Stars announcer Strangis' departure impacts fans and others alike
Friday was something of a bittersweet day for Dallas Stars fans.
On one hand, they were sad to hear the news that beloved play-by-play man Ralph Strangis will no longer be calling games for their local NHL club.
However, looking at the glass half-full, those same dedicated souls are also happy for all those wonderful memories they now have thanks to the perfect and successful pairing of Strangis and Daryl "Razor" Reaugh on the Stars TV broadcasts for all those many years.
And in that same vein, those fans wish Strangis well in whatever his future endeavors might be.
But it's not just the fans who will miss "Ralphie." For myself and other media types who cover the team, not seeing him at practices, morning skates, games or other Stars events for the first few times next season will be jarring and will definitely take some getting used to, but such is life.
I have been covering the Stars steadily for this website since 2010 and for NHL.com since 2011. And during that time, I have been truly honored to work alongside a true professional like Strangis, one of many such individuals I am blessed enough to work with who have the common goal of covering the team.
"Ralphie" was someone who exuded that peacefulness and serenity that only comes from having your dream job, doing what you truly love in the game you adore and it's hard for such a positive vibe to not rub off on the rest of us in the rather small fraternity of Stars media.
See, we all realize just how blessed we are to get paid to do this, to cover a team and a sport that we truly love.
I have been a hockey fan for as long as I can remember, being hooked as soon as I saw my first Tulsa Oilers game at the Tulsa Convention Center in the old Central Hockey League when were the top minor league affiliate of the original Winnipeg Jets.
But back then I never dreamed I would one day get to cover an NHL team on a regular basis, a huge thrill for this lifetime hockey fan.
However, it's not just getting to cover the team that is inherently rewarding, it's also getting to work alongside many people who I have immense respect for, individuals like Reaugh, Strangis, Stars TV folks like Doug Foster, John Sponsler, Mark Vittorio and Jason Walsh along with fellow reporters Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News and Mark Stepneski of Dallas Stars Inside Edge.
But just being around this group of people named above and many others serves as a constant reminder about why I fell in love with this game and "Ralphie" played a huge role in me renewing my love for the frozen game when I moved here in 1997 along with bringing in a group of new fans here in the Metroplex.
That's because more than anything, he and Reaugh realized that if you can make the game fun to those who don't know it, then they too would be hooked, much like I was so many years back in my hometown.
It's tough to sum up just how much Strangis means to not only the Stars franchise but to local hockey fans, but I'll try. I always saw him and Razor as two ultra-successful hockey tour guides, two guys who were passionate about and who knew the game inside and out.
I saw every game as a journey with Ralph and Razor serving as the guides. Their headsets were their microphones at the front of a tour bus upon which they could offer their own nuggets of wisdom and little known facts.
And the arenas, whether they be the friendly confines of first Reunion Arena and now American Airlines Center or any of the away barns they worked in, gave them the ultimate setting in which to ply their trade.
As for calling each game a journey, it's a description which makes sense, since each hockey game, like games in every other sport, even in cricket where matches can literally last for days, has a distinct beginning, middle and end.
But you never knew when the latest bit of gold from Ralph and Razor would be delivered, it could literally be at any point during their award-winning broadcast and that was part of their appeal.
However, one thing you always knew was that you would definitely learn something new about the game each time you tuned in and you would also be entertained regardless of whether or not the Stars won or lost.
Even myself, someone who has been around and has followed the game for much of his life, I found myself learning a great deal just from watching the broadcast on road games or listening to the radio feed in the AAC press box.
However, it wasn't just hockey-related discussions which myself and my colleagues will remember most. It's also asking Strangis how his beloved Minnesota Vikings were (or were not) doing because good or bad, Ralphie remains a die-hard backer of the Vikes and never had a shortage of hot sports opinions about them either way.
Unfortunately, as the saying goes all good things must come to an end and this is the end of the road in Dallas for Ralphie.
In his farewell on the Stars official website, Strangis talked about how great it was to work with his daughter in the organization's production department for the last three years, an experience which Ralphie relished to say the least.
However, now the era of Strangis as a Stars broadcaster is over. Next season, Razor will have a new partner in the booth and no, it will never be like it was when Ralph was around, but that's not the point.
Stars fans and us in the leering press alike will have a new tour guide to take us on those magical journeys 82 nights a season and hopefully beyond when the club returns to the postseason.
But, no matter who the organization hires as Strangis' replacement, let's not compare him to Ralphie because that's just not fair no matter what sort of pedigree that individual brings to the chair.
Instead, let's remember all the memorable moments and great memories which Strangis was front and center for, that and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
Sure, it is shocking and sad to hear Ralph Strangis will no longer be behind the microphone for the Dallas Stars, but the part Strangis' statement on the Stars website about ships in port being safe was quite apt to say the least.
Change truly is the only constant in the world, even in this business. But Ralphie, know that you will be sorely missed but also realize that you impacted everyone who heard the passion, love for the game and the zeal in your voice whether they be fans, media or other assorted parties.
We should all be so lucky.
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