EDMONTON — If you’ve ever been to an Edmonton Oilers game you definitely know his voice. Mark Lewis, the Oilers’ public address announcer, announced Monday he is set to retire after more than 30 years behind the mic.
Lewis has been a fixture at what’s now known as Rexall Place, ever since he was hired by the team in 1981.
“I have found this to be a first-class organization throughout all 35 years. There’s been some really world-class hockey and it’s allowed us to see the best players in the world, right here in Edmonton,” Lewis said in a media release Monday.
In his career, he’s called five Stanley Cup Championship seasons, four Stanley Cup wins on home ice and goals from hockey legends such as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson. He also called the 1981 and 1984 Canada Cups and the 1989 NHL All-Star game.
A highlight for Lewis? Watching Gretzky score 50 goals in 39 games.
“Another highlight was on May 19, 1984 when the Oilers won their first Stanley Cup. This year, I really enjoyed watching Connor McDavid play; I don’t know that words can describe the kind of game he’s eventually going to bring to the ice,” Lewis said.
Global News sat down with Lewis in December, before he announced his retirement plans. He said it was going to be tough to say goodbye to Rexall Place.
“Rexall is a very intimate setting and you get to meet a lot of people as you leave the media lounge, where we all gather to have a little bite before the game, and you make your way through the crowds and you get to know, if not by name, so many people and they’ll stop and chat,” Lewis said in December.
Watch below: Oilers announcer shares memories during last year at Rexall Place
Oilers Entertainment Group Vice-Chair and former player Kevin Lowe said Lewis was definitely a stand-out.
“Through my 35 years in the NHL, I wouldn’t say there are a lot of people that stand out when it comes to PA announcers and hosts, but Mark is right up there as one of the truly recognizable voices around the league in the last three decades,” Lowe said.
The Oilers said plans for a replacement will be announced when they are finalized.
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