After what has been a strange year for John Forslund, the broadcaster will be back as the lead voice of an NHL team next season, joining the Seattle Kraken as the organization’s first television play-by-play announcer.
2021 will be the inaugural season for the Kraken, the NHL’s 32nd team beginning next fall. With Everett Fitzhugh already named the team’s radio voice and the first Black play-by-play broadcaster in NHL history, the organization also landed a prime announcer for their telecasts on ROOT Sports.
Forslund spent nearly 30 years with the Carolina Hurricanes franchise and two-and-a-half decades as their play-by-play voice, following the team’s move south from Hartford in 1997. Last summer, Forslund and the Hurricanes were stuck in a contract dispute that went unresolved. In addition to his local work, Forslund also calls NHL games for NBC Sports.
“It is an honor to join the Seattle Kraken as their inaugural television voice,” Forslund said in the press release. “I am looking forward to reuniting with (general manager) Ron Francis and working alongside (radio play-by-play broadcaster) Everett Fitzhugh. Throughout my career, I have cherished my connection with fans. To get the chance to create that bond and tell the Kraken story from Day One is a magnificent opportunity. I would like to thank the Seattle Kraken for this chance.”
The last 12 months have been unique for everyone, Forslund included. Not only did he see his nearly three-decade long tenure with the Hurricanes come to a close, but Forslund was also one of the first sportscasters impacted by COVID-19.
Last March, Forslund self-quarantined after he happened to stay in the same Detroit hotel room that was previously used by Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz. Later that week, Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, jumpstarting the suspension of most American sports.
But having landed a new gig in Seattle, 2021 is already off to an exciting start for Forslund.