It’s been a banner season for Ducks radio broadcaster Steve Carroll and on Wednesday he announced that this campaign would be his last.
Carroll, who has spent five decades on the airwaves and more than half of that time as the voice of the Ducks, will make his final call April 12, when the Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks in the final regular-season game of the year at Honda Center.
His decision to retire at age 70 was made in order to focus on his health.
Carroll’s time with the Ducks predates the ownership of Henry and Susan Samueli, and he provided narration for pinnacle moments such as the Cinderella run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2003 and the franchise’s only championship to date in 2007, as well as three more dashes to the Western Conference Finals in 2006, 2015 and 2017.
“It’s been an honor to call games for the Anaheim Ducks and be a part of the franchise for so many years,” Carroll said in a statement. “I am grateful to the Samueli family and the entire staff for their friendship, and the incredible fans for all their support over the years.“
He called Ducks games in four different decades and two different millennia, beginning behind the mic in 1999. He worked his 2,000th game in December and was inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame in January.
“Steve Carroll has been an iconic voice of our franchise for decades, calling countless memorable moments and a Stanley Cup championship that will forever be part of our team’s history,” Ducks president Aaron Teats said in a statement. “Steve’s voice and calls captured the excitement, drama and emotion of our games in a way that connected generations of fans. Steve has represented our organization with tremendous class, professionalism and passion for nearly 30 years. We are deeply grateful for his extraordinary commitment to the Ducks and the impact he has made on us and our community of fans. We wish Steve and his family well in retirement.”
A native of St. Louis, Carroll’s work led him to call nine different states home and work broadcasts in 48 of 50 states. He called junior college basketball, college football, college basketball, minor-league baseball, professional soccer and minor-league hockey in addition to his tenures with the Angels, Ducks and their opponent Wednesday, the Philadelphia Flyers.