality that’s made him a beloved figure to so many fans and colleagues,” said John Schippman, VP of Sports Content for NBCU Local Chicago. “We’re thrilled to have him contribute to NBC Sports Chicago’s live-game coverage of the Blackhawks and look forward to the experience he’ll deliver to fans alongside Chris and our other talented experts every game.”
In addition to his broadcast credentials, Pang played three NHL seasons as a goaltender with the Blackhawks between 1984-89, posting a 27-35-7 record with a 4.05 goals-against average and a .882 save percentage. He set a franchise record with six assists during the 1987-88 campaign. He played in seven American Hockey League games with the Nova Scotia Oilers in 1986-87 and in 147 International Hockey League games with Milwaukee (1984-85) and Saginaw (1985-87; 1988-89).
The Meaford, Ontario, native also spent some time behind the bench, serving as an NCAA assistant coach for the University of Notre Dame (1996-99) and a goaltending coach for the Indianapolis Ice of the Canadian Hockey League (2002-04). Pang and his wife, Lynn, have a son, three daughters and five granddaughters.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
