Dave Strader Hiring Shows Dallas Stars Are Still Rising

Earlier this morning, the Dallas Stars announced that they hired 60-year-old longtime announcer Dave Strader as their newest play-by-play announcer.

Strader has a long and tenured career as a sports broadcaster in the hockey business. From working with the Detroit Red Wings, Arizona Coyotes, and Florida Panthers, to being a main voice on NBC Sports, he is a well-respected member in the field.

Here is the press release from DallasStars.com:

Dallas Stars President and CEO Jim Lites, in conjunction with FOX Sports Southwest Senior Vice President and General Manager Jon Heidtke, and Vice President and Market Manager of Cumulus Media, Dallas/Fort Worth Dan Bennett, announced today that the team has hired long-time play-by-play announcer Dave Strader to be the next voice of Dallas Stars broadcasts. Strader, 60, joins the Stars broadcast team after most recently handling play-by-play duties for NBCSN’s NHL regular-season and Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage since the 2011-12 season. Since 1997, Strader has called every Stanley Cup Final for NHL International. He is currently calling the series between Chicago and Tampa Bay.

Strader will be joined in the booth by Daryl “Razor” Reaugh, who is set to call his 20th season as color analyst for the Stars broadcasts. The duo’s work can be heard on all games televised by FOX Sports Southwest and aired on Sportsradio 1310 AM/96.7 FM The Ticket.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Dave joining the Stars broadcast team,” Lites said. “Dave is a very talented and well-respected announcer whose hockey knowledge and commentary is among the smartest and best in the National Hockey League. His broadcasting resume and experience speak for themselves, and we are excited to have him call Stars games for years to come.”

In addition to his NHL coverage with NBCSN, he also worked the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia and the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. He also served as the play-by-play announcer for basketball at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, England and called the sled hockey Gold medal game from Sochi in 2014. Strader’s NBCSN duties also included college hockey and college basketball.

Prior to joining NBC full-time in 2011, Strader called games for the Phoenix Coyotes for four seasons after two years with the Florida Panthers. During that six-year span, Strader also called several national games on VERSUS (now NBCSN), as well as games on NBC, including the 2009 Winter Classic from Wrigley Field. From 1996 through 2004, Strader was the play-by-play announcer for ESPN/ABC. In addition to his work on NHL telecasts, Strader called play-by-play for more than 300 men’s and women’s college basketball, WNBA and NBA D-League games.

Prior to joining ESPN, Strader spent 11 years as the television play-by-play voice of the Detroit Red Wings from 1985 to 1996. During his years with the Red Wings, Strader also called national games for Fox Network and ESPN.

A native of upstate New York, Strader began his broadcasting career with the AHL Adirondack Red Wings calling radio play-by-play and working as the team’s director of public relations from 1979 to 1985. He was twice honored by the New York Broadcasters Association for excellence in play-by-play broadcasting and earned the Ken McKenzie Award as the AHL’s top public relations professional in 1984. Strader was inducted into the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

“I am really excited for the opportunity to join the Stars broadcast team and to start this new chapter in my career. At the same time, I’m very grateful for all of my experiences with NBC over the years,” Strader said. “Dallas has very quickly developed into one of the elite organizations in the NHL, becoming a top destination for players and personnel alike. Getting the chance to work alongside Razor is extremely exciting for me. We’ve worked together on several national broadcasts and he is immensely talented. Also, Jim Lites brought me into the NHL 30 years ago and I look forward to working with this talented group that he has assembled.”

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Strader earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies while working at the college radio station. During his senior year at UMass, Strader was the radio play-by-play voice of the Minutemen. He and his wife Colleen, who will be moving to Dallas later this summer, have three sons: Christopher (wife Karen, daughter Sydney), and twins Casey (wife Mary) and Trevor.

This hire is one of excitement and anticipation. Though Strader may have gotten a few of the Stars names wrong in a nationally televised game against the Blackhawks this past season (such as Johnny Klingman, Dominic Roussel, and Brad Ritchie), his chemistry with Razor is already proven and the bunch will do wonders.

Next: A Heart-Wrenching Goodbye To Ralph Strangis

This hire comes about two months after the Dallas Stars first ever play by play man Ralph Strangis stepped down from the chair, looking for the next adventure in his life. Strangis had been the Stars play by play man since 1996. Before that, he was the color analyst for three years in Minnesota and three years in Dallas. Strangis will be dearly missed and will always be a Stars great, but at least the Stars have found a new man to rest their faith in.

The signing of Dave Strader also sheds a lot of positive light on the Stars organization. The fact that the Stars aren’t a consistent playoff team yet or that they have no record of any championships over the past decade could be looked at as discouraging.

Some believe that Dallas isn’t even a hockey town. The fact that Strader would leave his position at NBC, a nationwide sports outreach channel, to come to work for the Stars, who aren’t broadcasted much further outside of Texas itself, is fantastic.

Strader must have seen something special in Dallas. Perhaps he experienced the “Still Rising” feeling as he examined the job. The Stars are still moving, and could do great things in the next few years. Signing Strader is only reassurance and something for all Stars fans to be happy about and look forward to. Only up from here, right?

Next: Kari Lehtonen's Three Most Likely Trade Destinations If Trade Happens

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