This past May, as the St. Louis Blues played in their first Stanley Cup Final since 1970, their radio broadcast made a change. Radio play-by-play voice Chris Kerber made the unprecedented decision to invite the team’s TV announcer John Kelly into the booth.
Because of the gesture, Kerber was honored at the Musial Awards, given by the St. Louis Sports Commission and National Sportsmanship Foundation to figures in athletics “who embody class and character.” The Musial Awards were presented this past Saturday night at Stifel Theatre in St. Louis, hosted by KSDK news anchor Mike Bush.
Before the Finals last season, Blues TV announcer, John Kelly had not called a game since the first round of the NHL playoffs. With NBC owning exclusive TV coverage of the Stanley Cup, the Fox Sports Midwest broadcaster expected to watch the Finals as a fan. Radio announcer Chris Kerber had another idea.
“I knew what it would mean to John and his family,” Kerber told Dan Caesar of The St. Louis Post Dispatch “I had never called a Stanley Cup Final game, and it was my 19th year in the league. John had never called a Stanley Cup Final game, and he’d been in the league even longer.”
Serving as an announcer for the Blues runs in the Kelly family, with current play-by-play voice, John having worked on their broadcast from 1989 – 92 and again starting in 2005. John’s younger brother, Dan P. Kelly was the Blues announcer from 1997 – 2000 and their father, Dan Kelly began as a broadcaster early in the team’s existence, having called their first trip to the Stanley Cup in 1970. Thanks to Kerber’s thoughtfulness, John Kelly was able to call the second period of each 2019 Stanley Cup game.
“To me it was just the right thing,” Kerber added. “You look back on it and it makes you even happier that you did it knowing that it meant a lot more to so many more people than you ever would have imagined.”
“Chris did an unprecedented thing in broadcasting,” Kelly told The Post Dispatch. “For him to give up (the microphone), Chris didn’t do it for the recognition.”
Kerber didn’t do it for the recognition, but his gesture certainly earned the honorary award he received Saturday night.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.