Some of the happiest moments of my broadcasting life came during the years I worked side by side with Peter McNab on New Jersey Devils telecasts, along with Gary Thorne.
Nobody I ever worked with had better insight into the game than Peter, who we lost to cancer at age 70 on Sunday.
In addition to being a superior analyst — and previously an excellent player — Peter was a fun guy who always brightened our day, whether it was at a Devils TV production meeting, during road trips, or just about anywhere.
What’s more, Peter had a big heart and showed that side of himself in 1993, the year my younger son, Simon, nearly died of a heart ailment, cardiomyopathy, at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. For agonizing weeks he awaited a heart transplant as his condition worsened.
Fortunately Simon received a new heart in August 1993 and recovered to enjoy life as he still does today, with all three of his children actively playing ice hockey.
When Peter learned about Simon’s issues and recovery, he did more than just acknowledge my son’s situation, he decided to do something about it.
Unknown to our family, Peter organized — with the Devils support — a benefit. It began with a booth set up in the home rink at Brendan Byrne Arena during which fans were encouraged to contribute to support heart transplantation.
In addition, McNab launched a contest in which the winning family would accompany Peter, Simon and my late wife, Shirley, to a Devils game at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
Peter all by himself arranged for all of us to stay at the Royal York Hotel and enjoy the game with a few neat extras thrown in for good measure and pleasure.
“You guys will also be hosted at Don Cherry’s restaurant, and meet ‘Grapes’ himself,” McNab said. And that we did for a most wonderful lunch of laughs and hockey talk.
Needless to say, it was one of the most memorable and happy excursions of my life, and the same for my family and the contest winners. But it was only one of so many neat things Peter did for us and others in his wonderful life.
I had hoped to thank Peter personally for those good times again last December when Peter was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame during ceremonies in Denver.
Unfortunately our great pal was already being treated for cancer and could not attend, although his brother, David McNab, read a stirring speech on Peter’s behalf.
Amazingly, Peter returned to broadcast Avalanche games and was around to enjoy Colorado’s Stanley Cup triumph last season.
Right to the end our pal fought the good battle and leaves us with a ton of pleasant memories. “You always loved music,” Peter once mentioned to me when I told him about a song I admired so much.
It was Irving Berlin’s “The Song is Ended but the Melody Lingers On.”
So we who knew Peter and revered him — as a person, player and broadcaster — will always think of him with the utmost affection. Yes, the melody lingers on. RIP, good pal.
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