Odgie,
we hardly knew ye. Well, that’s not exactly true. Before we all got to know Jeff
Odgers as a broadcaster, we had the privilege of watching him crash, bang, and
fight his way into the hearts of Thrashers fans as the player fondly known as
the Sheriff. It was a fitting nickname; whenever things got a little dicey for
the upstart new Atlanta team in those early years, the Sheriff would
ride in with fists ablazin’
and restore order. And it didn’t matter which member of the opposition may have
been disturbing the Thrashers’ peace back then. Odgie was an equal opportunity
law provider. He was a middleweight physically but a true heavyweight when it
came to heart and courage; there was never a physical challenge on the ice he
was unwilling to meet. That was his hallmark as an NHL survivor. Through the
combination of impeccable work ethic, desire, and toughness, Jeff Odgers was
able to carve out a 12-year career at the world’s highest level of hockey in
true overachiever’s fashion.
When he was presented the opportunity to enter the broadcasting business just a
couple of years ago, Odgie applied those same attributes to the booth. The
evening he sat behind a microphone for the first time, his skills may have been
raw, but his effort and personality are the qualities that shone. And once he
became comfortable in his new setting and was able to polish those raw skills,
Jeff Odgers – in my humble opinion – was as entertaining an analyst as there was
on any NHL radio broadcast. With his humor, insight, and drive, Odgie had once
again overachieved.
In my 22 years broadcasting hockey at the pro level (NHL & AHL), I have been
privileged to work with some terrific broadcast partners, who all brought
energy, insight, humor, and hard work to the job. Odgie was as entertaining and
effective a broadcast partner as I’ve ever been fortunate enough to sit next to
in the booth. His humor was infectious, his insight fresh, and his connection
with the fans was off the charts. But those aren’t the primary reasons I’ll miss
working with Jeff, now that he has decided to move back to Saskatchewan with his
two incredible sons, Jon and Dakota.
The number one reason I’ll miss working with Jeff Odgers is the friendship
forged over the past two years. It’s been an honor to get to know Odgie the
person and be able to consider him a close friend. Once Jeff settled into his
new surroundings, every broadcast we did felt like two friends getting together
to talk some hockey. To me, that is the kind of in-booth atmosphere that
projects best over the air and makes my job one of the most enjoyable I can
imagine.
The good news is that Jeff Odgers will be back in Atlanta from time to time and
will maintain an association with the franchise, including some probable on-air
appearances. That’s the way it should be. Notwithstanding the nine (or so)
broken noses during his career (none in the booth), you could make a case that
Odgie was the first “face” of this franchise. And who knows, maybe we’ll be
adding the voice to the face, somewhere down the road. Best of luck, Odg.
