OffThePost.org

To a class act of a man who put a face on hockey in Denver. Although I did not know him personally when I came to Denver I knew exactly who he was from the Shoe incident and as a player in Boston. Vancouver born and a member of the US Hockey Hall of Fame. 954 games in the NHL and 813 points. He played for University of Denver and spent time in the NHL with the Sabres, Bruins, Canucks and Devils. He then settled down to help put hockey on the map in the mile high city. One of the truly great sportscasters. His insight and good nature will be missed. My condolences to his family. Rest easy Mr McNab!

Still one of my favorite moments

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I honestly had to fight back tears when I saw the tribute on Altitude, because it was readily obvious Kyle Keefe was struggling to get through the narration.

Beneath the folksy, avuncular veneer was a very keen analyst. I just read a DP story that Pete carried a notebook with him during Avs games where he kept notes and observations, and no one, not even the people at Altitude, knew what was in it. As such, at least some of what he came up with during the broadcast was entirely his own analysis. No surprise then that he was one of the first guys to call out Nazem Kadri's OT winner in the SCF, he knew it was in even before Kadri did!

I keep forgetting just how good a player he was too. The numbers are astounding, and apparently he never talked up his career, always very deferential and self-deprecating. Apparently McNab had NEVER touched the Cup before this year. They were getting off the plane after the win and he still refused to touch it, because he said he had never won it, but the Avs staffers said they weren't leaving the plane until he did so, and so he finally did. The image is online, I'll try to find it and post it later.

Nearly 27 years. There hasn't been a single season of Avalanche hockey that did not have him covering it. Avs don't play until Thursday. I have no idea what to expect, I imagine Keefer, Ryker, and Moser are really going to struggle internally to get through it.

Sad news. I feel like I know the guy and it's clear by the outpouring of sympathy that he was an unfailingly kind and generous individual. I wish he had gotten more time, but it sure seems like what time he had, he used in the right way.

B's perspective on Peter.

https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/former- ... -337291164

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The first, and as it turns out, the very last time Peter McNab touched the Stanley Cup.

https://twitter.com/DrenSchulz/status/1 ... hkYbTHBPIw

Unreal that he's no doubt had opportunities to do so in the past and refused.

Instead of airing their usual pregame show, Altitude dedicated the entire half-hour to Pete. Mostly his colleagues both in front of and behind the camera sitting around a table at the Ball Arena lounge trading stories about him. Even the OG Lauren (Gardner) showed up to take part. Lauren 2.0 (Jbara) sent in a video.

They also made a classy move and left the seat next to Mark Moser empty for last night's game, nothing but a headset and Pete's name on the desk. Moser did the broadcast solo, the chair was only briefly occupied by Joe Sakic, whose stories about McNab were interrupted when the Avs scored back-to-back breakaway goals.

There was not a moment of silence before the game, but a moment of celebration instead, befitting of the man himself. Hard not to feel something right then and there.

At the end of the game, after the victory, the entire team saluted the booth before going off the ice.

All in all a fitting tribute to a good man. Watching Avs games just won't be the same without his presence.

Altitude also posted the video of the tribute to McNab on their YT channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_ofSee ... oAvalanche

RIP

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

First broadcast with what looks like the Altitude Avalanche team going forward--Moser and Rycroft calling the game, Keefe and Liles doing pre- and postgame.

Mention was made of Peter for obvious reasons--it was Hockey Fights Cancer night after all--but for the most part it was business as usual, which is likely what Pete would've wanted.

Still, it felt strange having no Peter McNab on the air talking Avs, and knowing this was not just another temporary absence.

The DU Pioneers will honor Pete prior to Friday's game against the University of Omaha, and they're going to wear his #15 on their helmets for the remainder of the season.