The Bruins Blog on Boston.com is reporting that Fred Cusick, former play-by-play voice of the Bruins has died this afternoon at the age of 90.
Though best known for his Bruins calls, Cusick also was an analyst for the first ever Patriots game, and served as the PA announcer at Fenway Park for two years, and did a famous 1963 interview with Francis Ouimet – winner of the 1913 U.S. Open and subject of The Greatest Game Ever Played.
All of this and more was chronicled in his book, Fred Cusick – Voice of the Bruins, which I reviewed back in 2007.
His death comes just one day before he was to be inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame. It also comes on the same day that a recent interview with Cusick by Emily Sweeney was posted on Boston.com.
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wow…That’s a shame but at least he lived a long and interesting life. Not to get too dramatc but Bruins games haven’t been the same for me since he retired. I spent over 20 years listening to Fred “cue stick” do Bruins games. He was the best….R.I.P. Fred Cusick
Fred Cusick and Bob Wilson both made watching and listening to Bruins games a pleasure. I agree with Angry Old Bastard, Bruins games haven’t quite been the same since both retired. RIP, Fred Cusick.
Some of the best memories from my youth as a sports fan involved watching Bruins’ games and hearing Fred scream out “SCORE”! in his unique way. Fred on TV; Wilson on the radio….Bruins fans really had it all when it came to broadcasters back in the day.
The Bruins do have the best color man in hockey, if not in all of sport, in Andy Brickley. He is a phenomenal broadcast talent.
Rest in peace, Fred Cusick, and thanks for the memories.
Godspeed Fred…Not only was he great, but he had to spend a lot of years along side Johnny Pierson. Pierson looks like he sprayed like a camel when he spoke and was as ugly as the back of my nutsack.
Anyway, one of my favorite exchanges between those two was Johnny remarking on how long Espo had in front of the net with the puck before he top-shelved one…Johnny said “ahhh, well Fred, he could have had a Coke and a Sandwich on that one…”
Fred, ever the professional, was aware of their sponsors and shouted out “MAKE THAT A BUD AND A SANDWICH!!!”
lol….I remember me and my friends could finish Johnny’s sentences. For instance, Johnny would start saying, “now for you youngsters out there….” and all of us would shout in unison “YOU DON’T HAVE TO SHOOT THE PUCK HARD!”…….If I got a nickle everytime Johnny said that I’d be a rich man……I guess Johnny’s other job was in furniture, remember when come playoff time Pierson would have to go to some furniture convertion?…and Dave Shea would take over for him?….that always blew my mind. Does 80 games a year, then blows off the playoffs to go to a furniture convertion……..I guess furniture was paying better than TV 38
…furniture CONVENTION
I still use an old phrase of Fred’s absent mindedly when something lucky happens to me. “Thats a break for Boston”.
Fred and Bob Wilson were a legendary TV and radio team. R.I.P.
RIP, Fred.
Game 7 vs. Buffalo in ‘83– Brad Park wins it in overtime. My favorite call.
what was that great Bobby Schmautz (sp?) goal against the Canadians? That had to have been about then. I don’t remember much about it other than the look on Schmautz’s face and Fred’s very surprised call. Great.
Game 4, 1978 Stanley Cup Finals, I believe.
Bruins shocked the world by tying the mighty Habs (and that team they had from 76-79 WAS mighty) at 2 games apiece with that scintillating win.
Of course, Montreal creamed them in the next two games to win the series in 6.
But man, those two games at the old Garden (Games 3 and 4) were awesome wins for the B’s–Don Cherry’s old “lunch pale” team that would have won a couple of Stanley Cups were it not for the dynastic juggernaut up in Montreal during those years.
Fred was Da Man……as Boston as Bunker Hill and the St Pats Day Parade….So sad that time must march on.
Rest In Peace….
Who has the Massachusetts Broadcasting Hall of Fame been inducting all these years that they had to make Fred Cusick wait until he was 90?
yeah really, I was thinking the same thing. Who the hell is running that oufit?…..Ordway?
I always enjoyed when Fred would mention “the long reach of Mike Krushelnyski” whenever he made a poke check or something….
Bob Wilson was also tremendous..”South Boston Savings Bank. Always the leader!”
I think the Hall of Fame only started a couple yrs ago. In fact a quick look at their site shows highlights from the _Second_ Annual installation, 2008…Indeed a Globe article says this was their third induction and it was founded in ‘06
by the way I remember the old GOAL: BRUINS album (Fleetwood Recording Studios). I think it had Don Earle and Pearson on there who I believe were Ch 38’s team at the time–Cusick was on radio (WBZ?) then moved to TV. Wikipedia’s entry for Earle said Earle was fired after he was booed by fans during the 7th player award ceremony (?) I was born in 62 so I don’t remember too much. Anyway, I’m not sure if it’s Cusick or Earle on the album but for some reason it may have been Cusick? A YouTube vid has what I think is Earle (higher pitched voice):
“Orr, to Sanderson behind the net, to ORR! Bobby Orr!”
But I what remember from the album sounded a bit lower (Cusick?) and it had him say “forechecking, uh, backchecking….Orr, feeds Sanderson behind the Net, back
to Orr–he scores! He scores! And the Boston Bruins have won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 29 long years! It’s the Bruins 4, the Blues 3, 41 seconds into overtime…”
Anyone remember? Again, even though I was sure Earle’s picture was on the back of the Goal Bruins album maybe they mixed TV (Earle) and radio (Cusick) play by play and the second one was by…Cusick?
I LOVE fred Cusick! He is all that you say he is and , YES, when Bobby Orr scored the winning goal, Fred was the only one who I wanted to hear those words from!!!!!!!!!
He could be trusted. He knew his job and the game of hockey. At the same time you could feel his gentle soul as he called plays in a hard game.
FRED CUSICK WILL BE MISSED!