In August of 2020, Everett Fitzhugh made NHL history when he became the league’s first-time Black broadcaster as the voice of the Seattle Kraken on radio on KJR-950 and iHeart Radio.
“As someone who’s worked in hockey for more than a decade, to be named a part of the broadcast and content team for a brand-new NHL franchise – particularly one with an organization as strong as the Kraken – is a dream come true,” said Fitzhugh at the time. “Getting to the NHL has always been my goal.”
Fitzhugh achieved that initial goal, but he had another in his mind that he wanted to accomplish as well- to call a game on broadcast television.
On Thursday, February 17th, Fitzhugh will accomplish this second goal and make history again in the process.
On that date, Fitzhugh will team with Kraken TV analyst JT Brown to form, according to the team’s website, “the first all-Black broadcast team to announce an NHL game.”
The pair will partner up on the ROOT Sports Northwest broadcast when the Kraken travel to Winnipeg to play the Jets.
“To do this with JT will be special,” said Fitzhugh.
He will take the seat normally occupied by the team’s play-by-play announcer, John Forslund, who will be calling the game on the national TNT broadcast that night.
Fitzhugh is well aware of the significance of the opportunity.
“I’ve always told people I want to be the best broadcaster, not the best Black broadcaster,” says Fitzhugh. “That said, I realize in this position I could be the source for someone from South Seattle or Detroit or anywhere to say, ‘Hey Mom, that guy looks like me, I can do that too.’ That’s an even bigger impact than JT and I doing the game together.”
This history-making duo arrives roughly a month after 23-year-old Jason Ross Jr. became the first Black announcer in Chicago Blackhawks history on January 8th.
