Carolina Hurricanes: Mike Maniscalco to Take Over Play-by-Play Duties

The Carolina Hurricanes will have a new play-by-play announcer.

As the offseason drags on, one thing has been made clear, John Forslund will not be returning to the Carolina Hurricanes as Mike Maniscalco will become the new play-by-play announcer.

“Hey, Hey, Waddya Say! The Carolina Hurricanes are off and running!”.  For now, the legendary John Forslund has uttered that statement as the Hurricanes TV play-by-play announcer for the last time.

According to Luke DeCock, sports columnist for the News & Observer, his time with the team has come to an end. What his future hold is still uncertain. He has been announcing the playoff games with NBC for the last few months as the Stanley Cup Finals begin, but in Carolina, he has been replaced.

Instead of moving forward with his legendary call of the game, Tom Dundon and the Hurricanes have turned to Mike Maniscalco, who during the Carolina Hurricanes short stint into the playoffs has done a remarkable and admirable job filling in the massive shoes left behind by Forslund.

There is a lot to take in from the loss of such a legendary play-caller such as Forslund. Mike has done more than an incredible job, but at the end of the day, it isn’t fair to compare him to a man with the tenure and legendary status of John who has been with the team since before the move down to the Carolinas. But he isn’t the first play-caller from the Harford days to leave Carolina.

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Two years ago when Dundon took over the team, we saw the end of legendary radio play-by-play announcer Chuck Kaiton with the team. Kaiton, who has been with the team since 1979 saw a nearly 40-year career end. But the need for a radio personality being set aside was understandable to a degree. Not bringing back John Forslund? There I have questions.

Forslund is worth his weight in gold. If another team snags him to call their games, he will bring with him a legacy that transcends the league. Play-callers like him are rare jewels. He not only has his unique play-calling style and catch-phrases that have given the Carolina Hurricanes an identity, but he also has the ability to create chemistry with just about anybody.

He makes everyone around him that much better, to the point that whenever someone around him refuses to improve themselves for his sake, it stands out sorely. His absence from the Carolina Hurricanes will also stand out. He will be very much missed.

Tom Dundon has not addressed the public about this decision or the fact that negotiations with Forslund have fallen apart. Mike Maniscalco was an easy decision to replace John, but not the decision fans wanted to see.

Mike will do an excellent job moving forward, but it is unfair to him that he has to move forward with his broadcasting career in the shadow of a controversial move that sees someone as legendary as John Forslund gets squeezed out.