Sens Are Gone and So Is Grady

Last year the Ottawa Senators announced that the 2016-17 season would be the last year they would send their prospects to play in Binghamton. The team is moving to Canada and will play in a town called Belleville.

Today, on the sixth anniversary of the Senators winning the Calder Cup, the voice of the Binghamton Senators Grady Whittenburg announced via his Facebook page, that he was informed that he will not be the play by play man for the Binghamton Devils when they hit the ice for their inaugural season this October.

I know I speak for a lot of the Binghamton hockey fans when I say he will be missed. Whittenburg was the voice of the Senators for 14 of their 15 seasons here in Bingo. I worked with Grady both at the arena, as well as putting the games on the air. He is a class act. When you listened to him it truly was like you were watching the game in person, with friend who knew everything about the two teams playing.

Hockey is hands down, the hardest sport to call the play by play action for. It's so fast paced, and players leave and jump onto the ice as the game is in progress. Grady was smooth and witty, informative and honest. He made it sound easy. And most of the games he did by himself without a color guy to jump in and add filler. If the team wasn't playing well, he didn't sugar coat it like some announcers do. He was very passionate about the team and the sport and called the game like a fan.

I remember that incredible run for the championship six years ago. All the exciting come from behind wins and Whittenburg made you fell like you were right there at ice level. I remember him counting down the last few seconds of the cup clinching game in Houston and the excitement in his voice when the final horn sounded and Binghamton FINALLY won the A.H.L.'s Championship.

I've said it to him personally, and I'm saying it again here, Grady Whittenburg should be doing play by play in the N.H.L. He really is that good.

I don't know who's decision it was, or why they made it, but in my opinion, it was a huge mistake.

Good luck at your next gig Grady, it won't be the same without you.