Eddie Olczyk

Lore & Background

Olczyk was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks as the third overall pick in the 1984 NHL entry draft and scored his first NHL goal in his first game on October 11, 1984, against the Detroit Red Wings. From 1984 through 1987, he was part of Chicago's 'Clydesdale Line' with Troy Murray and Curt Fraser, a nickname coined by broadcaster Pat Foley because each player weighed around 200 pounds. He was traded multiple times during his career, moving to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins before finishing his playing career in Chicago.

During the 1989–90 season, Olczyk recorded an 18-game point streak, setting the record for the longest point streak by an American-born player in NHL history. The record was later tied by Phil Kessel and broken by Patrick Kane. The 18-game streak remained a Toronto franchise record (tied with Darryl Sittler) until surpassed by Mitch Marner in December 2022. He missed much of the 1993–94 season recovering from a thumb injury but took part in one playoff game and became a Stanley Cup champion with the Rangers on June 14, 1994.

Reader's Guide

Olczyk's significance extends from his playing career to his long tenure in broadcasting. After retiring, he returned to Pittsburgh as a color commentator for the Penguins, where he was nicknamed 'Edzo' by co-announcer Mike Lange. He later served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from June 2003 to December 2005, a tenure that ended after a disappointing start to the season; Olczyk stated that his attempts to protect young players like Sidney Crosby from hazing contributed to his dismissal. Beginning with the 2006–07 season, he became the color commentator for Chicago Blackhawks broadcasts, partnering Pat Foley. He also served as lead color commentator for NHL on NBC and NHL on Versus, and worked the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. His call of 'tremendously tremendous' during the 2010 U.S. win over Canada became widely known. Olczyk received an Emmy in 2009 for Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera: Programming, and a 2012 Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for Sports Programs. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame on February 22, 2013, and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. He also provided color commentary for the NHL 15 video game alongside Mike Emrick and Ray Ferraro. In 2022, he left the Blackhawks to join the Seattle Kraken broadcast team, and in 2026 left the Kraken to focus on national broadcasts with NHL on TNT.