Peter Maher, longtime voice of Calgary Flames, dead at 79

The voice of Calgary Flames radio broadcasts for more than 30 years, Peter Maher, has died. He was 79.

Maher's death was announced on Thursday. He called 33 consecutive Calgary Flames seasons, after being hired as the team's play-by-play commentator for radio broadcasts in 1980.

During his hall-of-fame career that included the team’s Stanley Cup championship in 1989 and its run to the finals in 2004, his passion for his work and catchphrases like "Yeah, baby!" and "You can put it in the win column!" were well-known in Calgary.

On Thursday, the Flames extended condolences to Maher’s friends, family and fans, noting his voice “became part of the soundtrack of being a Flames fan.”

“Peter’s legacy extends well beyond the broadcast booth," the Flames said in a press release.

"He was a passionate ambassador for the Calgary Flames, a devoted member of the community and a person whose warmth, generosity and love for the game touched countless lives."

Born and raised in Campbellton, N.B., Maher called Toronto Maple Leafs games for the CKO Radio Network earlier in his career.

When an opportunity arrived to call the Flames after the team moved to Calgary from Atlanta ahead of the 1980-81 season, Maher moved out west to become the official voice of the team.

When Maher was interviewed by the CBC in 2018 about his memoir If These Walls Could Talk — Stories from the Calgary Flames' Ice, Locker Room, and Press Box, he discussed coming to Calgary in 1980.

"That's the best thing that ever happened. The rest is history," said Maher.

Rob Kerr, who worked alongside Maher in the Saddledome press box for years, said he was crushed to hear about Maher's death.

Kerr praised Maher's passion for his craft. He noted how seriously Maher took his responsibility to Flames fans when their games were more rarely televised and radio broadcasts were the lifeblood of the team.

“We’ve lost this huge storyteller of the history of the Flames,” said Kerr.

“You underestimated Peter Maher at your own peril, because he was truly a gifted broadcaster. He had an incredible centre in the sense that everything needed to be journalistic-based, it needed to be true, it needed to be authentic."