Dan Kelly, Longtime Broadcaster of Hockey Games, Dies of Cancer

Dan Kelly, whose crystal-clear voice enabled hockey fans across the United States and Canada to see the game by simply closing their eyes and listening to the radio, died at home Friday of cancer. He was 52.

“All of us in the hockey world are saddened to lose a dear friend such as Dan,” John Ziegler, the National Hockey League president, said in New York. “During the past two decades, the game has known no better good-will ambassador. Many of today’s hockey fans have learned the game through Dan’s vivid and exciting play-by-play calls.”

Kelly, the voice of the St. Louis Blues for two decades who also broadcast games for CBS-TV, USA Network, ESPN and Canadian TV, had been out of the booth since Nov. 19, soon after his illness was diagnosed. He is survived by his wife, Fran, and six children.