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Pat Foley signs off as voice of Blackhawks

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For 39 years, Pat Foley has been the soundtrack of the Chicago Blackhawks. That legendary run officially came to an end on Thursday, and in bittersweet fashion.

The Blackhawks, winless in their last eight games, squandered a lead late in regulation that forced overtime and the game eventually went to a shootout. Because nobody was ready for this night to end, right?

Alex DeBrincat, who had three assists, scored the lone goal in the shootout and Kevin Lankinen stopped all three shots as the Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks 5-4. It was their first home win since March 8.

"Just put together a better performance than we've had lately," said Patrick Kane, who finished with a goal and two assists. "We played well for most of the game. ... Amazing crowd, and felt like a game that meant something tonight, so it was special."

Aside from a two-year gap, Foley has called Blackhawks games since 1980. He's been attached to so many memorable moments in franchise history, including the dynasty era of three Stanley Cups.

"He's the voice of the Blackhawks," Jonathan Toews said. "There's just so many great calls and just who he is as a person. He's a great storyteller. He just adds that entertainment and that depth to the value of people watching on TV. He doesn't pull punches. He's not afraid to go after a guy if he hasn't scored in 15 games or whatever the situation is. We're going to miss him for sure."

"He's the voice of the Blackhawks," Kane echoed. "You look back at certain highlights or different things that went on with our team, he had some amazing calls. He wasn't there for many of the championship moments because of the national broadcasts, but he had some amazing calls in the regular season.

"Even looking back at the hat trick goal I had there against Vancouver in 2009, to hear his call and how enthused he was with that moment, it brings more to it. And he's been doing that ever since I've been here."

Throughout the night, Foley was showered with video messages from current and former Blackhawks players — such as Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Steve Larmer, Denis Savard and Toews — and Hall of Fame broadcasters like Joe Buck and Doc Emrick. NBC Sports Chicago cameras iso'd Foley during those messages, and you could see how much they meant to him.

Before the game, Foley shared a special moment with his family by being honored in a ceremony that included a four-minute video highlighting the best calls of his career. It also included a heartwarming speech, and Foley left the city of Chicago with a Warren Zevon quote: "If I leave you, it doesn’t mean I love you any less."

The feeling is mutual, and the icing on the cake came hours later when the Blackhawks snapped their winless streak at eight games and Foley was named the No. 1 star of the game. Eddie Olczyk, his longtime partner, led the toast to celebrate Foley's 39-year run and the Blackhawks saluted him from center ice.

Foley signed off by taking a nice sip of the cold beverage he had in his hand, then shouted: "My two favorite words: Hawks win! Hawks win!'"

Blackhawks fans enjoyed the broadcast, and we know they enjoyed the outcome.

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