Foster Hewitt
His electrifying 'He shoots, he scores!' call defined hockey for generations of Canadians, making radio the heart of the game.
1902–1985 (age 83)·Canadian radio broadcaster·Birthday: November 21·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Foster Hewitt didn't just broadcast hockey; he invented the soundscape for a nation's passion. The son of a prominent sports editor, he pioneered play-by-play radio from a makeshift gondola high above the ice at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931. His crisp, excited delivery and vivid descriptions turned listeners into eyewitnesses, with his signature phrase 'He shoots, he scores!' becoming a cultural touchstone. For decades, his voice on 'Hockey Night in Canada' was Saturday night ritual, connecting Canadians from coast to coast. He later adapted seamlessly to television, but it was his radio work that cemented his legacy. Hewitt's influence extended beyond the microphone; he helped build the Hockey Hall of Fame and was an early advocate for the sport's growth. More than a broadcaster, he was the narrator of hockey's golden age.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Foster was born in 1902, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Foster Was Born
The biggest hits of 1902
Foster's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1902Born
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Started school
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Became a teenager
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could drive
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Could vote
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1923Turned 21
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1932Turned 30
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1942Turned 40
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 50
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1962Turned 60
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 70
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 80
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Died at 83
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
Key Achievements
- Pioneered live hockey play-by-play radio broadcasting in Canada, starting from Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931.
- Created and popularized the iconic hockey catchphrase 'He shoots, he scores!'
- His 'Hockey Night in Canada' broadcasts became a national institution for over three decades.
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965 in the 'Broadcaster' category.
Did You Know?
His first broadcast booth was a tiny, glassed-in gondola built high in the rafters of Maple Leaf Gardens, nicknamed 'the gondola'.
He broadcast the famous 'Summit Series' between Canada and the Soviet Union in 1972 on radio.
He was the son of W.A. Hewitt, a founding father of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the father of broadcaster Bill Hewitt.
He once estimated he had broadcast over 3,000 hockey games in his career.
“He shoots, he scores!”
