Bob Ridley, who called his 4,000th game in 2021, as well as missed time for cancer treatment, has bee named the Sports Story of the Year by the Medicine Hat News editorial board.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Fifty years and 4,000 games under his belt, and Bob Ridley has a desire for more.
Ridley, the Medicine Hat Tigers broadcaster, reached his 4,000th game on March 27 in a Tabbies 7-2 win over the Red Deer Rebels. The milestone achievement, second-to-none in the game of hockey, has been chosen by the Medicine Hat News as the top sports story of 2021 – but it’s a story that’s not yet complete.
The 2020 shutdown came after Ridley’s 3,998 game in the booth. He was able to reach the mark in the WHL’s shortened ‘developmental’ season earlier this year – one played without spectators.
“It’s a milestone that I am very proud of and I know the Tigers are as well and so is CHAT,” he said in an interview with the News. “We’ll see if we can do a few more and add to those numbers.”
The 77-year-old has not called a game since fans returned in the 2021-’22 season in order to undergo radiation treatment, passing the mic to Scott Roblin of CHAT TV. But on Dec. 15, Ridley told the News that he was declared cancer free and said that there is desire from both him and the Tigers in a return to the booth in 2022.
“The Tigers certainly want me back, not because Scott isn’t doing a good job, he certainly is, but when you are a voice for a team for over half a century they don’t want to let you go easily,” Ridley said. “I am considering going back to work in the New Year and doing some games and looking forward to it. It’s a more positive feeling now that I am cancer free, I can kind of put my life back together again.”
Ridley says it will take some time, as he is still working through his rehabilitation and starting to get back into his normal routines. He added he also wants to get to know the team a little better before getting behind the mic in the Bob Ridley Broadcast Centre at Co-op Place.
He hasn’t seen the Tigers in person due to doctors orders but has listened on the radio throughout the season. When asked if he feels like he lucked out on not having to be on the call for the Tigers recent 16-game losing streak Ridley quickly turned down the idea.
“I still wish I was there, you can’t ever say, ‘I’m glad I wasn’t broadcasting during this tough stretch,’ because we’ve been through tough stretches before and you’ve got to take the good with the bad,” Ridley said.
And there’s been far more good than bad on Ridley’s ride to 4,000 – a milestone he says he didn’t think about until he hit the 3,500 mark.
“I said, ‘Hey, maybe I should try to go for it,'” Ridley said. “Turned out it took a year to get there because COVID hit about two games short but we finally got it done.”
Ridley joined up as Medicine Hat’s play-by-play man for the team’s first season in 1970. A couple years later, Ridley even took on the added responsibility of driving the team bus – a unique dual-role that provided him with a way to get to know players outside the game.
Tigers forward Brayden Boehm debuted and scored his first WHL goal in Ridley’s 4,000th game, and says the broadcaster is a huge part of the Tigers.
“Four thousand games in any league is amazing,” Boehm said. “It’s bizarre that he’s been around for that long and we’d love for him to come back for the Tigers.
Ridley says while he was away from the team he would watch at least a couple NHL games a night and head to the rink for a coffee with Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins, and his staff, to stay up to date on the team.
Desjardins, who has coached in two stints with the Tigers, had a difficult time summing up what Ridley means to the orange and black.
“Rids is pretty exceptional, there won’t be anyone like him,” Desjardins said. “He’s an icon in so many ways. He’s more than a bus driver, he’s more than a broadcaster, he’s a friend and a true Tiger. He does everything he can for the organization and that’s hard to put into words what Bob means for our organization, but we know he is special and we know every guy that has gone through this program appreciates him.”
Ridley says he hasn’t thought about the fan reaction for his first game back on the air, as he instead focuses on “not making a total fool of myself.”
When asked if he’s thought about reaching the 5,000-game mark, Ridley quickly shut it down with a laugh and said he’ll enjoy what he has and keep doing it because he loves the game.
Before this season, Ridley had only missed one game over the 50 years – when he was tasked with covering a curling assignment. He credited luck for making sure he was always on the call come puck drop for the past 50 years.
“I’ve been blessed and very fortunate that I had decent health up until just recently,” Ridley said. “All these years, I’ve been able to continue and do something that I love every day. I touch wood whenever we say that, and hopefully I can add a couple more games to the list.”
