The only Stanley Cup final I ever covered live was in 1991, so I missed hearing Bob Cole’s legendary call of Mario Lemieux’s gum-swallowing goal as it happened. I didn’t know Bob but what a talent and inspiration for play-by-play announcers in my generation. I grew up on Danny Gallivan and the Hewitts, Foster and Bill (especially Bill, as he was the Hockey Night in Canada voice of my youth every Saturday night on TV). And while I marvelled at Gallivan's vocabulary, I was more awestruck at Cole's ability to control his voice, rising to a crescendo when the situation called for it. He lived a long life, passing last week at age 90, but it's still hard to believe he's gone, as are so many others -- both Hewitts, Gallivan, Dan Kelly and local team broadcasting stars like Rick Jeanneret, Ted Darling, Lloyd Pettit and Al Shaver.